Streamline Your Travel With These Top Apps
Travel can be a complex and multifaceted endeavor. From booking flights and hotels to managing itineraries and expenses, coordinating these for a diverse and perhaps far-flung group of travelers will require organization. Luckily, there are a number of different travel-based apps that can help you streamline the planning and record-keeping process for your corporate travel. Whether you’re a frequent traveler or are responsible for making the travel arrangements for your team, these apps will help make your life easier and help to ensure your trips all go off without a hitch.
TripIt: The All-in-One Travel Itinerary App
Keeping all of your travel plans organized can seem like a daunting task, but with TripIt, you can build a seamless itinerary. It will consolidate your flight itinerary, hotel reservations, car rentals, and even dinner reservations into a single, easy-to-use itinerary. All you have to do is forward your confirmation emails to TripIt (it will automatically add most reservation confirmations on its own), and it will build your itinerary for you. If you have a stop that doesn’t involve a confirmation, you can manually add extra details too. TripIt also allows you to access your itinerary offline and share it with your colleagues or fellow travelers. Its ease of use and seamless integration with most popular calendar apps make it the go-to app for business travelers.
Expensify: Simplify Expense Tracking
Managing expenses during corporate travel can be a hassle, but Expensify takes the pain out of this process. This powerful app allows you to capture receipts, track mileage, and create detailed expense reports on the go. Expensify can even automatically import expenses from your credit card, saving you time and effort. With its smart features, like automatic currency conversion and policy compliance checks, Expensify ensures accuracy and helps streamline the reimbursement process.
Currency Converter: XE Currency Converter
If you’re traveling overseas, you’ll be dealing in something other than the dollar. Conversion rates at US Banks are often much higher than hitting an ATM once you’re on the ground in your destination. Having some cash on hand can be important – in our experience many shops in other nations will say they don’t take credit even if they have a visa or mastercard symbol in their window! Know how much you’re paying in dollars for an item with a quick currency converter app. We like XE Currency Converter because it provides free and accurate conversion rates for every world currency, and it works even if you find yourself without internet access.
Airline Apps
All major airlines now provide the option to check-in and track your flight using smartphone apps. This allows a traveler to book travel, check-in for the flight, get their boarding pass and track their luggage all from their phone. When combined with an itinerary builder like TripIt, your airline travel app can make traveling a breeze.
Airport Lounge Apps
Waiting for your flights at the airport can become a significant time cost, particularly if your itinerary includes layovers. The increased availability of business-ready airport lounges can help you maintain your productivity and enjoy some amenities while waiting for your next flight. If you don’t travel enough to qualify for a membership to an airline’s VIP lounge, there are several apps that can provide access to 1000s of airport lounges across the globe. Lounge Buddy offers reviews and access to over 2500 airport lounges worldwide. You can get on-demand access starting at only $25 per visit, but in order to take advantage of Lounge Buddy, you need to have an American Express card. With the Priority Pass app, you have access to a substantial network of airport lounges with multiple membership levels that offer varying levels of lounge access depending on how often you travel. Higher-level memberships offer a number of complimentary lounge visits before you are charged, so you can decide for yourself which level of access fits your traveling needs.
Flight Tracker Apps
While the airline may post some updates, for true up-to-the-minute information on your flight you’ll want to take a look at the Flight Aware app. You’ll even see details down to the pilot filing the flight plan. No more missed messages from the airline if your flight is delayed or cancelled. Of course, when you’re catching a ride to the airport from a limousine service or black car service like Executive Transportation, we’ll monitor that for you and reach you if your transportation time needs to be adjusted!
Translation Apps
If your business requires any international travel, a language translation app can be a lifesaver. Whether you need a quick clarification in a meeting or are trying to order a meal, a language translation app can make your life a lot easier. There are several free and paid versions of language translation apps available, including iTranslate, Google Translate, and Microsoft Translate. These apps are particularly helpful if you end up off the beaten path where it is less likely that those working in hospitality will speak English. Even if you plan to stay in major cities, locals generally appreciate an earnest attempt to communicate in the local language, which can make any trip more enjoyable.
Restaurant Reservation Apps
A restaurant reservation app can help you make and store meal reservations in cities all over the world. There are several different options, but the app with the most available restaurants in major cities is OpenTable. The app has smartphone calendar integrations to keep track of your reservations, and you can invite your fellow diners right from the app. Other popular reservation apps that have a smaller, but still substantial portfolio of restaurants, are Resy, Tock, and Yelp, each of which offers similar functionality.
Map Apps
There are a number of map apps including Google Maps and Apple Maps. Both offer point-to-point directions and real-time traffic. They can be an invaluable tool in navigating an unfamiliar city. You can create and share custom maps with the My Maps feature on Google Maps so you can create and plan your stops ahead of time and download it to your device so you can be sure to have access to it even if your phone loses service. Note that at the time of writing, Google Maps will not allow you to access the My Maps feature with an Apple iPhone or iPad.
The Best Travel Apps for Business Travel
These top travel apps can help to streamline and consolidate your travel booking and keep you organized and productive while you are on the road. If you are in need of luxury ground transportation, visit us Executive Transportation where our trained and professional drivers take the stress out of planning your trips to and from the airport and anywhere in between. Contact Us for more information or to book your trip today.
