Business travel comes with its difficulties, but fortunately, the evolution of technology has made it easier than ever. Long gone are the days when you had to chase down a phone booth to communicate with colleagues or wait until your family received your postcard to get in touch with them. Today, you can reach anyone and any information you need instantly through your smartphone, especially if you have a Sapphire wireless internet hotspot. Use this technology to your greatest advantage by making sure that you have the most helpful applications before you get on your flight. In this blog, we will go over the most helpful business travel apps you need to download before your next trip.
TripIt
This is an amazing app for time management when you’re traveling because it keeps all of the information you need in one place. Your entire itinerary is neatly organized into a calendar—all you have to do is forward all of the important information to your TripIt account and it will sort it all out for you! From your flight to your hotel reservations to your meeting schedule, TripIt handles it all for you, so you don’t have to go scrambling through your email to remember where you are speaking or who you have to meet. You can download this handy app on Apple and Android devices for free, though the Pro version costs $50 a year.
Google Translate
When you’re traveling in a country where you don’t know the local language, this app is essential. Google Translate is an incredible tool that performs a variety of tasks that can completely change your experience in a foreign country. You can take a photo of a street sign and the application will translate it into your native tongue. You can also draw symbols in the app and it will translate it for you. If you speak a phrase into your phone, it will respond by speaking that phrase in your language of choice or you can read it off your screen. You can even take turns speaking into it, so you can have an entire conversation with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you! Google Translate is free and is available on iOS and Android.
Concur
This application is incredibly helpful for keeping you on top of your travel expenses. Concur streamlines the entire process of creating an expense report from your business trip. You can upload your receipts directly to this app to communicate with your home office about your expenses, allowing them to approve anything instantly. In addition, you can easily generate expense reports from the app, meaning less paperwork for you when you’re back in the office. If you ever struggle to keep all of your receipts organized during a business trip, Concur makes it easier than ever to itemize your expenses.
Uber
When you’re traveling for business, you don’t have time to rely on taxis that may or may not appear. The last thing you want is to be late for a meeting because you couldn’t find an available taxi. Enter Uber. Uber allows you to call a private car to your curb, giving you the ability to track the car and pay for the ride through your phone. You can now even schedule future Ubers so you know someone will be ready and waiting for you when you need to go. When you need a method of transportation that’s reliable, Uber is the way to go.
Hotel Tonight
This is a fantastic application to have on your phone in the event that your accommodation plans go awry. Whether your hotel lost your reservation or you unexpectedly need to stay an extra night, this app connects you with available discounted hotel rooms that you can reserve immediately. By partnering with hundreds of hotels all over the world, Hotel Tonight is able to find lower rates for unbooked rooms if you can book them that night. Best of all, this app is free! It works for both Android and iOS.
MileIQ
Are you renting a car for this trip? Then MileIQ is an app that will save you a lot of time and energy. This innovative application tracks the miles you drive and then categorizes it based on business versus personal travel. It works automatically, sensing when the car is in motion and stopping when the car stops. When you arrive at your destination, you can swipe to categorize your trip as personal or business. You can then use the app to supply this information to your employer for reimbursement. You can log 40 rides a month for free. If you want to log unlimited trips, you will need to pay $6 a month or $60 a year.
AroundMe
This app is ideal for when you are in a new place for the first time. AroundMe will analyze all of the businesses in your area and determine where you can find what you need, whether it’s a gas station, coffee shop, hospital, or hotel. After you have found where you can get what you need, the app will then direct you there. This handy app is available on Android and Apple devices and is completely free.
FLIO
FLIO is an important app for anyone who flies frequently. This helpful application gives you a directory and layout map information for more than 3,000 airports world wide. You can track arrivals and departures at the airport, find the wifi information of any airport you’re in, and even purchase airport services through it. There are often discounts you can apply to services and goods in the airport. This application is free and is available for Android and iOS.
At Sapphire, we are happy to help you optimize your business trip with these awesome maps by giving you a reliable internet connection wherever you are. Use our wireless internet hotspot to streamline your business trip and make it easier than ever to travel for work. Shop our MiFi device today!