The new features use location and GPS to trigger content that matches a consumer’s travel itinerary. The Expedia Canada app is available for iPhone and Android devices.

“Ultimately what sets our app apart is its ability to create a consumer-friendly experience that is intuitive to the needs of the on-the-go traveller,” said Sean Shannon, vice president and managing director at Expedia Canada, Toronto in a press release.

Comprehensive mobile bookings
Expedia Canada has updated its app to sync up itineraries across mobile and desktop platforms.

Confirmation codes, airport maps, gate information, flight statuses and addresses are displayed on the app when a mobile device’s built-in GPS and time matches a slot on their itinerary.

For instance, a consumer at an airport will be served with their flight information while users that have already landed can access hotel and car rental information.

Terminal maps for more than 200 worldwide airports are available via the app.

Hotel pages show consumers the hotel’s address, contact information and a map. Under the car rentals section, consumers can find national and local information on car rentals.

Information on cruises and destination services are also included in the app.

Itineraries can be shared via SMS and email.

Instead of needing log-in information, consumers can access their trips via the app by using their email or itinerary number.

Expedia Canada claims that consumers can book trips on more than 130 airlines and 140,000 hotels.

Expedia Canada claims that the app has been downloaded roughly 12 million times.

Travel on mobile
Expedia Canada has also released a survey that digs into the behavior of mobile travelers.

The research includes a sample of 502 Canadian adults who took an online survey, own a smartphone and have traveled within the past year. The consumers surveyed were also Angus Reid Forum panel members.

Nowadays, consumers expect to do more than simply make a booking via a mobile device. Instead, consumers are looking for travel brands and apps that help manage all parts of their trip.

In fact, the research found that 88 percent of smartphone owners said that it would be helpful to use their mobile device to stay updated on travel information while they are on vacation.

Additionally, 79 percent of survey participants use their smartphones when traveling within Canada. Only 22 percent used their mobile device when traveling in the United States, and 13 percent of respondents used their mobile device while traveling outside of either the U.S. or Canada.

While vacationing, checking the weather, social media and accessing maps were the most popular uses behind why a consumer uses their mobile device. Fifty-six percent of consumers check the weather and 49 percent use GPS maps, likely to help them navigate their destination city.

Of the consumers who post photos from their mobile devices while on vacation, 16 percent only post once per day, according to Expedia Canada’s findings.

Email also sucks up a significant portion of mobile usage while vacationing. Per the report, 59 percent of consumers surveyed said that they send personal emails while they are on vacation, with 20 percent of these users saying that they only communicate with friends and family via mobile email once per day.

“Whether a traveller needs a flight update, help navigating a busy terminal or their hotel’s address our app will be there to help them when they need it most,” Ms. Shannon said.

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is associate reporter on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York