Travel experts easily concur on the following two business travel tips. First, do not attempt to force unwieldy carry-ons into those cramped overhead compartments. Second, experts agree that drinking two bottles of wine before 7:00 AM does not serve well when traveling for business, or anytime actually. Other than these two extremely wise suggestions, please peruse the practical tips, apps, and websites below. These resources will help make your business travel much more hassle-free.
Increased security and reduced airline services have really taken the thrill out of business travel. However reduce the agony and plan appropriately. Here are 10 life-changing tips to minimize the pain and anguish of business travel.
Let Us Begin – So, Before You Depart:
- Pack your bags for the current overhead-bin reality. Once the airlines initiated charging for checked baggage, travelers have gotten savvy and resorted to extreme measures to guarantee that bags get routed to the correct plane. Experts offer an improved strategy. Use two more equal-sized bags when travelling. One bag should be the maximum size designed to fit under the seat. You will be best served if the second bag is flexible in order to fit into any odd space available between roller bags in the overhead bin. Here’s an added bonus to this strategy. Travelers can save the extra fees airlines charge to board early in order to jam huge bags on first. Check out Kayak and Smarter Travel online. These two online travel websites provide a list of the cost of luxury and premium services offered by airlines.
- For men, select appropriate clothes. Pack only one color of pants and one matching jacket. This way you can optimize the accessories you need to take. The beauty is the same shirts and socks will match. Also you can reuse some of the items if you come up short. This strategy of packing greatly reduces the amount of clothes you need to pack. If you want to exercise, take some of the new lightweight sneakers that take up zero room in your luggage. Here is a major tip I personally utilize when traveling. Weather permitting I wear the heaviest clothes and shoes to minimize the weight and bulkiness of the luggage.
- Store items in a designated location. Organize luggage and especially computer bag/carry-on so that items have a designated place. Using this strategy makes locating cables and connectors easy. A quick inventory check will suffice to make sure you don’t accidently leave any items behind.
- Pack appropriate electrical plug adapters. Travelers are able to easily avoid the panic of having the wrong plug convertor just as the computer battery dies. Consult a website like Country Plug online. Country Plug shows travelers what power adapters and plugs are used in what countries.
- Arrange for voice and Internet access before you depart on any business trip. Depending on where you travel, Internet access can be great or virtually non-existent. Be aware that spending $30 a day for an Internet connection in a $300-a-night hotel is not unusual. Travel experts suggest that business travelers purchase an international data plan for all mobile devices because paying for a data plan is far less expensive than paying daily local rates while traveling abroad. Use mobile devices as a hotspot for data. Common wisdom says check with your carrier or with an international telecom service before you leave.
- Recharge devices using USB ports. Almost all devices have some sort of USB connection cable through which they can be recharged. Travelers can easily get by with just one USB cable when charging devices using a PC’s USB ports. This little tip comes in particularly handy in many international hotels. You see, some hotels in Europe consider electrical outlets as a luxury.
At The Airport
- Choose the right security line. Locating the correct security line is more of an art than a science. The best line is not always the shortest one. Two factors to consider are the efficiency of the personnel managing the line and the mix of travelers in the line. Several things to keep an eye on are families with small children, travelers with unconventional luggage which will likely be inspected, and people that appear to have not been in an airport security line in the last 10 years. If you travel frequently selecting correctly can save you literally hours.
- Create an on-boarding routine. A specific on-boarding routine is particularly important for long-distance flights. Here’s an example, organize all reading material in a separate bag within your carry-on before you get on the plane. Once a traveler reaches the seat, take the bag out of the carry-on and put the carry-on away. Many travelers once arriving at the seat waste a large amount of time searching through bags to find all the items wanted for the flight. Many times these rummaging travelers impede fellow passengers that are attempting to board.
On The Trip
- Develop and maintain a consistent routine for sleep and meals. Eat prior to getting on the plane to maximize the amount of time you can sleep. Eating prior to take-off is particularly important for red-eye flights. Transcontinental and transatlantic flights are often not long enough for a full night’s sleep. Maximize sleep time by preparing for bed. Preparing includes brushing teeth and changing into comfortable clothes prior to the flight. Go to sleep as soon as you hit the seat. Scoring a window seat avoids being disturbed by fellow passengers during the flight.
- Eat and sleep right. Eating properly and getting a minimum amount of sleep makes travel much more bearable. Avoid alcohol and heavy foods on trips as best as you can. However, especially avoid alcohol and heavy foods while on the airplane.
