Have you ever headed out for a business meeting late in the day only to discover yourself in the middle of a traffic jam caused by 15,000 people driving into downtown to attend a concert by a rock group you’ve never heard of? If not, congratulations. Having an office within a few blocks of several major performance and sports venues, this happens to me several times a year. “What’s going on?” I wonder as I u-turn and seek escape. “Oh, no. This is the day of that big concert by a rock group I’ve never heard of before.”

Here’s some good news for those whose business requires them to be in a car for a portion of each day. Waze, a favorite travel app of SmallBusiness.com users, is adding a program for the planners of major events to alert users of upcoming events and to communicate with attendees in real-time about road closures or alternative route suggestions on the day of the game, concert, festival, etc.

The feature will allow events coordinators to enter in their event, pick a date and time, then select the road closures and other things that might be impacted.

Right now, the launch partners are limited primarily to sports teams, including NFL and college football games. Soon they will include concerts by rock groups I’ve never heard of.

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VIA | Waze
HT | Lifehacker

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The Department of Transportation’s website, Transportation.gov, provides a resource it calls, Fly Rights, that includes a wide array of information about air travel in the U.S. 

If a business traveler’s plans change, what are the rules about changing airline tickets?

Federal rules require U.S. and international airlines with flights in the U.S. to do one of the following:

1 | Give travelers 24 hours to cancel a ticket purchased at least seven days before departure

 2 | Hold a reservation at the quoted fare for 24 hours, after which it disappears unless you confirm and pay.

Most major U.S. and international airlines go with the first option: They allow travelers to cancel a ticket booked directly through the airline, without penalty, within 24 hours of purchase.

Beyond that, there are no rules that require an airline to change your flight. However, all airlines want your business and will work with you in several ways. If you are a participant in a frequent flier program, the airline will be especially accommodating.

Note | Booking sites like Expedia and Priceline, do not have to comply with the federal rule, but most offer a similar window for canceling some kinds of tickets.

Discount fares typically are non-refundable

While many national and international airlines will refund your ticket up to seven days before your scheduled flight, most discount fares are non-refundable. They typically opt for option #2 above and will hold a reservation, without pay, for the first 24 hours. After you purchase your ticket, they may not refund your payment, but will allow you to apply your ticket’s value to another trip in the future — but there may be a steep fee.  Many fares also have a penalty for changing flights or dates even if you don’t want a refund. You may also have to pay any difference in air fares if your fare type is not available on the new flight.

(via: Kiplinger.com)

With Flyover Country, a free app from the National Science Foundation, not only can you learn your geographic location, you can learn about geologic formations, fossil localities and an array of other data.

For example, the Flyover Country app accesses interactive geologic maps from Macrostrat.org, fossil localities from Neotomadb.org and Paleobiodb.org, core sample localities from LacCore.org, Wikipedia articles, offline base maps, and the user’s current GPS determined location, altitude, speed, and heading.

Magic feature alert

It works even if you don’t have access to Wi-Fi. The app analyzes a given flight path and caches relevant map data and points of interest, and displays the data during the flight, with or without in-flight Wi-Fi. By downloading only the data relevant to a particular flightpath, cache sizes remain reasonable, allowing for a robust experience without an internet connection.

Flyover Country not just for flying

While its creators named it “Flyover Country,” the app’s usefulness is not limited to window seats on airplane. It works well for the terrestrial traveler, as well.

Available free for Android or iOS:

Android (Google Store)
iOS (iTunes Store)

1. Sunday (average cost of a roundtrip ticket $432)
2. Saturday ($439)
3. Tuesday ($497)

In a roundup of new data related to airline ticket fares, the Wall Street Journal, says the Sunday savings findings “is a departure from the conventional wisdom of recent years, when Tuesday was considered the best bet.”

Two reasons ticket prices are now lower on the weekend

• Email and social media has given airlines the ability to get discounts in front of consumers at any time. Knowing that online weekend shoppers are less likely to be business travelers who typically fly on more expensive tickets, the airlines can use Saturday and Sunday to offer vacation travelers discounts and then raise prices during the week when business travel plans (translation: more expensive tickets) are made.
• Airline executives come into work Monday looking to raise fares, not discount them with sales to fill seats, suggests the Journal.

Tuesday is still the best day of the workweek for lowest airfares

Yapta Inc., a firm that alerts travelers and travel managers to declines in ticket prices says 21% of the price drops it has recorded happened on Tuesday and 19% on Wednesday. According to airline pricing executives, the historic pattern has been for airlines to add up sales over the weekend and decide on Monday whether to stimulate purchases with discounts they promote on Tuesday.

Buy your tickets two months in advance of your departure

According to the ARC research, the cheapest time to buy domestic trips was 57 days—about two months—before departure. Most people don’t buy that early: The average purchase date was just over one month before departure. By then prices have started their climb.

However, international ticket prices didn’t fluctuate much between 10 months and three months before departure. But don’t kick yourself if you wait until that three-month window closes: Most people book too late to get the lowest price. International tickets get sold, on average, two months before departure.

Advice: Don’t spend as much time shopping for the best deal

According to Hopper, a Cambridge, Mass., firm that analyzes prices and reservation flight searches, the average consumer spends 12 days shopping for airline tickets. During that period, they watch prices bounce up and down, or at least hope they’ll drop, even though increases are more common. On average, prices rise 5% in that 12-day shopping window, Hopper said.

