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Tips for Easier Business Travel

Traveling for business isn't always easy. Sleeping on planes, packing constantly for trips and staying glued to your mobile device can derail yourroutine and make you grumpy.

Keeping a positive attitude is the first step to a stress-free travel experience. And acknowledge helpful staff. Travelers have a better chance at getting upgrades, itinerary changes and extraordinary service when they ask politely and maintain happy demeanors.

“When there are problems with the flight, most people start out annoyed or even hostile. If I tell the agents what a great job they’re doing and how I admire their patience, they'll often go to extraordinary lengths for me,” says motivational speaker Barry Maher. “I once had a gate agent spend 45 minutes to get me rebooked on another airline. Then she called the gate, grabbed one of my carry-ons and ran with me to security. When I got to the gate, the agent bumped me into first class.”

Kindness isn't the only way to minimize inconveniences and maximize your productivity while traveling. Here are a few practical ways to make traveling for business easier:

BY KAYLEIGH KULP

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Limit Luggage to a Carry-on

Travel is stressful when you’re worried about lost luggage or being late to a meeting, says Barbara DesChamps, author of It's In The Bag: The Complete Guide to Lightweight Travel. Bring only a carry-on, check in for your flight online and go straight to security at the airport. If you don’t check baggage, you won't have to wait for it when you land.

Check ouT to view your airplane’s seating plan in advance, including information about limited recline or legroom seats and in-seat power ports. Find out where galleys, lavatories and exit rows are, and request a seat change that makes working or relaxing easier.

Instead of calling around to restaurants at your destination, make reservations at http://bit.ly/2lFw7Zf of which 20,000 restaurants worldwide are members. 

Bring a GPS with pre-loaded maps of your destination to make driving your rental car in a new place easier, says Maria K. Todd, CEO of Mercury Healthcare.

Join a Rewards Program and Stick With It

If staff notices you frequently patronize their airline, rental-car company or hotel, they are more likely to help you, says Maria Perez, marketing manager of airfare search engine Fly.com.

Members of rewards and loyalty programs often receive early boarding on flights, priority hotel room, first-class upgrades and “all-around better treatment,” Perez says.

Some rental-car companies deliver rental cars to rewards program members personally, while less frequent customers must shuttle to the company’s facility to retrieve their rental,

Dress Well

People get much better service when they dress well and appear wealthier, says DesChamps. Wearing an outfit that doubles as presentation attire while traveling is also wise in case your baggage is lost or you are late, says Melissa C. Gillespie, partner at Innova Communications. That way, you're not stuck in jeans for a big meeting.

Keep a Bag Packed

Save time packing by keeping a carry-on suitcase packed with the minimal amount of clothing, shoes and accessories you need, including 3-ounce toiletries in a Ziploc bag. Trade bulky laptops for thinner laptops and tablets such as a MacBook Air or an iPad. Replace hardcovers with eBooks. If you must bring a coat or bulky shoes, wear them on the plane to avoid taking up space in your luggage.

Keep Customer-Service Numbers Stored in Your Phone

Keeping customer-service numbers handy offers quicker access to the right people if a flight is cancelled or you need to change a hotel or car reservation, rather than waiting in line once you’re there.

 

Tips for a Stress-Free Business Trip

Here are some simple tricks to ensure for smooth business travels.

Business trips aren’t always easy, especially if you are travelling a lot. Your employer generally expects a lot from you within a short amount of time. Also, change of weather, less sleep and eating outside can disrupt your routine and as a result, decrease your health. Below you can find some tips for a stress-free business trip.

1. Keep healthy snacks in your carry-on 

If possible, eat well before you board the plane. The food on the flight may not be healthy and can upset your stomach. If you don’t have the time to eat before your flight, eat the snacks you have in your carry-on bag. When you arrive at your destination, assuming that you don’t know the city, it may not be easy for you to find a restaurant for your taste. Keep some pills/vitamins with you as well.

2. Join a rewards program 

Join an airline/travel/hotel rewards program and stick with it. Use your points to upgrade yourself to a better room or first class compartment. Also, loyal members of reward programs usually have privileges like priority on-boarding or free same day flight change. Another key point is to check-in to your flight online so you can skip the long lines at the airport.

 

3. Don’t check your luggage 

If you are going for a day or two, use a carry-on bag. This will both save you time when you land and eliminate the risk of losing your luggage when you transfer flights. If you need to check your luggage, at least pack spare clothes. In this case, you have a backup plan to fall back on. Moreover, don’t forget to check the weather before you pack your suitcase.

4. Charge everything

Charge all of your electronics before your flight. Keep travel chargers with you in case you run out of battery. You never know if you will need your laptop during flight to work or immediately after flight for a meeting. Also, you may need to use map/GPS applications from your cell phone when you arrive at your destination. Therefore, you should always be prepared in advance.

5. Relax and enjoy your time

If possible, do not sit with your coworkers during flight so you can avoid talking about work. Sit back and listen to some music, eat your sandwich or take a nap. Use this time to charge yourself and get ready for when you land. Don’t forget you are in a new city so do some sightseeing -- if you have any spare time.