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Business travel used to involve juggling endless pieces of paper, lugging around a heavy laptop bag and desperately hunting for Wi-Fi like Indiana Jones in a suit.
Now, with all the tech travel essentials available to us, hitting the road for work has never been smoother — or smarter.
From booking flights in a flash to turning airport lounges into mobile offices, technology is the ultimate travel companion for professionals on the move. Let’s take a look at how tech for travelling is transforming business trips from a hassle into a high-tech adventure.
How is tech affecting the travel industry?
Over the past few decades, technology has revolutionised the travel industry by streamlining operations, enhancing customer experiences and opening up new opportunities for personalisation.
From AI-powered chatbots that handle bookings and inquiries 24/7 to mobile apps that offer real-time updates and digital boarding passes, tech is making travel faster, easier and more convenient. Behind the scenes, data analytics and automation are helping travel companies better understand customer preferences and optimise everything from pricing to route planning.
In short, technology isn’t just supporting the travel industry — it is driving its evolution.
What are the benefits of technology for business travel?
Business travel has come a long way from the days of paper tickets, printed maps and endless phone calls to coordinate meetings. Today, the impact of technology on travel is playing a central role in simplifying and enhancing the travel experience for professionals on the go.
From booking to boarding, and even after the trip ends, digital tools are making business travel more efficient, informed and even environmentally conscious. Business travel tools like FREENOW's Super Business Mobility App make it easy to harness the full power of available technology, both before and during your trips.
Online booking and planning
Gone are the days of relying on travel agents or spending hours comparing flight options manually. With online platforms and mobile apps, business travellers can book flights, hotels, ground transport and even meeting spaces in minutes.
Integrated calendars and itinerary tools sync plans across devices, while smart suggestions based on travel history or preferences make planning faster and more personalised.
FREENOW’s Super Mobility App allows you to book your ground transportation in advance and on the go. This includes taxis, private hire vehicles, e-scooters, e-bikes and shared cars — all within a single app. This flexibility allows you to choose the most suitable option for your needs, whether it's a quick taxi ride to a meeting or an eco-friendly e-bike for navigating city streets.
Streamlined processes
Technology has eliminated many traditional travel headaches:
Mobile boarding passes, biometric screening and digital ID verification speed up airport procedures.
Cloud-based tools and virtual meeting platforms ensure that productivity doesn’t pause when travel starts.
Even expense reporting has been simplified with systems that track travel payments and generate reports automatically — no more chasing down crumpled paper receipts.
Sustainable travel
With sustainability on the radar for many companies, tech tools are helping travellers and organisations make greener choices.
Booking platforms like FREENOW offer a range of eco-friendly ground transportation, such as electric vehicles and e-scooters. As well as carbon footprint calculators and sustainability dashboards that allow you to track and reduce your company’s environmental impact, promoting responsible travel practices across the board.
Analytics for travel
Data is the new travel companion. Travel management platforms use analytics to provide insights into spending, policy compliance and employee travel patterns. This helps companies optimise budgets, negotiate better deals with vendors and improve travel policies. For the traveller, it means smarter recommendations, fewer surprises and better overall experiences.
The future of tech and travel
As technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed, the future of tech and travel in the UK and beyond is set to be smarter, faster and more connected than ever before. Innovations in artificial intelligence, automation and sustainability are reshaping how we plan, experience and manage travel.
For business travellers, this means more personalisation, greater efficiency and tools that adapt to changing needs in real time. Here’s a glimpse of what’s on the horizon for technology and travel:
AI-powered personal travel assistants: Virtual assistants that anticipate needs, rebook trips proactively during disruptions and offer real-time, voice-guided support throughout your journey.
Biometric travel experiences: Seamless airport and hotel check-ins using facial recognition or fingerprint scanning, reducing wait times and paperwork.
Smart luggage: Suitcases with GPS tracking, built-in charging ports and even self-weighing features to eliminate baggage hassles.
Hyper-personalised itineraries: Machine learning algorithms that tailor trip recommendations, accommodation and schedules to each traveller’s preferences and company policies.
Integrated mobility platforms: Unified apps that combine flights, hotels, ground transport and carbon tracking into a single booking and management tool.
Virtual and augmented reality tools: VR for pre-trip destination previews or AR navigation tools for easier wayfinding in unfamiliar cities and airports.
Carbon offset and sustainability integrations: Automated tracking and offsetting of travel emissions, aligned with corporate sustainability goals.
From booking to boarding and beyond, technology is transforming business travel into a smarter, smoother experience. The future’s mobile, connected and just a tap away — so pack your bags and your charger, and let tech take the wheel!If you’re an Executive Assistant looking to streamline your travel planning, then don’t miss our Ultimate Travel Management Checklist designed especially for you.
