The headline says it all. I have several travel tools that keep me productive and engaged on the road. They are mostly electronic, but you may be surprised at what I consider to be a “travel tool.” Frankly, my travel tools range from computers and smartphones to credit cards. Here they are in order of preference.
1) 11.1″ Apple MacBook Air – I can’t say enough good things about this great computer. I’m not quite at a place where I control my own destiny yet, so I travel with 2 computers. One big boat anchor Dell and my MB Air. I’ll let you guess which is my favorite. Super thin and light, my MB Air literally slips into a file folder pocket in my briefcase.
2) Verizon 4G LTE Mi-Fi – It never crossed my mind that a Mi-Fi device might be for me, but I can’t say enough good things about it. Small, light, and providing blazing fast internet, I love my 4G Mi-Fi device. I no longer fret when I’m staying with a hotel chain where I’m not “elite enough” to receive free wi-fi.
3) American Express Platinum Card – I’ve been blogging for a long time about how much I like my Amex Platinum Card. The lounge access with American, Delta, and US Airways are reason enough to carry this card. The multiple benefits like the $200 dollar annual airline fee credit and the Cruise Privileges program are just icing on the cake. For what it’s worth, my Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa occupies the other permanent card slot in my wallet. The Sapphire Preferred card offers the great Ultimate Rewards program, and serves as a fabulous backup to the Amex Platinum Card.
4) TripIt – I love TripIt – The ease of aggregating my itineraries into an easy to follow format simply by emailing them to TripIt is just too fab to ignore.
5) Apple iPhone and iPad – My iPhone 4S is my go-to device for staying in touch on the road. Couple that with its much improved camera, and it’s the ideal tool for the intrepid blogger or businessman. My iPad, a company provided device, has quickly become a favorite. For short business trips I don’t even bother taking my boat anchor Dell laptop out of the dock at my office. The ability to carry multiple books and magazine on the iPad….divine.
6) Cranky Concierge – While I consider myself to be above average on being informed about all things travel, I really love reserving Cranky Concierge service when I’m traveling for leisure purposes with MrsMJonTravel. I’ve reviewed the service before, and I stand by that review now. Cranky Concierge belongs in every traveler’s toolkit. For me, basic business trips are handled on my own….but vacations….. I’ll let Cranky Concierge watch my back.
So there you have it, the six basics in my MJonTravel toolkit. What’s in yours? Comment to the blog!
And does that Verizon 4G LTE Mi-Fi do anything for you to avoid those obscene internet charges when cruising? We poor folks wait for a port, then head for the nearest Starbucks, for FREE wi-fi.
A nice list and review. What is missing here is the recurrent, monthly charges for each service. Unless one literally lives on the road (and you may…)most of these things are over priced luxuries. what are the costs and who pays?
MB Air – Sunk cost that I don’t remember…around 1K
Amex Card – 450 per year
iPhone – 199 and 75 per month
iPad – company paid
MiFi 4G – 50 per month for 5GB plan
woah that is WAY too much stuff to be carrying… you must be the annoying guy in front of me at security taking 5 minutes to unload all your junk into 5 different bins 🙂
all you need is macbook air and iphone. my iphone is my personal hotspot if i need internet connection and don’t have wireless. the mba has parallels running so no need to clunk around a big windoze pc. in fact i try to take just ipad and iphone, in which case at security i only need 1 bin for my slip-on shoes and coat. if i take mba i need another one for the mba. but that is IT!
@Phil – Promise….I’m not that guy! 🙂
Ever consider buying a CLEAR unit? It’s only 50 bucks a month with unlimited data; no contract.