TripTracker thoughts

[BaldEmu]

First of all, this is FANTASTIC news! I check the boards every few weeks to see if there's any TripTracker updates, and am delighted it's finally coming out. I would LOVE to be a beta-tester for this product - PLEASE????

In terms of feedback, not sure whether you wanted them all in on thread or in individual threads - pls merge to the existing one if that's best.

I'm running TripTracker 3.9 on WM5 on a Treo 700W. Unfortunately I can't use the desktop version because of the synchronization problem. In terms of bugs/feature requests:

1) Ability to add airlines/vendors on the fly - this is my biggest frustration. With companies constantly coming into and going out of business, we should be able to add an airline on the fly from the flight segment creation page, just like we can add a city
2) Syncing - ability to synchronize through ActiveSync
3) Currency - currency exchange rates should auto-update
4) Flight look-up - it would be nice to have a flight look up, BUT ONLY if it's not compulsory. One of the worst things about competitors is the inability to add your own itineraries easily. It would be nice to be able to find a flight from a database, but most important to be able to type in the flight yourself
5) In WM5 the icons for 'Other Event' don't work properly - they overlap on each other making it hard to select the right one
6) One thing that should be maintained in TripTracker: the data entry tools are fantastic. The fact that you can add a flight connection, and the entry carries over information like Record Locator/Confirmation Number to the new flight etc
7) Another thing that MUST be maintained is the time zone handling. Most programs get this wrong - TripTracker had it right. A calendar entry should be entered to accord properly with the time-zones of the airports, not as local time. So a trip from BOS-SFO from 6am BOS time -10am SFO time should show up on the calendar as 7 hours long. When the PPC timezone is set to EST the appointment on the calendar should run from 6am to 1pm on the calendar, and when I change the PPC timezone to PST the appointment on the calendar should run from 3am to 10am. This was the KEY feature for making TripTracker great. For people constantly crossing timezones, you have to know how the flight affects your day in reality, and have it properly blocked out on your calendar.

I've put a fair bit of thought into this while testing out other options and finding them all lacking, and will update as I think of more.

Just to repeat - I'd LOVE to be a beta tester :-)

[iant54]

Initial thoughts, additional to BaldEmu's post:

Keep the automatic insertion into Outlook (be it PC or WM)

Also, try not to make it slanted mostly towards airline use - not all of us fly everywhere!

[jobrazy]

Adriano,
While I think alot of what you said in your opening is condescending dreck - which is why I have not bothered to check in since May - and refuse to purchase ANY Iambic software - Trip Tracker is the core of my work software for a 200K fly 8 month per year schedule and I will contribute in the hopes that you might be sincere this time instead of blaming us..:mad:

1) Adding a seperate train category would be helpful
2) When an overnight event - such as a plane flight - TT shows the second day in Outlook as beginning at midnight - this can be confusing. It does not show the double clocks as Outlook does when you post a multiday timed event on its own
3) Printing Itineraries creates problems at the bottom of each page, events are dropeed or lines are overlapping (crushed) - while 'export to word' works porperply, but does not format for margins (top and bottom of page)
4) Entering a new airline (which are happening weekly it seems) in the middle of posting an event causes one to exit the event and opening the phone book to enter a new vendor first. This requires you to re-enter the trip event data again - cumbersome
5) The program slows down considerably as the itinerary grows in events (I have a very large set now if you would like to use it for test - more than 200 events over 11 months)
6) Airport list is not correct (DUL should be IAD, etc.)
7) if you invoke shift appts based on time zones - really unexpected things happen
8) Windows updates to the clock really screwdd up the whole itinerary set - their bug, but it pushed back bad data into this application.
9) Several of the cities are missing data to calculate distance - one thought might be integration with Google maps?? This might offer Long/Lat data and be able to cross link itinerary events with GPS and mapping data - possibly the outcome would be mileage calcuations for intineraries
10) you should rename Trips as intineraries.
11) The option of linking PDF's of ticket receipts would be very useful for expense report calculations. I print all online bookings as PDF's, as I know many traveling professionals do - and being able to call them up from this program would be helpful and save time
12) linking into a currency converter - (this is something Worldmate does well) would be good for up to date conversaion data.
13) the rubber windows are a bit rough and sometime erratic when moving them.
14) tip calculators are useful
15) weather integration is quite useful
16) desktop 'miniplayer' style info window for upcoming events, weather and time is very useful - Worldmate does something like this (not completely working), but if you can show a mini window that show this week's, this months or today's events with related info (time zone, weather at destination and origin, currency info, etc.) that would be powerful.

I cannot comment on the syncing since I have not used WM2003 for 2 years (Yes, that is how long the promise has been broken) I am confident that most people here have the same issue - so commenting on the WM version is moot.

Please do NOT become Worldmate - it is cumbersome and a real challenge to use. I abandon it due to its restrictive subscriptions and difficulty showing events in a format which is useful - YOURS. They are very difficult to install, operate, update and work with so I can book my events and have them appear properly in Outlook.

I don't find OAG on it's own as a useful source due to it's incredibly dense data structure (and pricey suscription rate), but if the data can be pulled into the program for flight updates and changes (something Worldmate tries to do), and if a user could have alerts from orbitz or travelocity or others show up in a 'message' window for instance - showing a direct relationship to the event, that would be a powerful connection.

Overall - for crying out loud - get it done already!!!!:cry:

[mapluke]

BaldEmu talks of right and wrong time zone options - the fact is there are only personal preferences. The current version 3.9.2 has an option to let the program change time zones or to leave them alone - and it is vital that this option is kept. I started a short thread in the TwoPeaks days and it was clear that many folk like their software to get clever with time zones and rewrite the times that they enter into their agenda and many others (including me) don't.

