More than 400 million business trips are taken in the United States annually. Most of these trips are little hoppers, totaling distances under 250 miles, meaning the hard parts happen mainly in the airport. For the frequent business traveler, tasks such as passing through the security checkpoint and boarding can be incredibly tiresome and tedious. Fortunately, there is new technology to make these unavoidable parts of the business travel routine a little more pleasant.
Make Your Luggage Smart
Smart luggage is the newest evolution of travel gear. In short, smart luggage acts like a portable office that also carries your clothes and toiletries. If you’re interested in the capabilities that state-of-the-art smart luggage can offer, look no further than CowaRobot. This robotic luggage follows you around as you move through the airport. Using your smartphone, you can track the location of your luggage as well as lock and unlock it to help prevent theft. CowaRobot is also equipped with all the charging ports and electronic storage that you would expect in any piece of smart luggage.
Know Your Lines
TSA can be both a blessing and a curse. They are there to keep us safe, but long lines can cause frustration and throw you off schedule. When you are on the clock, getting to the airport two hours early just to sit in the terminal can seem unproductive, but missing a flight because you cut it too close is much worse. To make the most of your time while traveling, use the MiFlight app. This app performs the simple function of telling you where and how long the lines are. Just put in your airport information and MiFlight will give you the wait times and the locations of the shortest lines.
Use Digital Boarding
It comes as no surprise to the seasoned business traveler that you need a smartphone to make the most of travel technology. The days of the paper boarding pass seem to be waning. Now most airlines give the option of digital boarding, where you can sign in, give preference information and simply scan your phone at the gate. Digital boarding passes are also generally linked to your business travel account and sometimes your frequent flyer account.
Have A Plan B
Flights get delayed and sometimes even canceled; this is a schedule-shattering reality of travel. Try making use of FlightView to stay on top of delays and have other options should the worst happen. With this app, you can put in a flight for any airport and it will tell you the status. If there is a delay or cancellation, you can use the app to plot out a new path so that you will not miss important meetings or events. Since forewarned is forearmed, use this app to stay ahead of a crisis.
Stay Safe
When it comes down to the important things in life, your safety is the number one priority for both your family and your business. To stay protected, use Travel Tracker, a security system that alerts you and your company of travel dangers. In the event of crisis, it will coordinate your movement through airports and hotels so that those who care about you know that you’re safe.