All posts in Business Travel

Expert Flyer Hot Topics — Where the Rubber Meets the Runway

Although we called out some interesting and valuable apps for both business and leisure travelers in parts one and two of our Must-Have Tech series, research by the Collinson group shows that only those apps that are instantly engaging and immediately useful will be kept and used regularly when on the move.

The Mobile Traveler Survey by the Collinson Group also found that to most frequent travelers, the airport and often the travel journey itself, has become an experience to be endured, not enjoyed.  And, aside from airport lounge access, smart phones are among a short list of must-haves for business travelers who want and need to stay connected to work, family and friends. Here are two companies who offer some interesting options for staying in touch:

• Wireless Traveler, a leading provider of international phones and services to the travel industry, offers money-saving wireless communications products and services for the international leisure and business traveler.  Among their many cost-saving options is their Global Nano SIM Card ($44.95), which saves users up to 85% on calls using their existing iPhone 5 or iPad Mini.
• When it’s time to recharge, Innergie’sPocketCell Duo and Magic Cable is a perfect companion for travelers on the go who can’t afford to run out of juice on their mobile phone or tablet.  The Innergie PocketCell Duo can completely charge an iOS or Android phone up to four times and provide about 7 hours of additional power to tablets, including an iPad, before the PocketCell Duo needs to be recharged.  The Magic Cable Trio, which comes with the PocketCell Duo, is an ingenious way to minimize the number of cable you need to charge every mobile device you have on your journey.  The Magic Cable Trio is a single cable that includes a 30-pin Apple tip as well as miniUSB and microUSB tips, which means consumers can connect to more than 10,000 mobile devices with a single cable.  The PocketCell Duo ($89.99) also has two (2.1 amp) USB ports so two devices can charge at the same time.  The company will also introduce a Lightning Tip in April for iPhone 5 users.

(c)Courtney Carmody

Everything is relative and, unlike the Collinson Group study, TripAdvisor’s annual business travel survey reported a bit more pleasure associated with business travel.  In fact, 62% of respondents said they “often” enjoy business travel and 18 percent said they “always” enjoy it.  And, 34% said, the best part about traveling for work is “seeing new places.  “We agree, so why not take along some fun gadgets to help you capture and keep some of those business-tourist memories.  Here are a few to consider:

• The Pentax Q10 is a super-compact and ultra-lightweight camera that is barely larger than a deck of cards, and a great camera choice for travelers who want to achieve digital SLR photographic quality with the convenience of slipping into your pocket.  The Q10 features a new CMOS image sensor and an upgraded algorithm for much-improved performance with amazing image quality and faster autofocus (AF) operation. A special adapter allows hundreds of Pentax K-series lenses to fit on the Q10.  Suggested List Price (with zoom lens): $599.95.
• With the Photojojo Phone Lens Series you may take full advantage of the camera on your smartphone or tablet while touring a new destination.  Photojojo’s phone lens series works with any phone or device that has a lens on it, including Android or iPhone lenses, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry and MacBook.  You can choose from professional quality Fisheye, Telephoto, Wide Angle and Macro Cell Phone lenses. You can get three lenses for under $50.
• Taking pictures with your mobile phone is certainly convenient, but many times the photo is too dark, skin tones are inaccurate or the overall color just doesn’t seem right.  Now, with the help of Athentech Perfectly Clear iOS and Android apps, you can turn these photos into perfectly exposed and color corrected masterpieces with a single click, and share them with friends directly or post to social media from anywhere in the world. Perfectly Clear from Athentech does exactly that.  The app will render your photos as they should be and will convert good pictures taken with mobile devices into great photos to share instantly.  Manual adjustments can be made if you really want to get creative.  Using Perfectly Clear will have your friends asking, “you took that picture with your phone?”