Travel is increasingly ‘mobile’

The term “mobile” reflects consumers growing demand for immediacy in their interactions. Sparked by Twitter, Facebook and FriendFeed, immediacy is compelling, engaging, highly addictive. Our recent favorite: the Twitter tool that shows who else is at the airport.

It’s also quickly becoming an integral tool for the travel marketplace. For example, there is a frenzy of innovations tapping into the explosive use of smartphones, which are expanding mobile travel capabilities – to plan itineraries, track flights, receive travel alerts and even serve as a boarding pass.

The rapid integration of iPhone applications alone have already begun transform travel. So much so, that mobile devices are becoming indispensable to business and leisure travelers. Here are the top 5 iPhone Travel Apps according to National Geographic Traveler:

1. Next Flight – Got bumped? Leaving early? Next Flight tracks scheduled departures from more than 4,200 airports and 1,100 airlines. It sounds overwhelming, but you can filter by carrier. $2.99

2. UrbanSpoon – the gold standard in the U.S., London, Melbourne, and Sydney: Shake your phone, watch the dials spin like an old-school slot machine, and up comes the best guide to local restaurants yet. Free

3. HearPlanet - Like having a tour guide in your pocket, HearPlanet tells you what attractions are nearby and then plays the Wikipedia description aloud. $5.99

4. Air Sharing - Don’t waste time (and money) downloading docs abroad. Air Sharing lets you save HTML Web pages, PDFs, text files, you name it, for off-line perusal anytime, anywhere. $4.99

5. Tweetie - Finally, a practical use for Twitter. With Tweetie you can send vacation pics and witty comments from afar faster and more easily than with any other app. $2.99

Have a favorite iPhone travel app or one we should know about? Let us know by commenting below.

By: Chelsea Orth