Fed Up with Business Travel?

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Revised and Updated for 2010!
Dozens of new insights and examples to make your business travel more effective than ever!Are your business trips long chains of stressful misadventures? Have you ever wondered if there's a better way to get from here to there relaxed and refreshed? First class travel is one alternative, but you can do almost as well (without the high costs) if you know the tricks of the masters of modern travel…

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Skip to the Details: How To Orderetting from here to there can be wearing, stressful and an out-and-out waste of time — if you keep doing what you've been doing. If you're like most of us, you know some of the little tricks that can make a difference in the common travel situations that most of us discover. But there's a lot more to know, and if you follow the trails already blazed by others, you can avoid the traps that trapped them.

People who ordered this item also ordered 101 Tips for Effective Meetings and 303 Tips for Virtual and Global Teams.Read 303 Tips for Business Travel to learn the secrets the travel pros already know. This tips booklet is packed with tricks and techniques that let you fly through security, or get the best available rental car, or the safest hotel room, and much more. For instance, you'll learn how to configure your email so that if your address ever changes, all you have to do is tell one organization, instead of dozens of frequent-flyer, hotel, and car rental loyalty programs.

And it's all packaged in a single, compact e-booklet. Load it onto your Acrobat-enabled PDA or laptop and carry it with you on your next trip.

Here are some samples:

Be clever about seat selection

Before you reserve your seat, or before you change your seat, visit SeatGuru.com for seat information. If you want a quiet seat, if you need some extra legroom, or if you want to be sure that your seat reclines, this site is a great reference. You'll need to know the type of equipment you're flying. Incomplete coverage of US domestic airlines, and only a few international.

At the airport security checkpoint, load the conveyor belt wisely

Most of us put several items on the conveyor belt at the x-ray at security checkpoints: one bin with outerwear, a bin with a laptop, a carry-on, shoes, etc. The screener will have the most difficulty with your computer bag, followed by your carry-on, because of their complex contents. If you put those two items on the conveyor belt first, then when the screener backs up the belt to study the image, your laptop, shoes, and other belongings will still be at the entrance to the belt, in plain view, where you can watch them closely. Nothing of yours will be on the far side of the machine out of your view. After all your belongings enter the machine, you can walk through the metal detector and pick up and repack everything. Your laptop will be out of your view for only a few seconds. If you load the belt in some other order, your laptop might get through quickly, and you risk losing it to a thief. This technique also deters collaborative laptop theft by security screeners.

Ask for a change of gloves

If you or your carry-on bags are searched at airport security, ask the agent to please change to fresh latex gloves. You have no idea (and you don't want to know) where those gloves have already been.

Carry photos of your luggage

Carrying a hardcopy photo of each item of checked baggage in your carry-on could be very helpful if your checked baggage is lost. You can snap the photo once and use it for many trips — until the bag is lost for good, that is.

Table of contents

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Introduction

Travel Smart

• Put luggage tags inside your bags too
• Reduce your load by planning to do laundry
• Use transparent plastic bags
• Dress dark
• Limit your color palette
• Limit clothing variety
• Leave space in your luggage
• Know what time it is
• Remember the roadway
• Check that the moving walkway is actually moving
• Become a power user of your smartphone or PDA
• Send maps to your not-so-smart smartphone
• Store travel-related phone numbers in your electronic devices
• Know what kind of electrical adaptor(s) you need
• Understand the body language of your destination culture
• Carry vaccination documents
• Carry an inflatable neck pillow
• If you don't plan to answer your mobile phone, turn it off
• Use your phone's vibrate function sparingly
• Adjust your phone's backlight to conserve power
• Carry a headset or hands-free for your phone
• Know whether your destination requires hands-free phones
• Know whether your destination bans texting while driving
• Consider carrying your toll transponder
• Carry spot remover on longer trips
• Know where to get business travel tips

Travel Smart by Air

• Know the worst flying days and times
• Avoid holiday travel
• Follow airport tweets
• Be clever about seat selection
• Carry a hardcopy of your airline's "contract of carriage"
• Know your carrier's policy vis-à-vis "customers of size"
• Pack small
• Hedge your bets on flights
• Avoid weather risks
• If you expect delays, don't check in on line
• Don't book the last flight
• Know what to do when your departing flight is delayed
• Be conservative if your flight has been cancelled
• Understand the game theory of departing flight delay announcements
• Make a hotel reservation just in case
• Update your seat selection 24 hours before departure
• Choose your seat with the sun in mind
• Know how to assess schedule performance
• Know how to track flight progress
• Sign up for travel alerts
• Carry emergency rations
• Stay current by following the blogs

