7 Travel Apps That Make International Flights Easier

International travel has never been easier. At least on paper. Smartphones have replaced many cumbersome travel items, and there are plenty of tech accessories that take the stress out of long journeys. Hotel and flight booking is so much easier, and you can apply for most visas online. At your destination, you can navigate the streets with ease thanks to countless excellent map apps, while Google Translate and other tools make it easier to communicate with people from other countries.

But what about the actual flight? It's often the hardest part. Tight connections, unfamiliar layouts, long lines, and timezone shock all make international flights a time of stress, anxiety, and confusion. You can be exhausted and overstimulated at the same time, which can lead to poor decision-making — a potential disaster in a foreign airport. Layovers can stretch for hours, comfort issues start to creep in, and terminals, gates, and shuttle trains blur together in one big kaleidoscope of sleep-deprived chaos. Prices mean nothing as you stare blankly at the menu, and you're not sure if that unintelligible announcement was meant for your ears or not.

There are countless tools and apps that claim to fix many of these problems. Most underdeliver or try to solve things that nobody actually struggles with. Overloading your phone with useless apps can increase friction rather than lessen it. So, we've focused on a small number of apps that are actually genuinely useful for international flights — tools that address real and common issues. They are consistently effective for the majority of users and help make international flights feel as manageable as they look on paper. Here are seven travel apps that will make those international flights much easier.

Nobody likes long layovers. Being crammed between other travelers at the gate while you try to work on your laptop, overpaying for mediocre food, and hunting for power outlets while announcements continuously blast overhead are just a few things that can make the experience stressful. Priority Pass changes all that. It gives you access to more than 1,700 lounges — even in the most luxurious airports in the world — with quiet spaces to work, complimentary food and drinks, and a comfortable chair. It's available in 725 cities and 145 countries, and membership often comes bundled with premium US credit cards like the American Express Platinum Card. You can also pay for membership, which starts at $99 per year.

The Priority Pass app handles the practical side of things when you're traveling internationally. It works as a digital membership card, which most lounges accept. Before flying, you can search your destination or layover airport, check which lounges are available, read reviews, or even pre-book your spot if your arrival coincides with peak times. Some airports have multiple Priority Pass lounges, so if the one you want is full, the app will show you alternative options. It can also handle airport transfer bookings and even car rentals.

Priority Pass is available for Android and iOS, with one Apple user excitedly proclaiming, "Priority Pass has been incredible!! I've used it around the world, and it has never disappointed." However, criticism is present, with overcrowding on major domestic American routes being an issue, with waits up to 45 minutes reported — although the app can't help much there.

It can feel like a maze trying to navigate a major international airport, but there are plenty of dedicated airport map apps to help. However, Google Maps is free, already on your phone (if you use Android), and reliably updated. It has an indoor floor plan feature that's perfect for airports, too, which is just one powerful way to use Google Maps. Since 2011, the app can show many airports floor by floor, letting you create a navigation plan long before you arrive. The good news for iPhone users is that Apple Maps does something similar. That said, you can still harness the power of Google on iOS, should you desire.

To put that navigation plan together, simply search the airport and zoom. You'll see the floor plan appear, and in the bottom-left corner, you should see an option to switch between levels. Unfortunately, this feature isn't available for every major airport, but you'll find indoor maps for 60 countries at the time of writing. Terminals, departure zones, and gate locations are displayed on the screen, as are stores, restaurants, and bars. For specific gates that don't show up, search the airport name and gate number to find it.

It's not only a great app to map out your airport route, but it will also show your exact walking distance and estimated time. However, this feature works best in terminals that have direct walkways connecting different areas. Routing will likely get confused in airports that use shuttle trains or buses — and keep in mind that the app does not factor in security and immigration delays. This means an element of common sense is still needed, especially during peak hours.

International airports usually display prices in the local currency, and with the chaos of navigating unfamiliar terminals, trying to figure out how much a sandwich costs in your home currency can be harder than it should be, especially when dealing with money you've never used before. XE Currency solves this problem. It's free, and it's one of the best currency conversion apps for traveling. It can convert between more than 180 currencies instantly and is available for iOS and Android. And don't worry — it works offline using cached exchange rates from when you were last online, which is useful when you lose the signal in the airport, or if you're avoiding data roaming charges.

When you're online, the app continuously tracks fluctuations in real time. You can customize it to follow your most-used currencies: All you have to do is type a number into a currency's input box, and it will instantly show the equivalent value in all the other selected currencies. It's an excellent tool to spot which exchange booths are offering good rates — and which are looking to blatantly rip you off with inflated tourist prices. There's even a calculator next to where you input the amount to help when adding up multiple duty-free items or estimating a restaurant bill when the whole family is hungry.

Currency conversion aside, XE Currency can also take care of international money transfers. You'll need to register first, but once you do, you can transfer to over 190 countries. At your destination airport, you can send money directly to local bank accounts, arrange cash pickup at over 500,000 worldwide locations, or transfer funds to mobile wallets in more than 35 countries. Most transfers will complete within 24 hours, but some are processed in minutes.

Delays and last-minute gate changes ramp up the stress at your home airport, never mind an international one. Flighty is a flight tracking app that helps with that. It monitors flights more closely than even airlines do, and you don't need to pay for it. The free version shows live delays and cancellation information as well as gate changes directly in the app, well before any muffled tannoy announcement. It also gives you departure and arrival times, plus check-in windows.

