Being slightly late for a meeting is something that can happen to even the most organised of people. Briskly walking down another dead-end street, hot and bothered and glancing at your watch every 5 seconds is an unpleasant experience, and asking passers-by for directions often confuses you even more.
Thankfully, there are several smartphone apps that can greatly aid you on your journey. Although there are still unavoidable factors that may disrupt your schedule such as public transport delays and unexpected traffic, these apps can help you hail a cab, find a parking spot or track a flight.
We’ve picked out several of the most popular apps to assist you on your onward journey, available on both iPhone and Android devices.
Smartphone Apps for the Travelling Businessperson
#1. Uber
Having recently secured funding from search engine giants Google,
The process is simple, after downloading the Uber App and setting up your account, you can request to be picked up at the tap of a button. The app uses your phone’s GPS to locate you and notifies the nearest available driver, allowing you track their location as they make their way.
There is no need for cash as the fare is automatically charged to the card on your account, and you can even leave a small review of the driver who served you. Different vehicles can be requested, ranging from a standard saloon to luxurious cars, with a price tag to match.
The Uber App is extremely convenient and easy to use, with its popularity increasing at an alarming rate as new locations are introduced. It’s perfect for getting picked up at short notice or arriving in style to an important meeting.
# 2. FlightAware
FlightAware is one of the most in-depth aviation websites available, and is now available on smartphone devices in the form of an intuitive app. It offers advanced flight tracking via flight number, tail number or destination, as well as displaying important information about major travel hubs across the world.
Flights can be tracked across maps, and alerts can be set up to notify you of delays. The app makes it easy to find out which gate you need to check in at, and even has information on baggage claim carousels. It’s a great addition to your travel savvy arsenal, and can help make business related airport visits a more bearable experience.
# 3. HopStop
Figuring out the best way to get from point A to B using public transport can sometimes be confusing, especially if you are in an unfamiliar city. HopStop is an attempt to simplify public transport, allowing you to enter a start and end point and view directions utilising a mixture of subway, bus, rail, walking and cycling.
Multiple routes are suggested allowing you to pick the most convenient one, and with the addition of HopStop Live!, accurate and recent travel information is crowd-sourced and displayed on your desired route.
# 4. AA Parking
As the name suggests, AA Parking helps you quickly find nearby parking in an area around you, displaying price and number of spaces. Unfortunately it doesn’t tell you the number of empty spaces there are, but it does provide in-depth information on car parks such as payment methods accepted, CCTV coverage and type.
AA Parking is ideal when you find yourself pushed for time but struggling to find a parking spot.
# 5. Tripit
Tripit is a must have App that is the perfect accompaniment to FlightAware. Once you have created an account, it automatically scans your email for travel confirmations and consolidates all flight, hotel and other travel information. It then organises the data accordingly, creating an accurate and easy to follow itinerary.
Reservation confirmation emails can also be forwarded to [email protected], and the app will automatically parse out dates, times and locations and add them to your itinerary. Other handy features include notifications when a better seat on your flight becomes available, and the ability to share plans with other people using the app.
Tripit succeeds at taking the stress out of travel and is surprisingly accurate when it comes to pulling out important information from your email.
Which travel orientated app can you not live without? Get involved in the comments.
Did you like this article?
- Please share it with your network, we’d really appreciate it!
- Would you like to write for Tweak Your Biz? Or sign up for our RSS?
- An outstanding title can increase tweets, Facebook Likes, and visitor traffic by 50% or more. Generate great titles for your articles and blog posts with the Tweak Your Biz Title Generator.