If you have been following this blog for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of TripIt Pro. Not only do they keep everything organized for me in my travels but they have also saved me money (more on that below) and they have been really good about rolling out new features to make the TripIt app the go-to app for travel.
What’s the Difference Between TripIt and TripIt Pro?
Link: TripIt Pro
One of the questions I get often when I am talking about TripIt is “what’s the difference between TripIt and TripIt Pro?” TripIt actually provides a nice table to show the difference in features, but I thought it would be a good idea to show the differences in real-life scenarios.
Just in case anyone is wondering 🙂 :I am not paid by or compensated in any way by TripIt. I have paid for TripIt Pro myself for the last many years and talk about it because it is a feature-filled product.
What Does TripIt Cost?
TripIt is the basic website service and app and it is free to use. TripIt Pro is the update that unlocks a lot of great features and it costs $49 per year (though you can get your first year for only $39 when you use our exclusive reader link).
In the image above, you see the differences. But, let me break down some of the best feature differences between TripIt and TripIt Pro.
Real-time Flight Alerts
There are different websites that can give you flight updates and some of the airline apps themselves also give those updates. But, if you value the ability to this in the same app as all of your travel plans (like if your itinerary has different airlines), this is a good feature to have.
It is worth pointing out as well that TripIt Pro has updated me on flight delays and cancellations before other sites/airline’s own updates. In fact, I have actually been on the plane before when I received a notice that the flight was cancelled. The flight attendants did not even know that before! I got up to talk them and get off the plane and they had me wait while they checked with the gate. That was when the gate found out as well! I was the first person off the plane while others were still settling in and at the counter to get a new flight.
The same thing has happened while I was waiting to board. I would get a flight alert and be up at the counter before anyone else knew anything. While the announcement was being made, I was walking away with my new boarding pass! 🙂
If you value that kind of notice, this one benefit can be huge to the frequent flyer!
Locate Alternative Flights
This could be a subset of the above point. I am able to get suggested alternatives from within the same app that just told me a flight was delayed or cancelled! This has also been a huge time-saver since I don’t have to search on Kayak or something else just to get an idea of options. Again, a feature that is totally worth the fee when those delays/missed connections/cancellations occur!
Get Fare Refund Notifications
Years ago, I got a notice from TripIt Pro that a flight I had purchased on Orbitz had dropped over $300! Back then, Orbitz would give you a refund if someone purchased that same exact itinerary so now I was eagerly watching and waiting! Sure enough, someone bought at the new price and I got a refund for the difference!
Of course, that was automated by Orbitz but if it had not happened automatically, the heads up from TripIt Pro had me looking.
But, in real-life savings, this is perfect for Southwest. If you purchase a revenue fare, TripIt Pro will notify you when the price drops. This is huge since Southwest is rolling out sales all the time. Since they do not charge any fee for changing tickets, this has saved me way more than the annual fee!
This can also be helpful if you had bought a ticket and the price drops low enough to make the change fee worth it (on other airlines). This has not happened to me more than once or twice but I am normally pretty careful about when I purchase tickets and try to get it at the bottom price.
This single feature can be enough to save you more than the annual fee when you get those fare notifications from Southwest flights!
New Features for this Year
2017 has seen a lot of new features roll out for TripIt, with some exclusive for TripIt Pro users. Here are those features and their related posts for more information:
- Go Now – Go Now is a feature in the TripIt app that will let Pro users know when is best to leave for the airport. This checks with the route from where you are, the traffic, and the time you want to be at the airport. Very cool for new cities or airports.
- Airport Maps and Navigation – This is also a great tool to help the Pro user navigate the airports. Since TripIt already has your itinerary and updates the gate information automatically, this feature can guide you from gate-to-gate to help you out. If you are familiar with the airports, it won’t be that big but can be a help on close connections or in a new airport when you want to grab a bite.
- iMessage Updates – If you have TripIt Pro, you can send an iMessage to someone with your trip plans and that message will be automatically updated with your flight information. I have used this already and it is a great tool so that you do not need to have someone monitoring your flight for changes. Send and forget!
Other Features
The other features that are differences between TripIt and TripIt Pro include things like seat alerts, award tracking, travel collaboration, etc. These features are all things that other services provide for (like Expert Flyer and Award Wallet). Those other services do a great job of it.
On top of all that, you can also get a $25 LoungeBuddy credit and a 4 month CLEAR trial – basically, giving you more in your first year than you will pay for the TripIt Pro subscription!
But, if you like having everything in a single app, these are a couple more reasons to go with TripIt Pro.
Takeaway
As I said, I am a huge fan of TripIt Pro. If you are a frequent traveler, I think the $49 annual fee is completely worth it. Yes, there are other free places that, combined, can give you many similar features. But, the keyword is “combined.” There is no single app that does everything that TripIt Pro does.
Can you share where to find your special offer link on Trip-It Pro. Thanks Eric
My mistake, Eric. It does not go live until tomorrow. I will have a post tomorrow with the link and put it back in this message as well. Happy Thanksgiving!