SeatGuru: For those who must travel overseas without being able to indulge in the comfort of business/first/”i’m kind of a big deal” class, you obviously want to aim to get the best seat as possible. And that means doing your homework before the flight and checking in online as soon as it’s allowed.

TripKick (new!): Launched with about 250 hotels in 10 US cities, with more to follow. Coverage of each hotel includes detailed information on which rooms to request: which rooms are oversized (rooms ending in 03 and 04, for example), which have great bathrooms or are quieter than others. TripKick, which spent a year gathering all of this information, also points out which floors are better, and which to avoid. Guests are encouraged to add their own reviews and upload photos of rooms they’ve stayed in.

Kayak: It’s like the OpenTable of flight reservations. Search for flights around your preferences on price, connections, departure time, arrival time, etc. Good for car and cruises too, or so I’ve heard.

Farecast: Similar to Kayak, Farecast allows you to forecast when your trip may cost the lowest. So if you’re flexible on that 1 week getaway to “as far away from the office as possible,” this would be a good tool to look into.

TripIt: Have quick and easy access to all of your travel arrangements via email or mobile phone. It’s so 2005 to carry paper documents.

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