Apple’s iPhone significantly changed the ease and convenience for people who travel. Especially in the business world, there are innumerable great apps available to make travel more efficient and convenient. Here’s a list of ten apps that the business traveler will appreciate on the iPhone:

Tripdoc:

Tripdoc helps keep travel plans organized and in one place. Organize your hotel, restaurants, and activities very quickly and efficiently. For business, Tripdoc allows you to map clients by city, get directions to clients, and keep notes about clients. Get directions to restaurants, store memos about places visited, and much more.

Tripit:

Tripit is similar to Tripdoc in that it allows organizes travel plans, though more specifically this app focuses on flights and transportation rather than in location activities. When a traveler forwards electronic travel confirmations (airline confirmations, car companies, hotels, etc.) to Tripit, the app puts them all into one place. Tripit will also add maps, weather, photos, and other related information. With the newest version of the app, travelers can also add “travel friends”,  to share travel calendars and keep up with each other. This app is very convenient for the business traveler who needs to coordinate with colleagues about travel plans.

Weatherbug Elite:

Weather is something to consider no matter what the kind of trip. Weatherbug Elite provides hourly and full seven day forecasts, radar maps, National Weather Service Alerts, and many other features. Weatherbug Elite makes it possible to plan for any kind of weather, no matter where in the world your destination.

Urban Spoon:

Touchdown after a long flight often includes an immediate search for a decent restaurant. Apple’s app appropriately named, Urban Spoon, gives some options on where to go. Filter choices by neighborhood, cuisine, or price. View ratings and reviews from bloggers, newspapers, and customers. The app covers all of the USA and Canada, and many large metro areas in the UK and Australia.

iFly Pro:

Sometimes when travelling there are tight layovers or sudden flight changes; iFly Pro can help the traveler stay organized and make it to the next flight on time. This business app allows flight tracking, terminal navigating in over 400 airports, and alerts if a flight is delayed. And often overlooked but very important, iFly Pro can provide parking rates and locations, ideas for how to spend a layover, and much more.

World Customs & Cultures:

When travelling in a foreign country, there are often vital cultural differences that a business traveler should know. World Customs & Cultures is a great business app as it provides customs descriptions, cultural information, and facts on many different countries. It offers appropriate greetings, communication styles, gestures, taboos, etc. from all over the world, something that may come in very handy when attending a business meeting in a foreign country. This iPhone app features information on over 165 different countries. In fact, the app creators encourage users to contact them for any countries that may not be included as they are eager to continuously update and upgrade this truly international app.

ATM Hunter:

Most business travelers at some point have found the need to obtain cash from an ATM. But in an unfamiliar place it can seem impossible to locate a machine that is compatible. The iPhone app, ATM Hunter, can help. This app allows the traveler to quickly and conveniently locate ATMs closeby. It allows for search criteria specification to locate the most ideal ATM  and directions from the current location to it.

Kayak:

Booking hotels, flights, and car rentals can be a lengthy process. Kayak helps travelers compare prices and get the best deals on all of these. Kayak can also track flight status, look up baggage fees, and much more. Travelers can even book the hotel directly through the app by selecting Kayak as the booking option.

Trip Advisor:

When booking a hotel or deciding on a restaurant, sometimes it helps to have a little background information. Trip Advisor offers the traveler information and reviews from other people on hotels, restaurants, flights, and other attractions in a specific area. And the site allows searches for any of these in nearby locations. Trip Advisor recently added a feature that allows viewing of the street level at the destination, as well as nearby hotels, restaurants, and more. App users are also encouraged to “bookmark” any special places for the next time, making it a favorite location.

Google Translate:

Business travelers often need to translate phrases from one language to another. Google Translate allows this with one click of a button for 58 different languages across the world. Apple recently released an update that also allows dictation of the phrase instead of typing it into theiPhone.

Author: Liza Rutledge