The German household savings rate, at around 12%, is higher than the rest of Europe's and the government's short-term working schemes--in which wages are topped up to help companies avoid layoffs--has kept unemployment in check.

FORBES: Global Economy

But, either way, they received phone calls from palliative-care nurses who offered to check in regularly and help them find services for anything from pain control to making out a living will.

NEWYORKER: Letting Go

"She was cool letting me use stuff like this to help keep me in check -- but as long as I stay safe, " he says.

CNN: STD site partners with school district

The app also includes travel planning tools to book a trip, destination guides, flight check-in, an interactive trip map and the "What's Next" feature to help guide customers to the next point in their journey.

ENGADGET: Delta introduces Fly Delta app for iPad, iOS 6 Passbook integration

But with check-in lines and traffic jams still for the most part unavoidable, new services are cropping up to help make businesspeople's journey to the airport more enjoyable -- and perhaps, more important, productive.

WSJ: Cutting Down On the To and Fro