( CNN ) -- There are seemingly millions of smartphone apps out there designed to make traveling easier , but not all of them are very good . Every company seems to think that it needs an app to be cool , but not every app is worth the effort . Here are some of the apps that I find to be most helpful while on the road : . FlightAware . I 'm one of those guys who always thinks that more information is better , and that 's why I like FlightAware . You can see exactly where your flight ( or any other flight ) is at the moment . I 've used the FlightAware website for years to see near real-time flight tracking , and now there 's an app as well . Were you told your airplane is coming from Wichita , but it 's still not there and you should be boarding ? Go to FlightAware to see where the airplane is right now . FlightAware is hardly the only one in this space . Other frequent fliers swear by FlightTrack Pro , for example . GateGuru . When I was in Atlanta recently , my wife was looking for something before our next flight . Trying to find the right store in an airport the size of Hartsfield-Jackson is a mind-numbing experience . GateGuru , however , gives the rundown on which stores and restaurants are in each terminal and it pulls in reviews as well . If you 're in an airport looking for a particular product or service , this will make your task much easier . Hotel Tonight . Have you ever been somewhere and realized you needed a room for the night ? Maybe your flight was canceled or perhaps your meetings ran long . This company negotiates deals with hotels for last-minute rooms in many big cities . Within seconds , you can have the room reserved for a low rate . Taxi Magic . If you do n't know a city well , the taxi scene can be confusing . Where is the best place to hail a cab ? How much should you pay ? Taxi Magic makes it a lot easier . If there 's a participating cab company in your city , Taxi Magic will have a cab sent right to you . You can pay directly through the app so you do n't have to worry about whether credit is accepted or not . The app and booking services are free , and there 's a $ 1.50 documentation fee for using a credit card through the app . If there is n't a participating cab company in the area , Taxi Magic will give you phone numbers for local companies so you can call and arrange for a cab yourself . TripIt . If you 've ever used TripIt online to manage your travel , you know it 's a great tool for keeping all your travel plans in one place . Of course , there 's also an app for that . See and manage all your travel plans in the TripIt app so you never lose your details . Beyond the basics of flights , hotels and cars , you can also put in things like appointments and meals . Your airline app . This is n't one app ; it 's dependent upon which airline you fly . If you fly a different airline every time , then it 's probably not worth downloading every single airline app . But if you 're a loyalist , you should absolutely have it . There are some excellent apps out there that allow you to check flight status , see the standby list , book flights and even check in . Apps will store a mobile boarding pass so you can just flash your phone to get on the airplane ( not in all airports , but it 's getting there ) . Some airlines have better apps than others . I 've heard rave reviews about the new United Airlines app , but get the apps for the airlines you fly frequently . What would you add to the list ?
Hotel Tonight connects travelers with last-minute rooms at discounted rates . The Taxi Magic app dispatches cabs directly to you . Frequent fliers should have airline apps for their preferred carriers .