Smart assistants are becoming smarter all the time and the race is really between Google Assistant and Alexa at this point (sorry, Apple, Siri really needs some more work!). I love when Google and Amazon make their assistants smarter in ways to make travel notifications easier. Well, as of today, my favorite travel app, TripIt, has integrated with these smart assistants.
New TripIt Updates are Great for Smart Assistants Like Google Assistant and Alexa
Link: TripIt
TripIt has made some nice updates for iOS devices (like the Apple Watch) but, today, this update is all about making your smart assistants even smarter. This includes things like smart speakers and other smart devices. As of today, you can ask Google Assistant and Alexa for your travel help with these new TripIt skills.
Here is what TripIt’s director of product has to say about this new update: “Now when you’re home and preparing for your trip, you don’t have to pick up your phone or laptop to get the flight information you need,” said Jen Moyse, director of product at TripIt from Concur. “We want to help you make the most of your time as a busy traveler, wherever you are.”
Here are some of the things you can ask your smart assistant:
- What is my flight summary?
- What time is my flight?
- What is my airline?
- What type of aircraft am I flying on?
- What is the weather like at my destination?
- What seat do I have?
- What is the duration of my flight?
- When do I arrive?
If you are a TripIt Pro subscriber (differences between TripIt and TripIt Pro), there are some extra questions you can ask the smart assistant.
- What is my flight’s status?
- When should I leave for the airport?
- What terminal is my flight in?
- Where is my gate?
While you could look this up in the app, being able to ask these questions on the go or as you pack can be quite useful! For those that really know there favorite aircrafts, it is a nice thing to be able to ask about that as well!
How to Use this New TripIt Update with Smart Assistants
How it works with Alexa:
“Alexa, what’s my departure time?”
To get started using the TripIt skill:
- Travelers can enable the TripIt skill and link to their TripIt account using the Alexa app. First time Alexa users will need to download the Amazon Alexa app. Users can also enable the skill through the Alexa Skills Store on Amazon.com.
- The TripIt skill can be found in the “Skills & Games” section—just search for “TripIt” and select “Enable.”
- Users can then open the TripIt skill for Alexa by prompting “Alexa, open TripIt” and asking a question about their upcoming flight.
- Alexa will provide users with information about their next flight directly from TripIt.
How it works with Google Assistant:
“Hey Google, what’s the weather like at my destination?”
To get started using the TripIt action:
Travelers can connect TripIt to Google Assistant through the Google Assistant app. Once connected, the app can be opened by saying “Ok Google, talk to TripIt.” Note that TripIt will only provide information on the next flight within a TripIt account.
Summary
It is true that there are many other travel apps but I have not found one yet to integrate so many features into one place as TripIt has. This is why they continue to be my go-to for travel. I never even need to do anything with it but my trip helper is always at my fingertips (especially since this latest update).
