Tap to Fly

*Cleartrip

Free

iOS,Android,BlackBerry,Windows Phone

Cleartrip is a popular website for booking flights,known for its clean interface and the absence of unnecessary promotional offers. Available on iOS and Android,Cleartrip’s app is easy to use and does not take up much space on your device. It can use your location to select the source city,thus eliminating one step from the booking process. So,select your destination and date,and you are ready to book. The app also shows a list of popular destinations from the source city,and can save your booking information (including credit card details) to further speed up the process. The only hitch is that the app is available only on phones,there is no tablet version.

*Skyscanner

Free,Rs 110 (ad-free)

iOS,Android,Windows Phone

Skyscanner is a great app for those who are tired of using low-resolution apps on tablets. This app was tested on the iPad and the experience was excellent. The default screen asks you to search for flights,and shows popular international destinations in a neat box on the left. It uses your location to determine cities on that list,and shows the cheapest flight to that destination too. The search option works as expected,with a neat animation (a flight sliding from 0 to 100 per cent). It shows flight options in the bar chart format,making it easy for users to determine which dates have the cheapest flights. The booking process is fairly straightforward and users can save booking information and flights they frequently take. You can even put some routes on watch,and the app will send you a notification whenever a better deal is available for it. Another good feature is that you can search for flights without specifying the location. Just tap the button called “Explore” on the search screen and you will see a map of the world with cheapest fares of flights to popular destinations.

*Drawtopia ,Windows Phone

If you love puzzle games,you will like Drawtopia. The objective is simple: draw lines on the screen to guide the ball towards the target. The obstacles make this challenging and collecting bonus stars further raises the difficulty level. This game is good for exercising your grey cells.

*Expedia

iOS,Android

Expedia is a website that helps users book hotels and flights across the world. Their app is optimised for phones (both hotel and flight bookings) and works well only for hotel bookings on tablets. The app does a good job of finding hotels around you. It shows your location on a map and finds nearby hotels. The hotels are shown with fares,pictures and user ratings,but some of the information is not up-to-date. Booking flights is also a smooth experience. Before booking,it searches the internet for changes in price. While reviewing,a flight to Dubai became cheaper by Rs 700 just before booking. However,prices can increase too.

*MakeMyTrip

iOS,Android,Blackberry

MakeMyTrip is among India’s most popular booking portals and its app lets you book flights,hotels,buses and even holiday packages. It is available on all popular smartphone platforms,but does not have a tablet-optimised version. Although the interface should not present any problems to users,it is not as good-looking as the apps mentioned above. It has all essential features like saving booking information,routes,etc. The home screen has a tab for deals such as cashback,discounts on hotel bookings,etc. Though useful at times,it is annoying for those who are not interested in these offers. Having said that,this app lets you book tickets with minimum fuss.