7 Smartphone Apps for Holiday Travel

Dec. 8, 2010— -- Being on holiday may be a dream, but getting there can most certainly be a drag.

Airline baggage fees, the dreaded TSA security scans, flight delays and endless lines can make any traveler go from free-spirited to spent in the time it takes to say "boarding pass, please."

But a slew of smartphone and Web applications want to help make your travels as painless as possible. Check out seven of our favorite apps below.

1. Luggage Limits

After his own frustrations with airline baggage limits, frequent flier Luke Dudley decided to create a Web tool and iPhone application to help travelers avoid airline baggage fees.

Luggage Limits is a simple calculator that lets users type in their airline, departure airport and arrival airport to figure out how much checked and carry-on luggage they can bring for free, and compare costs for excess baggage across 175 airlines. It includes information for all ticket classes (not just economy), including frequent flier club members.

"Every time I'm at the airport, I see someone rummaging through their bags on the floor, trying to adjust the contents so they won't be over the weight limit. Frazzled travelers are a captive audience for airline baggage fees because there's not much else they can do at that point other than pay the fee," Dudley told AOL News. "You can't just leave your bags behind."

The Web-based calculator is free and the iPhone application is $2.99.

2. My TSA

If you want to minimize your time talking to TSA agents at the airport, download the agency's free iPhone application and take a look before you get in the security line.

The application lets travelers look up the approximate wait times for the security lines at their airports, as well as see airport delays across the country.

It also includes a "Can I Bring?" search tab that helps fliers figure out what they may and may not bring on board.