- Business travel doesn’t have to be stressful.
- Maximize space when traveling for business and travel light.
- Join TSA PreCheck and Global Entry program.
Travel has become difficult and even stressful. Sometimes it’s a lot of work just getting where you need to be for a business meeting, and your real job hasn’t even started yet. Traveling may never be easy, but there are several things you can do to make business travel easier and more enjoyable:
- Use plastic bags to pack toiletries and electronic accessories. When packing, it’s important not only to try and maximize the space available, but to keep things organized to quickly find what you need when you arrive at your destination. TSA has forced us to put our toiletries in a transparent plastic bag. This idea also works for other small items that you want to keep together and organized, such as electronic accessories like earbuds, chargers, thumb drives and battery packs.
- Travel light. Most people tend to overpack, which makes for more bags to lug around as well as more clothing items to keep organized at your destination. Be realistic about what you’ll really need. Use layers and versatile outerwear and shoes, as opposed to bulky jackets and several pairs of shoes.
- Utilize a backpack instead of a wheeled suitcase for short trips. A backpack allows you to make your way through the airport hands free and is typically lighter than a wheeled or spinner bag. It’s also easier to fit into limited overhead space or under the seat in front of you on the plane. The right backpack will have sections that fit a laptop, clothing and smaller items such as toiletry bags.
- Join TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. This program helps to reduce wait times by allowing enrollees to go through expedited security. Global Entry allows program participants to avoid customs and immigration lines when returning from abroad by scanning their passport at a kiosk. This can be a helpful timesaver, especially if you have tight connections when returning to the United States.
- Utilize airline, rental car, hotel, and third-party apps for your smartphone. Airline apps allow you to put your boarding pass right on your phone, as well as keep you apprised of departure times and delays. They are also useful for changing seats or checking on standby or upgrade status. Hotel apps can help avoid check-in lines with features such as e-check in and digital key systems that open your room’s door with your cellphone.
- Join the air club lounge for the airline you utilize the most. While club membership is expensive, if you spend a good deal of time at airports, it’s well worth the cost. The ability to go somewhere that is quieter than the terminal to plug in, charge up and get work done is very valuable and can help make your travel time more productive. Most air club lounges offer a decent variety of food and, of course, coffee. The money you can save on coffee alone when compared to buying it in the terminal might make a membership worth it all on its own.
- Use a ride share service such as Uber or Lyft instead of renting a car. If the proximity of destinations on your trip are fairly close to each other and the airport, it sometimes makes better sense to use a ride share instead of a rental car. You won’t have the hassle of trying to find a place to parking, and you’ll also avoid the expense of parking at a hotel in a large city. When parking and gas are added to the cost of the rental, a ride share may be the most economical way to go.
- Steam out wrinkled clothing in the shower. No matter how good you are at packing, you’ll sometimes end up with wrinkly clothing. A way to get rid of mild to moderate wrinkles is to hang your clothes in the bathroom and turn on the shower. For deep wrinkles, you can use the hotel’s hangers with clips on them and hang the shirt or pants from the bottom and add extra weight to free wrinkles from the clothing item.
- Exercise while on the road. To keep your energy level up, bring a set of workout clothes and go to the hotel gym or do some high-intensity circuit training in your room. It’s easy to gain weight and get out of shape by being on the road most of the time. If you exercise, you’ll ultimately feel better and perform your job better.
- Treat everyone you come across with courtesy and respect. As we have all seen, the stresses of travel can bring out the worst in people at airports, on planes and in traffic. TSA officers, gate agents and flight attendants unfairly bear the brunt of traveler’s frustrations. It never hurts to be patient and friendly. A warm hello and a smile can go a long way to getting better treatment. Airline employees and security personnel can make your life a lot easier or ruin your day, so why not give them a reason to help you out by being kind and respectful? It’s the right thing to do, and you represent your employer well.
These are just a few of the tips the Keller Technology Corporation (KTC) team has used during its many travels to provide custom manufacturing solutions for our customers. Contact us today for yours.