Author Archives: Anna Albi

Online and mobile app startups seem to be all the rage these days. Check out my list of 5 [relatively] new startups that help make travel easier, cheaper, and fun-ner.

Our world is increasingly more and more connected; people are jumping between countries more and more often. So whether you’re traveling across countries’ borders for business or leisure, it’s important to be prepared wherever you go. With the prevalence of smartphones and tablets, being prepared and being in-the-know is easier now than ever.

Everyone loves to travel but not everyone is a travel expert. Even those who have traveled internationally before don’t qualify as the next Rick Steves. It takes years of experience before a person is fully adept with all the different travel procedures and until then we’re all susceptible to making rookie mistakes. But here’s how to avoid the avoidable.

It’s official: Pittsburgh has undergone a major make-over throughout the last few decades. In 2012, National Geographic even listed the Steel City as one of the top locations to visit in the world. On top of that, Pittsburgh has been named the “Most Livable City” in the United States by The Economist multiple times over the last 4 years. So with all that recognition, you obviously need to visit. But what to do while you’re there? A Guide to the Steel City

We all love going on vacation but hate the price tag. Luckily, there is more than one way to save money along the way, no matter where you’re vacationing.

Air travel can be expensive. But over the last few years, it seems like the price of flying is getting more and more ridiculous—and, I mean, “ridiculous.” In an attempt to make up for the loss of sales due to the recession, airlines are adding new fees for services that used to be complimentary. The worst part of these added fees: often the airlines don’t make them known until they hit you with the bill. Here’s my countdown of the sneakiest added airline fees:

We all love traveling to those big name cities outside the United States (London, Paris, Beijing, Moscow), but there are plenty of top vacation locations right here in the ole US of A. But some of these top American cities and destinations may just surprise you.

With the birth of the royal baby, I’m sure you’re just clambering to make a trip to London to pay your regards to Will and Kate. Unfortunately, it may be too early to visit the young royals; however, London is just brimming with fun activities and attractions for you to enjoy during your time across the pond!

We’ve all been stranded in the airport with a 4 hour layover at some time or another. And no matter how hard we try, there’s just no way to keep the stomach from growling for that long. But it’s hard to eat healthy when airports seem to be jammed wall to wall with fast food restaurants and Cinnabon.

Our very own business travel expert, Breanna Wilson, recently shared her article “6 Simple Steps to Master Productivity on the Road” with FastCompany.com. Breanna is always on the go for her work as the Director of Marketing and she’s picked up more than her fair share of tricks along the way when it comes to business travel. In her article, Breanna outlines the 6 basic steps you can take to ensure you’re as productive up in the sky as you are down on the ground.

The summer’s a great time to hit the road, whether it’s for business or leisure. With airline prices ever on the incline, taking a road trip is a great way to save some cash on travel expenses. But, as we all know, the price of a road trip can add up, as well. So here are some tricks for keeping your costs down on the road.

Even though it doesn’t always feel like it, we actually have quite a bit of control over our circadian rhythms. Sometimes, it really is as easy as mind over matter.

Have you noticed that checking luggage is getting more and more expensive? I have. And when you’re traveling on a budget, carrying on instead of checking your bag is a quick way to save a buck. The problem: how to fit everything you need into a carry-on sized bag.

Presentations—love ‘em or hate ‘em, they are an inevitable part of working in an office. Public speaking is one of those skills that high schools continually forget to teach, even though it’s an everyday reality for many business people today. For some people, presentations come naturally, but for the rest of us mere mortals, we have to work and practice acquiring the skills needed to deliver a home run presentation. After years of giving informal presentations (and a couple speech classes later), I’ve finally stumbled upon a couple tricks that help me when the big day arrives.

We all pretty much have the routine down for domestic travel. But what about for those international trips?  While we all may think of the essentials for traveling (e.g. clothes, tooth brush, chargers, etc.) when packing for an international trip, there are a couple extra items on the list you might miss in your rush to make your flight. Remember: it’s always better to be over prepared than get caught between a rock and a hard place.