6 must-have apps for business travelers

Good news: Tracking expenses and saving money on the road can get a whole lot easier.

From Wi-Fi signal locators to expense tracking programs, these are our picks for best business travel apps that not only help travelers in an unfamiliar location, but also with cutting expenses:

• TripIt: This app comes in handy for any traveler, but for business travel it’s absolutely essential. TripIt lets you input every detail of your trip itinerary – flight details, hotels, rental cars, etc. – and keeps it all organized by trip. This would also be a handy tool for managers to have when keeping track of their employees’ travel plans. Available for iOS, Android and Blackberry.
• JetSet Expenses: If you’ve got an iPhone, this is the best bet for tracking business expenses. This app lets you easily input expenses as they come and give a complete overview of how much was spent at the end of your trip – including getting an accurate look at what is and isn’t reimbursable. The app even lets you email the expense report directly to your company or upload it to a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Docs.
• Expensify: This app is like JetSet Expenses, but with a few differences. For one thing, it’s also available on Android and Blackberry. But it also offers many more neat features. You can link business credit cards to the app, which will then track purchases as they happen and even pull electronic receipts. Definitely worth checking out if you want a more controlled look at T&E expenses.
• HoursTracker: For iPhone only, this basically acts as a time clock, letting you keep track of hours worked via timer or manual input of hours. It will generate reports and import data to a spreadsheet, too.
• Wi-Fi Finder: A good Wi-Fi connection is crucial for business travelers. This app finds free and paid Wi-Fi hot spots nearby and lets you store the locations offline for future reference.
• QuickOffice: This app lets you view and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents right from your phone. There is also cloud integration, meaning business travelers can easily contribute from the road.

Remember: Now that Airline fees have gone up, cutting costs on the road and accurate expense reporting should be a priority for those employees regularly making business trips.

What are some good smartphone apps you recommend for business travel? Let us know in the comments below.