Codebreaker

Paul F. Tompkins finds TripIt makes him go less crazy at airports

John Moe Dec 23, 2010

You might have seen comedian and actor Paul F. Tompkins in a lot of places. Maybe as host of VH-1’s Best Week Ever or in appearances on The Daily Show or Bill Maher. Maybe even as an actor recently on Community or in stand-up comedy appearances around the country. He’s busy. Flies a lot. And he’s come to depend on an app called TripIt.

Here’s an excerpt from our conversation with Paul about TripIt. Click on the audio player to listen to his full review.

It’s a little travel app that when you get your airline itineraries and hotel information, you forward those emails to TripIT.com and then on your phone it will have your whole itinerary laid out in one handy place.

Where it really shines is in giving you updates about your flights. So if there’s gate changes, if things are delayed … it sends you a text or email.

I’ve had the experience of sitting at the gate when a gate is about to be changed and I find out from TripIt before the airline says that they’re changing the gate. It’s handy, but it also adds another layer of travel anger – which is very important to keep you going – when I can look at that gate agent and think “you miserable monster, you were sitting on this information this whole time and now TripIt is telling me before you’re telling me.”

And here’s something from Paul’s recent record:

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