Now, more than ever, technology has become a fundamental part of the business traveler’s journey. Whether it be a favorite flight app, an app to help you beat jet lag, or a travel management platform like GetGoing that you can take on the road with you, technology is without a doubt one of the most important travel companions on a business trip.
So what are the essential tools and technology that you can use as a business traveler to make your life easier and to better navigate the road? From pre-trip planning, to during travel, accommodations, keeping on track with your travel spend and staying safe, technology can make a world of difference. Keep reading to find out how technology can help you have a smoother and more pleasant business trip.
Pre-business trip planning
Before planning a business trip, there’s a lot to keep in mind. For starters, you have to make sure the people you need to meet with are available, if it’s in a neutral location, you must book a meeting place, and you have to see the best way to get there. For pre-trip planning, most likely you will start out with a series of initial emails to get the ball rolling, and from there maybe set up a Zoom, Teams or Google meeting to finalize the details. You want to make sure you have a reliable online calendar where you can keep track of your schedule and send meeting invites with location and the necessary details.
Booking and managing travel arrangements with technology
Now you’ve got an idea of where you need to go, when and how you need to get there, it’s time to get on the computer or smartphone and start making travel arrangements. For this a handy travel management platform like GetGoing will help simplify the process. After you create an account you can book train, car rental, airline and accommodations all in one place. As an administrator you can set price caps and fare rules so that you can make sure your employees’ travel arrangements are on budget. You can also automate your company’s travel policy to make sure everything stays on track, and all your ducks are in a row.
Choosing the best travel apps for business travel
Beyond GetGoing for all your business travel needs, you can use helpful travel apps like Google Maps, Rideshare Apps like Uber or Free Now, a currency converter, and a translator app. While these apps are not specifically designed for business travel, they will help road warriors on the go stay on top of everything during their trip.
Staying organized with travel planning tools
So you’ve booked your trip, you’ve downloaded all the apps you need, and you are keeping track of all your travel documents within the travel management platform. Now it’s time to pack. Make sure you consult this ultimate packing list to make sure you don’t miss anything. Travel planning tools like Google Maps will help you get a better idea of how long it takes to get to and from the airport and get to your destinations so you can plan in advance, and know the best way to get there (whether it be rideshare, a rental car, a bus, a regular taxi or the train).
During business trip
So now, you’re ready to get going on the road, what are some important things to keep in mind while traveling for business? Business travel technology such as mobile apps and tools will help travelers make informed decisions based on information that is readily accessible. Now, more than ever, being connected while on the road is a must. Mobile apps on your smartphone will allow you to monitor airline updates, traffic, flight disruptions, as well as help you find places to eat or cafes with Wi-Fi. The technology-first approach to business travel ensures that no matter what happens, you’re prepared for anything.
When traveling by plane it’s important to remember that technology can be especially beneficial for time-pressed business travelers. They can be more efficient during check-in and security points using mobile apps and online check-in. Plus, they can get real-time flight updates and gate changes or flight delays. Self-service kiosks and digital boarding passes have streamlined the check-in process, and biometric authentication technology such as facial recognition has reduced wait times at security checkpoints.
In addition, business travelers can use technology to stay productive on the go, with in-flight Wi-Fi, mobile hotspots, and apps that allow for virtual meetings and collaboration with colleagues.
Using technology to stay connected with colleagues and clients
Many airports also offer lounge access to business-class travelers, where they can work or relax in comfortable surroundings with complimentary food and drinks. You can easily use your laptop or smartphone in the wait time to re-confirm meetings, send a message via Slack or Teams to your colleagues who are covering for you.
Finding and booking transportation with technology
Whether you use your all-in-one business travel platform like GetGoing to book a car rental, or you use a rideshare app to arrange your airport pick-up. Technology, as with the whole airport experience in general, has made the experience smoother and more efficient, allowing business travelers to focus on their work and arrive at their destination feeling refreshed and prepared.
Accommodations
There’s nothing like technology to streamline the process of booking and managing accommodations. Simply log on to a travel management platform like GetGoing, search for your hotel with the right filters and you can easily book and manage hotel reservation with the click of a button. There are also comparison apps like Hotels.com or Booking.com, that if you use an all-in-one platform are even scanned to find you the best deals.
Utilizing hotel technology amenities
Accommodation providers are increasingly making the hotel experience more comfortable for business travelers through the use of digital technology. You may find in-room amenities controlled by your smartphone, digital entry to your room, or mobile check-in and check out. This technology allows business travelers to have not only a more personalized guest experience but also saves time and is more efficient. When you’re on the go, being able to manage everything digitally saves time and is overall more efficient.
Staying on budget and managing time
For administrators and travel managers, the hardest part of managing business travel is staying on budget. This is why you need a travel management platform that allows you to optimize your business travel spend through reports and insights.
Time management tools for efficient business travel
Business travel can be stressful, it can seem like everything is a blur as you run from one meeting to another, and one place to the next. This is why organization is key. Using an online agenda, or calendar that is synched with other important people’s agenda will help you be more productive and manage your time better. Don’t forget to schedule in some downtime as it’s another important part of being productive.
Safety and wellbeing
Safety and wellbeing are very important, and have come to the forefront during and after the pandemic as businesses seek to encourage employee wellbeing and fulfill their duty of care. Technology like artificial intelligence and GPS can help you keep your travelers safe when they’re on the road.
Keeping business travelers safe with technology
Keep business travelers safe by using a travel management platform like GetGoing, which uses artificial intelligence to choose the best and safest routes for travelers, favoring direct routes over stopovers, and you can also configure your safety settings in the background to block travel to risky destinations. Other technology available is traveler tracking, which allows you to get alerts when travelers have arrived at their destination.
Will technology change the future of business travel?
The past few years have seen incredible leaps and bounds in technology and their applications to business travel. As travel remains vital to any company, technology will continue to play a crucial role in keeping business travelers up-to-date, productive, and keeping them safe and informed. At the same time embracing technology will change the future of business travel by making corporate trips more efficient.
Augmented reality, machine learning and artificial intelligence will continue to transform the way we travel, changing the way we book, manage and optimize our business travel programs. And for this reason, it’s important to choose a travel management platform that changes with you, launching enhanced features along the way to keep up with the pace of digital transformation.
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