No matter what you do or who you do it for, at some point you're going on a business trip. Whether it's for the day or for the week, it will happen. What are the best apps to help you make the most of top-apps-for-travelit? We've got some great suggestions, and can tell you if they'll work for business or personal!

TripIt -

You create an itinerary by forwarding your confirmation emails to TripIt.  Store all your flight or rental car info, hotel reservations, and list of things to do, in one place. It syncs with your Google calendar and lets you send your itinerary to family, friends, or co-workers to keep them in the loop. You can also track your rewards points and frequent flyer miles.

First available online, now you can download the mobile app to see your plans on the go.

There’s an obvious push to upgrade to TripIt Pro to get access to information regarding airport info, flight delays, and more. Some of these features are overkill for the casual traveler but for the business traveler, the integration with other apps like SmartExpense to track your spending will simplify your life.

The design of the free version seems a little sloppy, although we hear the Pro version is much cleaner, without the bombardment of ads.

 

Leisure rating: wineB-3

The frequent traveler will find plenty of use for this quick and easy to use app.

Business rating: coffee-4

TripIt is great for coordinating business travel plans with your entire office, making sure everyone gets there on schedule. It’s also easy to track business spending for reimbursement.

Jetsetter

Now this popular flash travel sales website has an app, so you can book your last minute trips on the go. Jetsetter lets you book same-night hotel stays for discounted rates. Same-day deals go live at noon. Pick your city (mostly only major markets, but they are expanding), and the app shows you your options.

Need a personal travel agent? The app also curates trips, from weekend getaways to week-long vacations.

Most impressive about this app are the stunning, high-definition, panoramic photos. The Jetsetter team will give you the low-down on each hotel, although it’s frequently unnamed. You’re taking a chance, but the site insists this mystery allows them to provide discounts up to 60% off your stay.

Leisure rating: 4 wine glasses

This is great for the flexible traveler who doesn’t really know where he wants to go.  Plus, the discounted rates make it easy to have a four-star experience without breaking the bank.

Business:  coffee-3

You probably wouldn’t want to take the risk on a last-minute booking for a business trip.

Gate Guru

GateGuru is your guide to over 115 (mostly US) airports. Early for your flight? Stuck waiting out a long layover? This app allows you to quickly find restaurants, airport services, and shops. Since the app has an active base of user-reviewers, mostly frequent travelers, it will tell you which to use and/or avoid. In addition, you can use the app to check-in for your flight, review your TripIt itinerary, and receive push notifications of your flight status and gate changes.

One cool feature of the app lets users report on average wait times to get through security, so you know if you need to arrive especially early. Unfortunately, since it relies on users, sometimes the info is outdated. The Travel Channel reviews complaints of the weak coverage of international airports as well.

Leisure rating: wineB-3

GateGuru isn’t exactly a “fun” app, but it certainly keeps you in the know. This app is good for parents with tired children who don’t want to traipse around the airport looking for food, restrooms, etc.

Business rating: coffee-3

For frequent business flyers, this is a nice app to supplement your knowledge of airport services. Have a layover in a new airport? Check the app for recommendations from your fellow frequent travelers. GateGuru also relies on people like you to update the site with reviews, so help a guy out during that long layover.

Packing Pro

The worst feeling in traveling is arriving at the airport and feeling like you’ve forgotten something. Then you get to your destination and immediately make a beeline to the nearest drugstore to pick up a toothbrush. Packing Pro is there to help ease this common anxiety.

You create packing lists in the app either from scratch (much better than “don’t let me forget this…” or from suggested templates. It makes lists of pre-trip tasks like “take out trash” to “find snorkels in basement.” Then you can add your list of underwear, shoes, and toiletries accordingly.

The app’s design is a bit clunky and hard to navigate. You can customize some of the design but may be overwhelmed by the clutter screens. There’s simply so much information that it becomes just as anxiety-inducing as packing itself. It’s not a totally necessary app, but if you’re someone who freaks out about packing, this might help.

Leisure rating: wineB-2

It can help take some of the stress out of packing, but fair warning: it may also cause you to over pack resulting in extra baggage fees.

Business rating: coffee-1

Chances are, if you travel enough, you know exactly what to pack.

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