As more people turn to PDA devices and internet-enabled cell phones for business and play, it's become easier to manage travel and trip planning at a touch of a button. From text messaging services to itinerary check-ins from a portable phone, more travelers are finding great value in using their cell phone for basic travel-related tasks before and during a trip. When travelers don't have convenient access to a computer or internet-enabled workstation, a cell phone can provide just as much value by making information retrieval easy and efficient.

Some of the key benefits and options available with most cell phones include:

? Flight notification updates ? many airlines can send a text message to the cell phone to confirm a flight's departure and arrival times, or just provide a status update. This is most helpful for travelers who are flying through different airports on trip, or flying during inclement weather.

? Finding loved ones at the airport ? instead of wasting minutes and hours trying to track down a visitor or guest, cell phone parking lots allow visitors to head to a waiting area where they can be called directly and found with ease. Cell phone parking lots make it easy to meet loved ones in a particular area without worrying about extra fees and costs to place a call or pay for parking.

? Weather updates from Google ? a simple SMS message is all it takes to submit inquiries about the weather, currency rates and even directions to Google. All inquiries can be sent to GOOGL, and the results are transmitted back to the cell phone within minutes. Texting YAHOOO also offers similar information.

? Driving directions to the hotel or airport ? when there's no map in sight and you don't want to waste time getting directions from a travel concierge, driving directions from the web can be sent via text message to the cell phone. This is especially valuable for those who do not have GPS systems in the rental car.