6 best online tools for planning a business trip

Between coordinating travel, securing lodging, transportation and airline tickets, and researching and reserving where to eat and entertain, you might start to feel like planning for a business trip is an impossible task. Make life easier for yourself by using technology to your advantage.

These six online tools can save you time and money – and help you stay organized. They're convenient and easy to use wherever you are on your smartphone or tablet on-the-go. Here’s what you should be using to plan your next business trip.

Hopper

Timing is everything when it comes to booking a flight at the best price. Hopper shows you the cheapest days to fly and when to buy your ticket for the best savings. Enter your destination and the dates of your trip and Hopper tells you whether to buy now or wait. If it's the latter, tap on the binoculars icon and the app will send you notifications as soon as the price drops. When you're ready, you can instantly purchase a ticket directly through the app. Save your personal information and payment details for faster booking on future flights.

TripIt

Like a travel agent in your pocket, TripIt organizes all your travel details into one convenient itinerary. Forward your confirmation emails to the free app and it pulls together info on flights, hotels, rental cars, restaurant reservations and booked events. A simple tap of your smartphone allows you to access your itinerary at any time and make last-minute changes or updates, while adding photos, notes or links.

You can also sync your itinerary with an online calendar, such as Outlook or Google Calendar, and then share selective details with family, friends or co-workers via email or social media.

Google Travel

A do-everything travel planner, Google Travel automatically gathers your travel details and confirmation emails from Gmail and organizes them together in one place. Reservations for flights, hotels, restaurants and rental cars get bundled in one easy-to-access location.

The tool can even auto-generate a selection of trip suggestions, mapping out nearby restaurants, coffee shops and hotels, as well as info on other nearby sights. You can get inspiration for potential trips too, as well as take a look back over past trips you’ve taken.

PackPoint

To save time and accomplish all your business trip goals, you don't want bulky luggage to slow you down. PackPoint takes the thinking out of packing – and the risk of over-packing – by automatically generating a customized packing list before you go.

Just enter your business trip details, such as the destination, dates of travel, duration of your stay and any activities you have planned, and the app itemizes everything you need. PackPoint even checks the forecast, adding rain or snow gear to the list if needed.

MileIQ

Many business trips require driving, but keeping accurate track of mileage for expense accounts can be a headache. MileIQ logs your miles through its GPS-powered drive detection technology to help you easily determine the distance driven for business or personal use.

The app automatically records miles when your car is in motion and pauses when you've stopped. Then, simply swipe right to record miles for business, or left for personal miles. You can also add details, such as parking fees, tolls and other driving expenses.

Expensify

Saving all those receipts while out on the road is a hassle. With Expensify, you simply use the app to take a smartphone photo of a receipt and it's automatically added to your expense report, pulling the date, vendor and dollar amount. Sync Expensify with your credit card account to match your scanned receipts with your card's charges.

The app allows for rapid reporting and approval, and it comes with a direct deposit function for fast expense reimbursements into your bank account. You can also integrate the app with corporate expense policies, QuickBooks and other accounting tools.

Mobile technology can make planning for business trips a breeze. Share your travel tips and tools with us on our Facebook page or check out more of our business travel tips, including how a travel policy can benefit your workplace.