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These Traveling Activities Used to be Fun Until Smartphones Ruined Them

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By Augustine Mbam - - 5 Mins Read
A child holds a smartphone, sitting beside a pink suitcase in an airport lobby with a smile
Photo | Shutterstock

Traveling experiences vary from passenger A to passenger B. They could get very stressful and demanding, especially if you find yourself in an unfamiliar airport or when the journey requires boarding several flights and crashing in different hotels, searching for cabs, and waiting in lines can make the trip exhausting.

 

Although the journey became less stressful when smartphones were invented, many travelers now enjoy the benefits of smartphones. However, some traveling activities used to be fun before smartphones came into the picture.

 

In this article,  we will discuss phone benefits for travelers and traveling activities that used to be fun before smartphones ruined them. If you're yet to plan your trip and you're heading to a new destination, you have to be aware of the best travel decisions you should make earlier before setting out.

 

Plane Tickets/Board Pass

 

Image of a plane ticket slotted in a passport booklet
Photo | Unsplash

 

Then, plane tickets and board passes were printed in booklet-shaped checkbooks with flimsy pages that were separated with carbon papers, officially enchanted tight grids filled with codes. Now, all of these are done on your smartphones with ease.

 

Travelers call their boarding passes using their phones, and the mobile boarding pass is scanned at security checkpoints and plane gates, allowing them to skip the whole process and hurdle involved in paying and printing a boarding pass. Many flying companies now embraced the app as airlines now charge fees to print out boarding passes. Some charge $5, while others charge up to $10.

 

Flight Reservation/ Seat Picking

 

A plane isle showing window seats
Window seats! | Stuart Bailey/Pixabay

 

Before, no one had the luxury of making reservations or choosing a seat. Unless you are lucky enough, no one would know if you prefer the window seat. But now, flight reservation applications allow travelers to choose a seat from their phones, so they can pick their favorite window-side seat and enjoy their journey.

 

Some airlines will go as far as telling you more details about the passenger seating next to you. Some allow passengers to connect with other travelers using their iPhones. This was invented to help individuals to make valuable connections.

Booking Taxi Cabs

 

A woman standing by the roadside attempts to hail a taxi with an outstretched arm
Hailing a car the old fashion way | Shutterstock

 

Before smartphones were invented, travelers went through the hurdle of waiting for a taxi to take them to their hotel after spending long hours on a flight. Now you can hail an Uber cab on your phone, order the taxi, and get the estimated price to your destination.

 

It saves you the stress of waiting for a traditional taxi to come around and saves you from being late for meetings or other vital functions. Although traditional cab companies opposed the idea, claiming it was unsafe, they later adapted to it.

Calling Up Room Service

 

A room service waiter brings a meal to guests in a room
Photo | Shutterstock

 

Nowadays, most hotels order room service through phone apps, and you choose your orders on the hotel app and send. This makes the whole process more effective and easier compared to the old-fashioned way of ordering room service, where you go through the printed list of in-room menu decide on your order and place a call to the room service attendant.

 

Most hotels now adopt the method of placing orders for room service via the hotel app, which reduces the unnecessary stress of placing phone calls to room service attendants.

AirMail Envelopes, Post Offices/Instant Communication

A post office building along a street
A local post office building | Unsplash

Staying connected with family and friends while traveling has been made more accessible than when you need to get to the post office or wait for Airmail envelopes before you can hear from your loved ones.

 

Smartphones allow you to make unrestricted calls, send text messages, or use several messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Telegram anytime and anywhere in the world. This also allows you to share your experiences and have peace of mind about the well-being of loved ones at home.


Traveling overseas with smartphones has become the most relevant travel companion as it offers convenience and connectivity with several other benefits for travelers that make the travel experience more fun. Smartphones have indeed transformed the way that we explore the world.

 

However, we can not forget how traveling activities were done before smartphones were invented. Travelers can now confidently embark on their journeys with smartphones in hand. Rest assured that they have a tool that allows them to navigate their traveling activities easily.

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