Whether it’s the thrill of a 72-hour whirlwind trip to Tokyo or the dread of a week-long series of back-to-back meetings in London, business travel can be both an adventure and an ordeal. One minute, you’re cruising high above the clouds with a cup of mediocre airline coffee in hand; the next, you realize you’ve left your favorite tie back at home.
Let’s face it: Even the most seasoned business travelers are not immune to the trials and tribulations of life on the road — or sky. That’s why we’ve rustled up a list of the best apps designed to take the headache out of your business trips.
Is Your Luggage Weighing You Down?
Ask any frequent flier, and they’ll likely have a baggage war story to share. Oh yes, the nightmare of juggling a bulky suitcase, laptop bag, and a cup of much-needed coffee simultaneously — not to mention the additional strain of hauling all that luggage to a meeting straight from the airport or a train station. Sound familiar?
Luckily, technology can go a long way in easing your luggage woes. Make the most of an app that can eliminate all the stress associated with lugging around heavy bags and allow you to get on with your business without breaking a sweat.
It’s easy to stash your luggage at a Southern Cross Station luggage storage spot or a luggage drop in another great city with a simple luggage storage service. Whether you’ve just disembarked from a long-haul train journey or are waiting for your next connection, this app lets you securely drop off your luggage at several automated storage locations.
Forget about dragging your suitcase through the busy streets during your meetings; just let the service take care of your baggage, leaving you hands-free to shake hands and strike deals. The stress-free you will thank us later.
1. Tripit: Having In-Hand Itinerary And Flight Information
Anyone who has ever traveled for work knows that juggling itineraries, hotel bookings, and flight details can feel like herding cats — airborne, jetlagged cats. Just when you think you’ve got everything under control, the unexpected throws your plans into chaos.
Delayed flights, lost boarding passes, or sudden gate changes can and will happen. One minute, you’re relaxing in the airport lounge, sipping a nonchalant latte. Next thing you know, you’re sprinting towards the gate, praying for some time-travel magic.
TripIt is like having a travel assistant. This app syncs with your emails to find flight, hotel, car rental, and even restaurant booking confirmations and neatly organizes them into one streamlined itinerary.
You get real-time flight alerts and gate changes so that you won’t be caught off guard. TripIt even helps with navigating airports by providing terminal maps. The cherry on top? It also helps you check alternate flights if you miss yours or the potential delays send you on an adrenaline-pumping sprint across the terminal.
2. Work Time Buddy: No More Forgotten Conference Calls
Navigating time zone differences while on business trips can be challenging. It’s all too easy to mix up time differences and miss important work calls or deadlines.
World Time Buddy is a handy app that helps you effortlessly juggle time zones. It converts worldwide times instantaneously and even integrates with your calendar to make scheduling meetings a breeze.
No more sleepless nights calculating if your call time corresponds to your early morning or middle-of-the-night slot at your destination. With World Time Buddy, you can seamlessly transition your work across different time zones and never miss a beat.
3. Expensify: Keeping Up With Expense Tracking
Picture yourself at the end of your trip, sifting through receipts and trying to remember if that mystery charge was for the client’s dinner or the taxi ride to your hotel. Sounds stressful, doesn’t it? Keeping track of expenses during business trips is mentally taxing, but it’s also incredibly time-consuming, leaving you less room to focus on what truly matters — the business at hand.
Fortunately, Expensify is an app specifically designed to make your expense tracking and reporting a walk in the park (or airports, in our case!). Snap a photo of your receipt, and the app will automatically extract the details.
You can even log mileage, billable hours, and other reimbursable expenses. It creates a complete report ready to be emailed to your accounting department. Goodbye, manual processing; hello, streamlined expense tracking!
There’s An App For That!
Gone are the days when business travel meant chaotic itineraries, missed conference calls, and a mountain of receipts. With these handy tools, embark on a journey of streamlined travel and superior convenience.
After all, who said business travel needs to be all work and no play? Enjoy the journey as much as the destination, and let these apps take care of the rest. Bon voyage!
