How can I use iCal and the iPhone calendar when I am travelling?

Solution 1:

I now include the actual time in the title of the event. For example: "9am Flight LAX -JFK" This way, if the phone changes my time setting (which it inevitably does regardless of how I have it set) I will still know what time my flight is. Doesn't work for alerts, but I often enter flight info in a different time zone from where I will take the flight and this helps to keep me from missing a flight.

Solution 2:

I think you might want to try the "floating" time zone; I believe this will let an event be at a specific hour, regardless of the time zone.

(As for why use time zones at all: We have an office in Zurich, Switzerland, and one in New York, US, and we share some of our calendars; having time zone support means, as an example, that I can see at a glance if somebody's at a meeting in New York (and thus I should maybe call them later).)

PS: Also see Changing the time zone for an event, but note iCal: Floating time zone Calendar events are not supported on iPod touch / iPhone or MobileMe Calendar; iCloud supports "floating" (just tested), not sure about the iPhone...

Solution 3:

the only viable option i've found is to: 1) if you use iCloud, do not sync your mac and your i-device to the same calendar. i know this sounds stupid, but if you sync your mac and i-device to the same calendar, it is bound to mess things up. 2) turn timezone support on on your mac and choose the "floating" timezone when entering an event. 3) on your i-device, turn on timezone support, and select appropriate timezone for each entry (pain in the ass)!

similar issue exists with the mail program both on mac and iOS. if you email me from LA at 1am and say i am in NYC, your email will show as being sent at 4am. and if i reply to you immediately, the quoted text will say something like "on Jul 19 at 4:00am, you wrote". well, it is only 1am in your town, so how could you have written me at 4am? and if go back and forth, pretty soon we won't' be able to tell who say what at what time. the problem is even more pronounce across international border. i've sent feedback to apple about this many times, but they seem to think their way is smarter.

Solution 4:

The only thing that works for me without complication is to put the local time in the event title -- everything else is too confusing. It seems that apple could make this simpler.