Fly Through Airport Checkpoints

• The fastest way through security checkpoints: avoid them
• Adjust your security assumptions as needed
• You're now required to present a photo ID
• Set a Google alert for "TSA security changes"
• Subscribe to TSA's notification service
• Use TSA's blog archive
• Check historical airport security wait times in advance
• Know what to do if your ID is lost, stolen or otherwise unavailable
• Not all checkpoints are created equal
• The black diamond lane is not necessarily the fastest
• If you do carry medical liquids, keep paperwork handy
• Know how to change planes without going through security again
• Carry two government-issued photo IDs
• Keep your photo IDs up to date
• Carry a duplicate photo ID
• Carry a photocopy of your passport
• Carry spare passport photos
• Align your airline ticket name and your ID name
• Understand the TSA prohibition on liquids, gels and aerosols
• You can purchase empty liquids containers
• Carry at least one extra one-quart zip top plastic bag
• Gel insoles are not permitted in aircraft cabins
• Peanut butter is a liquid
• Know about other weird liquid restrictions
• Avoid false positives by explosive sniffers
• Assume that your carry-ons will be searched in public view
• Pack in layers
• Coil your cables and cords neatly
• Pack small clothing items in zip-top plastic bags
• Don't stack books in your checked luggage
• Don't pack spare lithium batteries in your checked luggage
• There is no such thing as a TSA-approved laptop bag
• Avoid wearing large metal jewelry
• Avoid clothing with metallic components
• Avoid metal belt buckles
• Wear slip-on shoes at the airport
• Wear shankless shoes at the airport
• Assume that at some point you'll have to gate-check your carry-on roller bag
• Empty your pockets into your carry-on
• Use the TSA paperless boarding pass if you can, but don't rely on it
• Keep your boarding pass in your hand
• Take care not to brush the portal sides as you pass through the magnetometer
• Know what can happen in case of attack

Work on the Road

• Work en route
• Make a conscious choice about conversation
• Decide which time zone you're in
• Don't rely on your hotel room clock
• Charge your equipment before you depart
• Carry your chargers in your carry-on
• Carry a spare battery for your mobile phone in your carry-on
• Find wi-fi hotspots before you leave home
• Know how to control your land-line voicemail system remotely
• Clear your land-line voicemail box before you leave home
• Carry an Ethernet cable with your computer
• Carry a three-outlet power tap
• Carry a six-foot to eight-foot extension cord
• Carry some simple tools
• Have a pay-to-play dialup service
• Have an Internet-based fax account
• Carry a line voltage tester
• Know about power availability at the airport
• Carry a prepaid phone card or account
• Know how to make a second call on a calling card
• Never put your phone, PDA, planner or diary in checked luggage
• If you're still using a hardcopy planner, get with it: go electronic
• Carry a hardcopy of your address book
• Carry basic office supplies
• Make generic entries in your phone or PDA address book

Get the Fringe Benefits

• Earn elite status fast
• Use your miles
• Subscribe to at least one newsletter
• Join hotel loyalty programs
• Join car rental loyalty programs
• Ask for what you want
• Get permanent email forwarding
• Get roadside assistance included
• Get the best rental car
• Don't stay in the airline's hotel
• Get toiletry compensation for luggage delays
• Catch the server's eye
• Sit in over-wing exit rows
• Focus your bookings

Enjoy the Journey

• Load a travel guide onto your phone
• Carry recorded books or courses
• Get known at your home airport
• Know how to find restaurants you'll like
• Enjoy layovers
• Search for the ten best of anything
• Know how to get the best from your hotel room coffeemaker
• Learn about hotel amenities in advance
• Reserve spa treatments before you arrive
• Make dinner reservations before you arrive
• Get out and enjoy where you are
• Know the local holidays, festivals and celebrations
• Watch your hometown team play when they're on the road
• Build or refresh your network
• Look up old friends
• Take a book or two
• Carry classics electronically
• Have a portable hobby
• If you carry a laptop, consider DVDs
• Tack on extra days
• Take it easy
• Use checklists for packing what you need
• Don't unpack when you get there
• Repack when you get home
• Use checklists for pre-trip and post-trip action items

Stay Healthy

• Handshakes and public surfaces are risky
• Keep well hydrated
• Eat what you normally eat
• Ask TSA personnel to change gloves
• Don't drink tap water on airplanes
• Put a note in your checked baggage
• Watch your back
• Put on an extra pair of socks before entering airport security checkpoints
• Dress for the cold
• Plan your dental work
• Know how to deal with jet lag
• Exercise as usual
• Exercise in your room if you have to
• Use the hotel stairwell
• Work out in the morning
• Ask your hotel concierge about local athletic facilities partnerships
• Use the Web to find local athletic facilities
• Ask your health club about exchange agreements
• Learn about that gear before you buy it
• Carry hand sanitizer in a spray pen package
• Don't handle the hotel room TV remote
• Phones, pens, light switches and door handles aren't safe either
• Use the luggage rack in your hotel room
• Keep your clothes off the hotel room floor
• Take control of your diet
• Don't eat airline food
• Don't eat airport food either
• On long flights, get up and walk around
• Use the overhead air vent onboard aircraft (or not)
• Understand your medical plan
• Carry a few sticks of gum
• Have a 36-hour rule for fevers
• Know how to find good public restrooms

