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Archive for the ‘Business Traveling’ Category

How do you . . . avoid time delays and stress to get to your business meetings ready to work?

Summary: Cancelled flights … lost luggage … presentation programs that won’t run … the list of potential business trip challenges is virtually endless. In fact, when it comes to business travel, it seems that problems and delays are the norm, not the exception. The key is to be prepared for anything that comes your way. Only then will arriving at your destination be as simple as your morning drive into the office.

Unfortunately, most business travelers are unprepared for even the smallest of travel glitches. And although they may have made numerous business trips in the past, each with its own problem or two, people still don’t plan for setbacks when the next trip rolls around. As a result, they get frustrated when traveling and view business trips as a hassle they wish they could avoid.

If you have to travel for business, take the approach that everything will go wrong. That way you’re prepared to handle whatever comes your way and no challenge will derail your business plans. Following are the key steps to take before, during, and after a trip to make business travel as stress-free as possible.

1. Your pre-flight preparations

* Create your travel binder. This is a small binder (5″ x 11″) that will hold all your travel document essentials. In your binder include your airline ticket (or electronic ticketconfirmation), photo identification, passport (if needed), expense log, receipt envelope or pocket, cash, passes or membership cards, and your frequent flyer or frequent stay identification numbers. To minimize the number of frequent guest cards you need to carry, laminate a single card that has all of your frequent flyer and frequent stay identification numbers and information. Keep your travel binder with you at all times, in an outside pocket of your carry-on bag.

* When you choose your flight, never reserve the last flight scheduled before you need to be at your destination, even if that means arriving at your destination a day early. Why? Because you need to plan that something will go wrong with your flight and you’ll need to catch the next flight out. If the meeting or event you’re attending is critical, then make sure you have two flight times you can fall back on. Remember, flights get cancelled, grounded, and delayed every day. You need a backup so you can still make it to your destination on time.

* If you’ll be making a presentation using PowerPoint or some other software program, prepare a backup of your presentation. For example, you could carry a flash drive around your neck, pack a CD in your carry on luggage, burn a copy on the hard drive of your laptop, pack a hard copy in your checked luggage, or upload an electronic copy online so you can download it should you need it. At the minimum, have at least two presentation backup options. If it’s a vital presentation, have three or four backup options.

* Pack light enough that you can personally carry all your luggage without assistance. You may not need to carry it all by yourself, but you want to be able to should the need arise.

2. Travel-day essentials

* When you travel, always wear the clothing you plan to wear for your presentation or meeting. If needed, you can get the clothes laundered that evening at the hotel. But because luggage delays are common, you don’t want to have to meet that big client wearing jeans and a t-shirt. As an added bonus, the more professional you dress when traveling, the higher your chances of being bumped up to first class.

* Label everything, even your carry-on luggage. Count on checked luggage not returning with you if you don’t have your label and contact information on it. And always assume that you’ll get separated from your carry-on bag for some reason. Make it as easy as possible for all your belongings to find their way back to you. For security purposes, label everything with your business information rather than your home information.

* Check with your airline for any travel or security measures. Each airline has different guidelines in terms of number of checked and carry-on bags allowed, weight and/or size limitations for baggage, and restrictions on what items you can bring aboard the plane. Also check the TSA Web site for any updated security checkpoint guidelines.

* Plant a cash reserve in several different locations: on your body, in your travel binder, in your carry on, etc. Things often get lost or stolen, and you don’t want to be stranded without any money. Also remember to bring small bills for tips as well as larger bills for greater expenses.

* Allow ample time for you to go from your home to your scheduled flight. Calculate how long your drive to the airport will be, including traffic delays. Double the amount of time you think it will take. Calculate how long it will take you to shuttle from the parking area to the airport entrance. Double the amount of time you think it will take. Calculate how long it will take you to get through security and to your gate. Double the amount of time you think it will take. Plan on things going wrong and schedule time for delays. If you end up being early and have lots of time to kill before your flight, bring some work with you that you can complete at the airport or on your flight.

