For road warriors, knowledge is power. Here’s where to find the information you need to plan better business trips.

  1. First class for less - If you’re looking to fly in style - either by buying a first-class seat for a coach price or by identifying specific flights where the odds of landing upgrades are unusually high - head to ExpertFlyer.com.
  2. Wi-Finding made easy - Need to check e-mail between meetings? These days you’re never far from a Wi-Fi hotspot, but what if you don’t feel like paying $15 for a connection you’ll only use for 10 minutes? JiWire.com lets you search its worldwide database of 132,000 hotspots by city, zip code, price, or provider, so you can quickly find locations offering free access or those powered by networks to which you already belong.
  3. Real times in real time - Come the day of your trip, no site can help you avoid the hassles of getting from point A to point B as thoroughly as FlightStats.com.
  4. Dining without whining - Finding the perfect place to meet a client for lunch in a strange city can be a chore, and truth be told, today’s plethora of user-driven Web 2.0 sites can be hard to navigate and often contain contradictory information.
    Not so the original user-generated restaurant review guide, Zagat.com. The site allows you to search eateries in 85 U.S. cities by criteria suited to your needs -spots with king-of-the-universe views, say, or quiet dining rooms good for talking turkey. Membership costs $25 a year; for a few dollars more, you can download Zagat-to-Go to your smartphone.
  5. Transit info by the busload - Whether your goal is to slow your company’s burn rate or the melting of the polar ice caps, public transit can often be the best choice for getting around town.
    HopStop.com has the complete rundown on subway, bus, and commuter rail lines in five of the nation’s most important business centers: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Washington.
  6. To your health - When it comes to staying fit, a cramped, outmoded hotel gym needn’t be your only option.
    AthleticMindedTraveler.com lists useful workout options in nearly 60 U.S. and Canadian cities, with recommendations for fitness-oriented lodging as well as the best local health clubs, swimming pools, and running trails.

Business 2.0 Magazine