Be Safe and Secure

• Carry an emergency contact card
• Enter "ICE" in your mobile phone address book
• Get "ICE" stickers for your phone
• Know the most popular urban legends
• Favor larger, younger aircraft
• Let someone know your itinerary
• Backup your laptop before you depart
• Backup or synch your phone or PDA before you depart
• Carry only the credit cards you use
• Photocopy the credit cards you do carry
• Record critical information about the cards you carry
• Prepare for pickpockets
• Carry a dummy wallet
• Before staying at an unfamiliar hotel, check it out with Google Street view
• If you're nodding off at the airport departure gate, secure your belongings
• Don't trust a stranger with your bags
• On board the aircraft, keep a close eye on valuables
• If you don't like money belts, try a leg safe
• Keep an emergency kit in your car
• Know how to make your rental car not look rented
• Use Google street view to see your destination
• Use Google street view for tricky intersections on the way to your destination
• At the airport security checkpoint, load the conveyor belt wisely
• At the checkpoint, prevent theft by talking to the passenger in line in front of you
• Reverse your luggage tags
• Minimize the information on your luggage tags
• Secure your electronic devices
• Tape your business card to the bottom of your laptop
• Tape your mobile phone number to the back of your photo ID
• Be sure your mobile phone number is on your luggage tags
• Sign up for an item ID tag service
• Park important electronic documents on line
• Use a commercial file storage service
• Carry identification numbers of important documents
• TSA-approved luggage locks won't stop thieves
• Have a "This Is Not Your Bag" sign inside your bag
• Use cable ties as a lock alternative
• When arriving at the hotel, stay with your luggage
• When checking in at a hotel, don't let the clerk say your room number aloud
• When checking in at a hotel, pay attention to your credit card
• Always verify your credit card
• Know how to protect yourself from tip fraud
• Lock your luggage when you're out of your hotel room
• Wrap a brightly colored band around each piece of luggage
• Carry photos of your luggage
• Keep your carry-ons in sight
• Carry a small flashlight at all times
• Request a hotel room on a low floor
• Be prepared to evacuate your hotel room
• Set your flashlight on the hotel nightstand when you retire
• Request the minimum number of hotel room keys
• Know what to do if you lose your hotel room card key
• Don't use the "Please make up room" sign
• Keep the "Do not disturb" sign on your hotel room door even when you're out
• Check the patio door and the pass-through door routinely
• Secure the door when you're in the room
• Keep small valuables with you — not in your hotel room
• If you must leave your laptop at the hotel, secure it
• When choosing a lock combination, rely on randomness
• Never open your hotel door to an unexpected knock
• Validate before opening your hotel door to the expected knock
• Give the appearance of two
• Be discrete about reading maps
• Use the Web to stay current
• Carry medication on board

Be Comfortable

• Know what to do if the hotel sells out
• Wear comfortable shoes
• Wear sneakers en route
• Consider carrying a footrest for air travel
• Carry a spare key for your own car
• Avoid overnight flights
• Wear earplugs on airplanes
• Supply business contact information, not personal contact information
• Take charge of your hotel room assignment
• Make special requests in advance
• Ship home what you don't need
• Pack wrinkle-free
• Pack roller bags with heavy items near the wheels

Save a Little Money

• Use the guest laundry
• Know the options for laundry detergent
• Consider alternative airports
• Use public transit
• After reserving a room on line, call the property directly
• Print and carry your car rental booking confirmation
• Book a rental car at least one grade smaller than you need
• Don't be fooled by special offers at the rental car counter
• Avoid airport car rentals if you can
• Examine fuel charges carefully
• Inspect your rental vehicle before you drive away
• Retain all rental car documents for one year
• Consider parking near the hotel instead of at the hotel
• Decline the mini-bar key
• Beware the motion-sensor mini-bar
• Track airfare changes with YAPTA
• Beware airfare price comparisons
• Avoid using your hotel room phone
• Use free phone number information services
• Avoid airport hotels
• Pack snacks
• Pack a lunch
• Be ridiculously disciplined about tracking your expenses
• Avoid foreign exchange credit card fees
• Consider booking a compassion fare

Think of Home

• Call home often
• Use the Internet to stay in touch
• Remember special days
• Carry a small framed photo of loved ones
• Talk to people
• Leave surprise messages
• If you have a refrigerator in your hotel room
• If you live alone, have fresh produce delivered when you return
• Bring your own music
• Avoid broadcast news if you can
• Get your hometown news on line
• Visit relatives

Details

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