4 Small Business Travel Web Tools

FareCompare

I use Kayak.com to find flights, but I really like FareCompare.com and I’ve added it to my arsenal of useful small business travel tools.

As the name suggests, FareCompare lets you see — at a glance — the lowest flight cost on any date within a month.  So if your dates are flexible, this is the best tool to use. You’ll also see a graph of how the cost of the specific route you’ve chosen varies over the course of the year.

As a bonus, the site is easy to navigate and user-friendly, and it offers a couple of special-interest travel blogs that are also very helpful.

TravelZoo

Everyone needs a little time to get away and relax, right?  All work and no play make Jack a dull boy and all that. Allow me to tempt you with some travel bargains. More accurately, allow TravelZoo.com to tempt you.

Of course, there are thousands of travel websites, but what makes this one different is that it doesn’t sell travel; it just tells you about the best deals.

Sign up for free on the site, and once a week, usually on Wednesday, the TravelZoo Top 20 pops into your email inbox giving you a rundown of the very best, hand-picked, travel-related offers from well-known suppliers. 

The offerings run the range from flights, cruises, car rental, hotels, vacations and all-inclusive resorts.  All things travel basically. I love how the email is simply a “get to the point” list of the deals; it doesn’t get bogged down with adverts or other confusing information.

TravelZoo.com (Click for larger image).

I can’t recommend this resource highly enough. It’s great to know that when you do want to get away for a few days or longer, you’ll find something suitable from these emails. Check it out.

TripIt

Now, if you travel fairly regularly, I’ve got just the thing for you:  It’s a website called TripIt.com, and it promises to keep track of all your travel plans.  And, really, it couldn’t be simpler to use.  Just forward the confirmation emails from your flight booking, car rental, hotel and so on to plans@tripit.com. 

It’ll organize all the information into a handy, one-page guide, and it’ll email you back with details on how to log into your newly created account. Oh, by the way, it’s completely free. 

I’ve been using it for a while now, and it really is great because not only is all the booking information in one place, it’s also stored online. If I forget to take any of the paperwork, I can access it online from anywhere in the world.  Now that’s handy.

SeatGuru

If you’ve been stuck in a middle seat in the next-to-last row in the back of an aircraft, you’ll immediately see the value that SeatGuru.com, owned by TripAdvisor, provides. It’s another must-use travel website.

Actually, it’s a little-known fact that there are vast differences in the quality of seats on any given aircraft.  And on a long flight, that can make a big difference in your comfort.

SeatGuru is a database of more than 300 seat layouts from more than 45 different airlines. Importantly, the database is enhanced by user reviews and comments, so you get to benefit from the experience of real-world travelers, not just the opinion of someone in an office looking at a seat map.

When you select the airline and aircraft for your itinerary, you’ll be presented with a very clear and helpful seat layout map.  A simple color code is used — green for the best seats, red for the worst and a green/yellow combination for the middle ground.  You’ll also see where the galleys and lavatories are located.  Enjoy your new found comfort.

Andrew Lock is a self-described maverick marketer and the creator and host of Help! My Business Sucks, a free, weekly Web TV show full of practical small business marketing tips, advice and resources to help small businesses “get more done and have more fun.”

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