Tip: One way to get over your procrastination due to a fear that the ticket you buy will suddenly fall in price after you purchase it: The Department of Transportation requires that airlines provide passengers one of the two options below (but don’t look for the airlines or booking sites to mention either prominently). Either option provides as penalty-free way to cancel and rebook a flight if there’s a sudden fall in price right after you book your trip.:

• A refund for tickets canceled within 24 hours of a purchase (Delta, United, US Airways and JetBlue provide this option.)
• A 24-hour hold, for tickets bought more than a week before departure (American Airlines provides this option.)

(via: WSJ.com)

(Illustration: SmallBusiness.com from photo by Andrew Magill via Flickr CC BY 2.0)

TripIt

TripIt keeps your entire trip organized from your smartphone—it stores and converts email confirmations (for flights, hotels, car rentals, appointments) into an itinerary that can be viewed in the app or on your Outlook and Google calendars. You can also share your travel plans on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, so it’s perfect for coordinating group trips. (iPhone | Android)

SeatAlert by ExpertFlyer

To avoid the elbowroom deficit that comes along with the middle seat, check SeatAlert for notifications when better seats are released by airlines. In the premium version, information is available on best fares and seats for booking and gate changes and wait times once you’re through security. (iPhone | Android)

Expensify

Keeping up with costs for reimbursement is always a burden. Expensify allows you to save receipts using a SmartScan feature, in addition to tracking your time, mileage, and other travel expenses. Expense reports can be emailed or exported as PDFs at the end of your trip. (iPhone | Android)

Dropbox

Our top pick for cloud-based file sharing, Dropbox allows you to easily access, store, transfer, and share files. Perfect for on the go, when an external hard drive would bog you down. (iPhone | Android)

WiFi Finder

This app scans for Wi-Fi hotspots around you and lets you search for free public Wi-Fi, something that’s essential when you’re on the road and need Wi-Fi fast. (iPhone | Android)

Uber

Instead of relying on taxis when traveling, download Uber before taking off on your next business trip. The service is available in over 100 cities and over 30 countries, so your chances of finding a ride once you touch down are good. Here’s how it works: request a ride using the app, use the app to watch as your driver arrives, get in, then pay through your smartphone (no need for cash!) once you arrive at your destination.  (iPhone | Android)

Kayak

Kayak advertises itself as “a travel search engine,” so downloading the app will give you access to the lowest prices on car rentals, hotel rooms, and airfares. The app also features a flight tracker and itinerary management, making it easy to keep the details of your trip all in one place. (iPhone | Android)

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is unique in that it compiles over 150 million user reviews for hotels, restaurants, and activities in cities around the world. Also included are booking options for hotels, flights and restaurants, so once you find the perfect destination, making a reservation is easy. Use the “Near Me Now” feature to find local attractions by using your current location on your smartphone–it’s a great way to find a quick bite or a way to spend a free hour in a new city. (iPhone | Android)

iCarPark

Whether you’re renting a car or just leaving your car at the airport, this app will help you keep track of where you left your car. For an airport garage, the app offers features like storing the garage level and spot number, and for city parking, the app tracks the time left before your meter expires. Just click the app when you’re leaving your car and your car’s location will be stored. The free version of the app, TakeMeToMyCar, is also useful, though it only saves your car’s location. For the deluxe version, you’ll have to shell out $.99. (iPhone | Android)

PocketEarth

If you’re planning on traveling to an area where cell phone service is questionable, PocketEarth serves as an apt replacement to the more commonplace Maps. With worldwide maps and guides, PocketEarth provides GPS services for whatever area or region you download, all with no data charges. The app also offers links to entertainment near your current location, like restaurants, shopping, transportation and sightseeing. (iPhone only)

mPassport

mPassport allows you to find top-notch medical care wherever your business takes you–even overseas. The app locates doctors, dentists, mental health providers, and clinics, then helps you request an appointment. The app also has translating services: it takes medical terms and translates them into your chosen language, and it will even pronounce them so that you’re sure to communicate clearly with your healthcare provider. Even if you’re just looking to refill a prescription, mPassport will match your medications to current brand names and will tell you where you can find the medicine you need. (iPhone | Android)

Waze

A community driven GPS service, Waze offers a plethora of services to its users. In addition to providing directions, Waze boasts real time traffic information, where to find cheapest gas prices, the ability to synch with friends driving to the same location, and automatic rerouting as road conditions change during your trip. It’s perfect for a trip, where you may not be familiar with the local traffic patterns. (Note: Waze won’t allow you to share information if the car is moving, unless you indicate a passenger is using it. We like you alive, so we encourage you to follow those guidelines, also.)  (iPhone | Android)

Google Translate

Google Translate is necessary for any overseas travel you have in store–with the ability to translate into over 80 languages, communication will be easy regardless of your language skills. It translates speech and handwriting directly, and you can also star your favorite and most used phrases so that you’ll have access to them even when offline. (iPhone | Android)

(Featured Images: App Store)

Quote via CNN:

Airplane travelers will soon be able to watch videos and play games with their electronic devices throughout their entire flight — and not just above a certain altitude. Passengers can use portable electronic devices such as tablets, laptop computers, e-readers and cell phones in airplane mode throughout the flight — with some circumstantial restrictions.  A ban on using cell phones for voice communication remains in effect. The FAA had long claimed that using electronic devices during takeoff posed a safety issues because radio signals emitted from the devices could interfere with an aircraft’s communications, navigation and other systems. Before an airline switches to the relaxed rules, airlines will have to prove to the FAA that their aircraft can tolerate the interference.

See Full Story: “FAA Allowing Most Electronic Device Use Throughout Flights.”(CNN.com)

(Photo illustration: @smallbusiness)