You might not know it from looking at me, but I’m actually a terribly unorganized traveler. I KNOW. Shocking, but true. I’m also not really the type to be overly prepared, hauling with me everything and the kitchen sink.
Finally, though, after nearly 5 years of travel, I’ve discovered an app that can help me at least pretend to be on top of my game, the TravelSmart App by Allianz Global Assistance.
Introducing The Allianz TravelSmart App
The Allianz TravelSmart app gives me easy access to extremely useful travel information, including but not limited to my real-time flight status, information about my destination, a hotline (whether I need medical or customer service assistance, in or outside of the US), a search tool to find international hospitals, a dictionary of medications, and a translation tool for first-aid terms. And if you have travel insurance with Allianz, you can easily access your policy and even update or modify it on-the-go.
This powerful app allows me to be that Always Prepared Traveler without any extra effort. I already bring my smartphone with me when I travel, and let’s be honest, it’s usually not too far from me at any given time. There’s no need to overthink it–the information is just a few clicks away when I need it.
When testing out the app, I thought I’d start with the flight status feature since I had a long travel day coming up. I searched each leg of my journey individually by typing in the date, departure airport, and arrival airport and then matching the correct flight number to my confirmation email. I added them sequentially so that my day was presented in one neat little itinerary, and I could quickly see that my flights (as of that moment) were all running on-time as scheduled. As someone who is constantly searching for email confirmations buried in an embarrassingly messy inbox, putting the info all in one place felt like a weight being lifted off my shoulders.
Next, I took a peek at the international hospital search feature. Their list covers only facilities that have been reviewed by Allianz Global Assistance, meaning not all facilities will necessarily be listed, but you can trust that the ones that are have been properly vetted. First, I am shown the relative location of the nearest facilities to me on a map (be sure to enable the app to know your location when you first launch it), or I can choose to see the names and contact information in list form. By clicking on a listing, I am taken to a page that shows the address, website, phone number and driving directions. Better not to have to worry about finding all that info under the stress of a true emergency, if you ask me.
Next, I jumped into the medication dictionary. I’m fortunate to not have to travel with any prescription medications most of the time, but if I ever did and needed a refill in a country where I did not speak the language this would surely come in handy. It gives the name of each medication by its internationally recognized name, including over-the-counter meds you might only know by their brand name.
The translation feature for first aid terms was a fun one to peruse. I love languages and think knowing the basics of the language where you’re traveling is super important, but who’s got time to learn how to say “infectious disease” or “constipation” in every language? Not this girl. And the terms are not written phonetically so you’re forced to play “Guess How This is Pronounced, Sucker!” They are written in the local alphabet, meaning you can simply show your phone to the practitioner for instant comprehension.
As for having your insurance policy on hand, this is a great tool. You should always know what you’re covered for before leaving for your trip, but being able to instantly look up specifics if you encounter a tricky situation could save you time and a lot of headaches when filing a claim.
Check out this short video to see more of this useful app in action.
Overall, I loved the Allianz TravelSmart App and will definitely be using it on all of my upcoming trips. The information it provides really could come in handy when you least expect it–or even save your life.
And as someone who’s always willing to pay extra for a little peace of mind, you can’t beat the price–it’s free! Download it for yourself and try it out today.
Thanks to Allianz for sponsoring this post, providing travel coverage for the unexpected. The Sweetest Way received financial compensation from Allianz Global Assistance (AGA Service Company).