I frequently travel to different time zones and have face-to-face and phone/Skype conferences with people in other time zones. I enter a time into my agenda that makes sense in the particular context that applies (it might be a local time where I will be visiting it might be the local time where I live) - but it makes perfect sense to me and in my view there is no way that Windows can do a better job of interpreting that than me. I've certainly known more than one person miss an appointment (physical and online) because of the way that Windows rewrote the time in a way they didn't expect.

Two other small points:

1) jobrazy suggests a "Train" category. Good idea - but you might also need bus, taxi or subway/metro/underground. Might a "Public Transport" option be better choice, with the user able to type (and possibly select) the specific type of transport if they wish?

2) I would also like to see a "Car Parking" option. I always park my car at the airport and have to use the "Car Rental" option to record the advance booking details - it just about works but it looks strange.

Finally, when considering all the suggested additions (including mine), the key thing must be to keep the slick simplicity that the existing version of TripTracker has - and that we all love!

[BaldEmu]

1) Adding a seperate train category would be helpful
2) When an overnight event - such as a plane flight - TT shows the second day in Outlook as beginning at midnight - this can be confusing. It does not show the double clocks as Outlook does when you post a multiday timed event on its own
4) Entering a new airline (which are happening weekly it seems) in the middle of posting an event causes one to exit the event and opening the phone book to enter a new vendor first. This requires you to re-enter the trip event data again - cumbersome
6) Airport list is not correct (DUL should be IAD, etc.)
12) linking into a currency converter - (this is something Worldmate does well) would be good for up to date conversaion data.
13) the rubber windows are a bit rough and sometime erratic when moving them.
14) tip calculators are useful
15) weather integration is quite useful
16) desktop 'miniplayer' style info window for upcoming events, weather and time is very useful - Worldmate does something like this (not completely working), but if you can show a mini window that show this week's, this months or today's events with related info (time zone, weather at destination and origin, currency info, etc.) that would be powerful.

Please do NOT become Worldmate - it is cumbersome and a real challenge to use. I abandon it due to its restrictive subscriptions and difficulty showing events in a format which is useful - YOURS. They are very difficult to install, operate, update and work with so I can book my events and have them appear properly in Outlook.

I don't find OAG on it's own as a useful source due to it's incredibly dense data structure (and pricey suscription rate), but if the data can be pulled into the program for flight updates and changes (something Worldmate tries to do), and if a user could have alerts from orbitz or travelocity or others show up in a 'message' window for instance - showing a direct relationship to the event, that would be a powerful connection.

Overall - for crying out loud - get it done already!!!!:cry:


I took the liberty of quoting from jobrazy's post. I just wanted to reinforce that I agree with all of the suggestions I left in the quotes - they're really good. One thing I would say on 14-16 - please don't get so busy adding features that you get rid of the core functionality which makes the program great. Get the core functionality rock-solid and develop from there later!

I actually do agree with mapluke - the choice to decide whether appointments shift based on time zones or not is the best approach. I actually DON'T change my Windows PC's timezone when I travel, because it just can't handle it. I DO change the Pocket PC's timezone when I travel, because it works great, and would hate to lose that ability. Clearly though both mapluke and jobrazy prefer not to use the timeshifting option, so the right solution is probably just to make it available. So long as you don't take away the ability to have them shift based on time zones it'd be good. I will say that I will not use TripTracker if it gets rid of this functionality.

[subseaguy]

7) Another thing that MUST be maintained is the time zone handling. Most programs get this wrong - TripTracker had it right. A calendar entry should be entered to accord properly with the time-zones of the airports, not as local time. So a trip from BOS-SFO from 6am BOS time -10am SFO time should show up on the calendar as 7 hours long. When the PPC timezone is set to EST the appointment on the calendar should run from 6am to 1pm on the calendar, and when I change the PPC timezone to PST the appointment on the calendar should run from 3am to 10am. This was the KEY feature for making TripTracker great. For people constantly crossing timezones, you have to know how the flight affects your day in reality, and have it properly blocked out on your calendar.:-)

Adriano,

:oAlso glad this seems to be moving along. I am really looking forward to seeing the new product. I also will volunteer to be a Beta tester if possible.

1. Just want to reiterate BaldEmu's comments about keeping the time zones strainght. I fly internationally 12-15 times per year anywhere from US to Azerbaijan. TT gets it right every time no matter how many time zones I cross.
2. Itinerary export could use some punching up. Would like to see air, hotels, cars, etc carry over phone numbers and addresses. It would also be good to be able to expert specific meetings from outlook for a total itenirary.
3. It would be great to tick a box on an itinerary entry which would create a corresponding expense entry.
4. Ability to look up exchange rates via database for web updating rather than preset list of countries.
5. Ability to look up flight numbers and times is nice but not work paying for a subscription.
6. Expense input is too course for really tracking hotel and rental car expenses. Total costs never work out on a per day basis. Would like to be able to make adjustments and add detail to specific hotel stay. Also need to be able to input tips with different payment method. Many times in Europe, tips are paid in cash as there is no place on the charge slip to include one.
7. Ability to create and store within TT web links to airlines, hotels, etc.

[michael]

Hi All,
Just letting you guys know that I've captured all of your request on our internal Feature list. Also, we've taken note of the existing features that you do not want changed.

jobrazy,
Can you elaborate on "7) if you invoke shift appts based on time zones - really unexpected things happen"?

Thanks