Apps have changed the travel landscape. I use a variety of apps all the time, especially for airlines. I haven’t used them much for managing car rentals because, well, there weren’t really any good ones. Friends, that has changed! A little over a month ago, National Car Rental came out with their long-awaited app. After consulting with many of their Emerald Club members, they have put together a list of features that meet the needs of business travelers.

Manage rentals. One of the handiest features is that you can manage all aspects of your rental, including actually making the reservation, and modifying car class, arrival info, and payment specifications.

The Virtual Aisle. This is probably my favorite part of the app: you can choose your car before you arrive at the rental facility. It’s similar to the Emerald Aisle, but for locations too small for one. This is being piloted in a few locations this month, and rolling out nationwide soon after.

Profile management. Emerald Club users can easily update their profile information, view reward stats, and book reward rentals. It will also notify you if your payment info or license is near expiration.

Rental locator and roadside assistance. You can find contact information for North American rental facilities, including addresses AND phone numbers. Plus you can access roadside assistance directly.

Here is National VP Rob Connors talking about some of the features.

(Also on that link is a recording of the Google+ Hangout Rob did about the evolution of tech and travel. Some of my friends were on that panel—it was very interesting!)

The National app is free (yay!) and is available for Apple and Android devices here.  It seems to be a really useful tool for those who use National on a regular basis, and I’m so glad it’s finally out! For more info and updates, like National on Facebook and follow @NationalPro on Twitter.

Now if only my favorite hotel chains would come out with a decent app!

Readers, what are your favorite travel apps?

Road Warriorette was compensated for participation in this partnership.