Upgrading to Flighty Pro adds push notifications so you don't need to keep checking the app. You also get the "Where's My Plane" feature that tracks inbound aircraft for 25 hours before departure and uses machine learning to predict delays up to six hours before the airline announces them. Then there are predicted departure times, connection assistance for analyzing tight layovers, baggage claim belt numbers, and even an arrival forecast feature, which shows how your specific route has performed over the last two months. Additionally, the app monitors air traffic control mandates like ground stops and weather complications that could disrupt your schedule.

Download the app and make use of the free features as you please. If you want to try Pro, you can sign up for a free trial without entering your credit card details. Should you like it, the paid version costs $4.99 per week, or $59.99 for a year. Unfortunately, Flighty is exclusive to iOS. Android users can try the byAir app that offers a similar experience with flight tracking and live terminal, gate, and baggage updates. The app also includes airport maps, exchange rates, and ground transport options, on top of crowdsourced traveler tips with AI summaries.

While HTTPS websites and encrypted apps protect most regular activity, airport Wi-Fi can pose risks when handling sensitive information like banking credentials. Public networks in terminals and on planes don't always encrypt connections, which can potentially expose unprotected data to interception. Criminals can even set up fake airport networks with legitimate-looking names like "Terminal_Guest_WiFi" as traps. A VPN like NordVPN addresses this concern by creating an encrypted tunnel through a private server, securing your information on compromised networks.

NordVPN operates almost 9,000 servers in 130 countries. This puts a fast connection within reach no matter where you are. It can also be useful to access apps and websites blocked in particular countries. Facebook won't work if you're on a Beijing layover, for example, while Zoom is also heavily restricted in China. The UAE and Qatar are now busy hubs in the Middle East, but you won't have access to WhatsApp voice and video calls there unless you have a VPN masking your location. If it's just your Netflix shows you want to catch up on while waiting out a layover, you can access your home library instead of whatever the local version offers. Note that using VPNs to circumvent local laws or streaming service restrictions may be illegal or violate terms of service.

SlashGear included NordVPN on a list of the best VPN services available in 2025, and both Tom's Guide and CNET confirmed the app to be excellent for travel, with the latter being impressed by its "exceptionally fast connections." It's available for iOS and Android, and it also works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. A two-year subscription costs just $3.39 per month, while a monthly one-year commitment is priced at $4.99. Alternatively, you can pay $12.99 for a single month.

Clearing U.S. Customs after a long international flight means weary travelers often have to stand in long passport control lines. That is, unless you have Mobile Passport Control (MPC) — another app that will help you make the most of your vacation or business trip. It can cut that wait time substantially by processing most of your arrival details before you even reach an officer. Simply enter your flight details, scan your passport, snap a selfie, then stroll past the regular queues to a dedicated and much shorter MPC lane. Once you reach the customs desk, the interaction should wrap up in a matter of seconds.

The MPC service functions in dozens of U.S. airports and international pre-clearance sites at various Canadian cities and other destinations, such as Dublin and the Bahamas — and it's not only for U.S. citizens. Permanent residents, Canadian B1/B2 travelers, and visitors from 41 visa waiver countries, like the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan (provided it isn't a first visit), can also use it. Families or traveling groups can particularly benefit since you are able to register up to 12 travelers on a single device, which allows everyone to approach the officer together rather than individually.

The app was designed as a free alternative to Global Entry, which charges $120 for a five-year subscription, but with MPC there is no application fee, no background check, no fingerprinting, and no in-person interview — ideal for families who take one or two international breaks per year and who don't want to pay the Global Entry costs per person. You can download the MPC app for iOS or Android for free.

It's important to keep your wits about you when arriving at an international destination. Unfortunately, flying across time zones can mess with sleep schedules. The Timeshifter app isn't perfect, but it does its best to address this issue. It's available for iOS and Android, and with roots in sleep and circadian neuroscience, it helps you combat jet lag. Preparation starts days before — input your age, gender, typical sleep patterns, and flight information, and Timeshifter generates a schedule telling you when to expose yourself to bright light, when to catch some Zs, and when to say yay or nay to that tempting coffee.

It's not always easy to follow the app's suggestions, especially when on the flight, which can get bumpy and noisy. Business travelers can try out the Quick Turnaround feature, which optimizes performance for brief trips when you need to be at full capacity upon landing, or at least close to it. Wirecutter notes that the app works best with shorter trips, which means jet lag on honeymoons in the Caribbean or business trips to Europe might not eat too much into your precious time. One American traveler on a trip to Greece did mention in their Apple Store review that they couldn't say they had no jet lag, but "the difference was remarkable regardless. There never was a time when I felt like a zombie or wanted to sleep or stay up."

Your first jet lag plan is free. If it's a success and you want to continue, the price is $9.99 per plan, or you can enjoy annual unlimited access for $24.99. Additionally, if you book a room directly at InterContinental or Six Senses, they'll throw in complimentary plans, while United MileagePlus members can earn miles with an annual subscription.

I selected these seven apps after analyzing major travel and technology publications, as well as taking my own personal experience into consideration. We ensured all the apps listed were tried and tested by thousands of users and that they also received predominantly high review scores. We decided on quality over quantity to ensure the apps actually help solve specific international flight challenges and aren't just niche tools nobody needs. We hope they might go a small way to solving common problems when flying internationally. If they work out for you, let's hope the rest of your trip delivers what it promised.