TRAXO
Website
The concept is like TripIt. I have long since given up on TripIt (review to come), including a free trial of TripIt Pro that I did, so I figured I would give this new app a try.
From the get go I assumed the app would take some time to set up. I was prepared for this and it doesn't factor negatively into my review. However, an app that requires you to use a website too, is not really a good app, in my humble opinion. Traxo requires you to go to traxo.com in order to initially hook up all of your travel accounts. While this can be done on an iPhone it is obviously much easier (read: faster) to accomplish via your actual computer. The app only shows data (entered from the website): a list of current/past trips and a listing of your point balances (as they are allowed).
The website is easy to use. It was easy to connect my travel accounts (hotel, car/rail, airline, cruise, travel agencies*, location services**, and other***). While this "has" to be done on a laptop/desktop, the options are very nicely categorised and the logos are rather big so it's easy to recognise your program.
It is nice that Traxo offers some atypical categories for you to link. *Under Travel Agencies there is a spot to link your amextravel.com account (functionality coming soon) as well as Expedia, Orbitz, etc. **You can link FourSquare...and TripIt (which seems a bit odd). ***And other sites such as a Thank You by Citi account, a US Bank Account, OpenTable.com, etc...
I guess this is a good point in the review to mention that in addition to - trying - to compile a list of your current (and past) travels Traxo goes one step further in that it keeps track of points/miles you have earned, as well as each program will allow it to do so.
In terms of keeping track of your trips, I found it pretty frusterating and useless. It complies your trips in 2 ways. If the company allows it, once you have connected your travel account it will pull info directly from the system and show it under "Trips" on your app. You can also forward your trip info to [email protected]. Let's just say it doesn't always get it right. The Hyatt Place New York is in New Orleans??? I know, just a silly mistake, but you get the point.
If there are going to be mistakes like this, I really can't rely on the app at all. First of all, I pretty much remember all my travel details on my own. Secondly, to have to remember them on my own, and fix a 3rd party app that can't get them right..... I just don't have time. There are some positives though if you do feel like looking after the app's accuracy. It is nice to see all your trips in a list and it is cool to look back on past trips, especially if you want to recommend a place to someone but just can't remember the name of that hotel you stayed in. Here is a view from the app of my trip list and the details of my next trip.
On that Cincy trip, I could not get my Avis car rental to show up under it. I have my Avis account linked, and I emailed it to [email protected] - twice! I did like however that I was able to forward reservations from a tour company and it knew what to do with them!
As for the points section of the app, I really have no faults with it. It is plagued with the same issue other point tallying apps are - some companies don't want to give access to that data to 3rd party sites. In my limited trials, discovered Traxo has these issues with UA and DL.
Overall there are some cool value added features to this app. It will take a patient person to get it up and running, which wouldn't be bad, if it could be left to run in the background without having to be looked after. I won't delete it off my phone yet however. When I clicked the button (on the website) to report the inaccuracy in my New York trip I received this automatic email reply:
If anything comes of that I'll be sure to send out a review update.
