Anyone who travels for work knows that going on business trips can be stressful and occasionally uncomfortable. Traveling on vacation can also be stressful and uncomfortable, so we can assume that business travel takes things up a notch. From the challenges of getting to and from the airport to dealing with company travel policies, there are numerous aspects of business travel that are simply less than enjoyable.
But, don’t just throw your hands up in despair! There are some strategies and tactics you can employ to make business travel more bearable and even enjoyable. You can crank down the stress levels on everything you need to do when traveling for business by adhering to a few basic rules.
Check out these tips to make your next business trip as hassle-free as possible.
Arrive early at the airport
Plenty of people prefer to get to the airport fairly close to their flight’s departure. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, arriving at the airport late can be a big cause of anxiety. Anyone who travels with some regularity has arrived at the airport to find it a madhouse, with long lines to check bags, get through security, grab a bite to eat, etc. Want to increase your stress levels by a factor of 10? Show up at the airport, needing to check a bag, and find a huge line with a hundred people waiting to check bags and only one person working the airline counter. If your flight leaves in an hour, you are pretty much out of luck.
Hanging out at the airport for 2 hours before your flight is rarely an enjoyable experience. Unless you have access to an airline club lounge, you’re going to sit in uncomfortable seats, and struggle to find a working outlet for your phone charger and any number of other annoyances. However, the single biggest annoyance you won’t have is worrying about whether you will make your flight. This is a trade-off that is well worth a longer wait at your gate.
Adhere to your company’s travel policies
If your company has a travel policy, make sure you read and understand the rules before making travel arrangements. I know someone who mistakenly booked a flight that didn’t adhere to the company travel policies and arrived at the airport to discover that the company had canceled their ticket without any notification. Let’s just say that was a bad travel (or non-travel) day.
While you may not run into a situation quite that drastic if you fail to follow your company travel guidelines, you may discover other issues upon your return. Did you spend more on your meals than your policy allows? Many companies provide a meal per diem for travelers. Just realize that if you exceed it, the extra charges will be your responsibility. Your company may require including a list of all attendees of a client dinner that you pay for, so don’t forget to make that list promptly after (or even a quick note during) dinner.
Understand your destination’s culture
This pertains especially to international travel. If you are headed to an unfamiliar country on business, you need to educate yourself on the norms and culture of your destination. Do not put yourself in a position where you embarrass yourself or your company by being a culturally insensitive traveler.
What sort of dress is common for people working in your destination country? How about outside of work? How about greetings? Is shaking hands customary? Understanding local customs is a must for any business traveler (and really it should be a must for any traveler, period).
It can be helpful to think of visiting a foreign country as similar to visiting a new friend’s home. You wouldn’t walk in and want to offend your host by saying or doing something insensitive. So, why wouldn’t you want to provide the same respect to a new country?
Selecting the appropriate airplane seat
Every business traveler has a preference on which seats they like on the plane. Like to sit up front? Prefer an aisle seat? Maybe you really like exit rows for the extra legroom. Chances are no one prefers a middle seat in the last row, but I guess you never know.
The point is that you should select a seat that will make you most comfortable for the flight. Especially on longer flights, your seat choice will go a long way toward determining how happy you are during and after your flight.
Fortunately, most airlines offer options to select a seat when you buy your ticket or at least when you check in for your flight. Do not skip this step unless your company travel policy doesn’t allow you to pay extra for a specific seat. Be prepared, as most airlines now charge extra for more popular seats, and sometimes for the ability to pick a seat at all. However, as someone who once forgot to select my seat and then ended up in that middle seat in the last row, just remember that surrendering your seat location to the whims of fate is unlikely to deliver a happy result.
Only taking carry-on luggage
To carry on or check your bag – this is the question. Travelers often have a preference here, so if you already like one option over the other, go with it. But, there are pros and cons to each.
If you carry on, you won’t have to go to baggage claim and pick up your bag. You also didn’t need to stand in line to check the bag in the first place. Each of these saves you time at the airport. You also won’t run the risk of having your bag get lost or left behind. It’s happened to me too many times, so if you haven’t had it happen yet – your time will come.
On the other hand, checking your bag means you don’t need to lug your bag around to the restroom, restaurant, and your gate. If your bag is heavier, this can be a nice benefit.