3. Post-trip planning

* Begin preparing for your next business trip as soon as you return from the current one. Restock all your travel size toiletry containers so you’re ready for your next flight. If you wait until the next trip to prepare, chances are that in your rush to get everything done, you’ll forget some essential items.

* Clean out your travel binder and have it ready for the next trip. Sort through your receipts, and complete and submit your expense log. Restock your travel binder with any updated papers or cards, and replenish your cash reserve.

* Do any promised follow-up or delegation the day you arrive back at the office. If you wait a few days until you’re “back in the groove” of everyday work, you’ll get sidetracked and will forget to complete the tasks you said you’d do.

Fly through the challenges of air travel

Realize that you can use these same suggestions for personal travel, thus making your vacations truly relaxing without the customary horror stories of airline travel. All it takes is a little planning and forethought on your part. In the end, airline travel, whether for business or pleasure, doesn’t have to be the headache so many people make it out to be. By simply following a few guidelines before, during, and after your trip, you can make any travel experience stress-free and enjoyable.

Do you give tips when you travel? Do you tip generously, or are you as stingy as a scrooge when it comes to passing a few bucks to other hands for service rendered?

While tipping is not really necessary or required, it has become a general practice when traveling, and does put a little grease to help you get the service you need faster than usual. It is also a way of showing that you appreciate the service rendered to you. Because tipping is just that: a way of saying “Thank you” to the valet who parked your car, to the guy who drove you from the airport to the hotel, to the bellhop who carried your bags for you to your room, to the maid who puts your room to order everyday, to the people who make your stay more pleasant. It does not add much to their salary, or pay their mortgage or health care, but it does give a lift one way or another.

But there is a limit to everything, and tipping is just one of the things that have it. You can give tips at your own discretion, but too much can either be seen as bribery or an insult. So, how would you know if you are doing it right? It depends on what you know of the etiquette on tipping. Here are some tips on tipping that would go a long way for you:

Timing. As said above, timing can be seen as a “thank you” or as a bribe. If you have asked a particular person to do something for you repeatedly during the course of the day, it is definitely a “thank you.” If you want to be treated something special during your stay, it is all right to give a larger amount to the particular person upfront.
Handy bundles. It does not look pretty digging for bills in your wallet when you have luggage to deal with. Also, it is a waste of time. So have your bills in small denominations bundled neatly and separately so you can easily pull them out for tipping.
Change. Do not ask for change. If you do not have small bills ready, then skip it and give it the next time you have it. You will only end up embarrassing yourself.
Policies. Is there a no-tipping policy in the hotel you are staying in? Do ask when you book your reservation. Also, for smaller bed-and-breakfast joints, the rule of thumb is that if the housekeeping staff is not part of the family, then it is okay to give them tips.
Not an obligation. As mentioned above, tipping is not a requirement. You do not have to feel obligated about tipping.
Custom varies. The custom for tipping varies from country to country. Some of these tips might work in a specific place, while some may not. It is best that you do your homework first before you leave.

SOURCE:
Author’s blog: http://biz-trips.info/

The globalization of trade and the World Trade Organization taking a leading role is defining new rules and policies in international trade and commerce. As a result, global and local business travel and their frequency acquired greater importance and urgency than ever before. Business travel for individuals and corporate executives is essential to maintain and promote business.

If you intend to travel on a business mission, you should plan the itinerary of your travel carefully. New air travel companies are surfacing to join the race to attract customers. There is a great competition to provide better traveling facilities at competitive rates. Air service companies are coming up with ingenious schemes to lure customers. These schemes usually take the form of special airfare packages for certain destinations within given spaces of time. Since business trips are usually short, you can make use of packages that include return fares, Read the rest of this entry »

This article is intended to help the business traveler with both common and innovative ideas for airfare savings. The first and perhaps the most obvious, is to become an elite or platinum member of the airline you frequent most. Perks include being among the first to be rebooked after airport mishaps and delays, being the first to be offered upgrades, and being offered the best conveniences the airline has to offer during such events, from free wine to free snacks. If your travel is typically through one airline anyway, then loyalty programs are definitely worthwhile, with your points accumulated by frequent travel offsetting the minimal costs of such memberships. To save on airfare, consider booking flights out of your city’s surrounding airports, and/or into the surrounding airports of your destination city. Commonly, the surrounding airports are smaller and offer fewer flights each day, but they also often offer less expensive rates in addition to standing less chance of overbooking and other potential delays.

