Waypoint: Pack These 3 Apps Before Your Next Flight

Flying sucks. These apps make it suck less.

1. Flighty (iOS) - Flight Tracking on Steroids

What it does: Tracks flights with obsessive detail

Why it’s better than airline apps:

• Shows delay predictions before airline announces
• Tracks inbound aircraft (know if delay coming)
• Live activities (check flight status from lock screen)
• Works offline once loaded

Usecase: Know your 7pm flight is delayed at 10am (inbound plane is late)

Price: $40/year (worth it if you fly monthly)

Android alternative: App in the Air

2. Maps.me - Offline Maps That Work

What it does: Download city maps for offline use

Why not Google Maps:

• Google Maps offline is buggy
• Maps.me works 100% offline
• Marked hiking trails, POIs

Usecase: Land in new city, airport wifi is trash, navigate to hotel with downloaded map

Price: Free

Tip: Download maps while on home wifi before trip

3. Mullvad VPN - Airport WiFi Protection

What it does: Encrypts your connection on public wifi

Why not NordVPN/ExpressVPN:

• Mullvad: $5/month, no email required, pay with cash
• Others: $12/month, require account, sell data

Usecase: Use airport wifi without getting hacked

Reality check: Public wifi can intercept passwords. VPN encrypts traffic.

Price: $5/month (cheaper than one coffee)

Bonus: Bouncie (Car Tracking)

If you have a car at home:

• Bouncie plugs into car’s OBD port
• Tracks location, battery, sends alerts
• Know if car moved while you’re traveling

Usecase: Peace of mind your car is safe while abroad

Price: $8/month

What NOT to Download

Skip:

• ❌ Airline apps (Flighty is better)
• ❌ “Travel deals” apps (spam)
• ❌ Free VPNs (they sell your data)

Action Step

Before your next flight:

1. Download Flighty (or App in the Air)
2. Download Maps.me + offline maps for destination
3. Get Mullvad VPN

Total cost: ~$10-15 one-time or monthly

Value: Not missing flight, not getting lost, not getting hacked = priceless.

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Waypoint: Quick travel tips for digital nomads. One hack. Two minutes.

Tomorrow’s Waypoint: “The 3-2-1 Packing Method That Never Fails”

Resources:

• Flighty
• Maps.me
• Mullvad VPN