From last-minute flights to the perfect in-the-sky cocktail, here’s how to make holiday travel a little more bearable.
YOUR LAST-MINUTE PLANE TICKET
Flight Tonight is basically Hotel Tonight for flights: a no-frills iOS app that monitors last-minute airfares and sorts by price. For longer-range planning, check out FT’s sister site Hopper, where you can find the best ticket price for any destination, when to go and the exact best time to buy.
YOUR PEACE OF MIND
You may already have noise-cancelling, over-ear headphones (if not, we recommend the wireless Plantronics BackBeat PRO or the Bose QuietComfort 25). But if you’d just prefer in-ear plugs, try DUBS: colorful, easy-fitting ear filters that reduce real-world volume without the “muffled” quality. We tried ‘em on the NY subway for a few days and, for those precious hours, life seemed less bleak. Didn’t do anything about the smell, though.
YOUR DRIVING COMPANION
If you’re trapped in seven feet of snow on the highway … well, hey, no one told you to visit Buffalo in November. But when those emergency situations do arise, the just-launched app HONK provides instant access to 20,000 service stations nationwide. You can book tire changes, towing, jump-starts and other vehicle assistance for as little as $49, all in one or two taps.
YOUR TRAVEL REWARD
Get on your flight. Order a bourbon. Open the Carry On Cocktail Kit (from the guys behind the Mason Shaker). You’ll get a recipe, muddler, bitters and cane sugar. Make yourself a TSA-approved Old Fashioned. Actually, make two.
Your family holiday is looking better already.
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