Also, consider booking with the smaller, less known or less popular airlines, such as Southwest, which offer greater savings and fewer fees in order to remain competitive. Due to some airlines’ new policies, frequent flyer miles may incur a fee for you if you wait too long to cash them in. Therefore, make use of the miles you’ve earned for smaller savings the very next time you travel rather than letting them accumulate over months and years in hopes of cashing in for a bigger pay-off. Otherwise, you may be expecting a free or inexpensive ticket down the line, yet wind up paying as much as $50 just to utilize your miles instead. Another option is to book your flights using a credit card that rewards miles per dollar you utilize, to be applied to any airline rather than limiting you to just one, and that also have no expiration date, allowing you to decide how long you want to wait before making use of the miles you’ve earned.

There are also many benefits to be had when flying to multiple cities. When traveling to more than one destination before returning home, consider booking your flights as a circle trip for the benefit of super-saver fares, rather than as series of round trip or one-way flights which are likely to increase your final total. On the other hand, booking the two or more legs of your trip separately can give you more control over decreasing the time between your connecting flights so that you’re not wasting too much valuable time dawdling in airports. However, Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of year again; time to predict marketplace trends. Whether trying to explain the past year’s business ups and downs or preparing for next year’s marketplace, those in the know have begun forecasting, prognosticating and generally gazing into their crystal balls. After having read many of these predictions, including the results of various, pertinent surveys, here’s my take on what we can expect in 2010 and beyond with regard to trends in business travel.

Corporations will gradually begin to concentrate on managing trade and reducing travel. While everyone seems to agree that face-to-face meetings will continue to remain fundamentally indispensable in the way of doing business, most notably with regard to client relationships, corporations will put the emphasis on managing trade and reducing travel. Even so, businesses will carefully study how they may obtain the greatest return on investment from travel, doing away with any needless or excessive business trips.

The competition for employee talent may well lead to a noticeable reduction in limiting travel protocols, balanced by stronger compliance standards. Travel guidelines may also turn out to be less restrictive as businesses increase their attempts to draw and maintain suitable professional individuals. Further attention will be focused on employees’ work-life balance as well as managing productivity and less on accomplishing savings at the expense of traveler comfort and well-being.

Companies will ramp up attempts to control travel-related hazards. Preserving the safety of business travelers will continue to be of the utmost importance to travel managers, especially with regard to high-risk travel destinations. Corporate travel professionals will be looking for the ability to recognize services which will facilitate the improvement of traveler safety.

Consumers will depend upon merchants to become a motivating force in discovering “green” solutions. Fundamentally, businesses will seek to balance environmental issues with economic obligations, putting into practice a holistic, sustainable methodology with regard to travel.

Technology will continue to enhance the business traveler’s experience. Significant concepts will feature self-service, plug and play, one-stop shop and cellular phones. Simply put, from the decision to travel to post trip reporting of expenses, corporations will persist in seeking out technology that is more user-friendly and of worth to employees during their travel process. At the booking stage, additional travelers will make use of on-line tools as companies strive to better accommodate individuals within their travel design.

Believe it or not, this is not the complete outline of significant changes that may impact business travel as a whole. In Part 2 of 2010 Business Travel Trends we will continue to explore the very real possibilities that may play out for the business traveler in the not so distant future.

As with all area of specialization, there are business travelers who always have knowledge of what they’re doing and people who constantly seem to be in a state of crisis. The laptop computer is a vital machine while you travel. In an airport terminal crisis scenario, your wireless laptop can be used to change reservations so you can prevent those long lines to board on the following flight out. A person may book a rental car or catch one of the several remaining rooms in hotels around from the comfort of a seat at the airport. After that the experienced business traveler may casually walk to his or her designation as others around them worry simply because they knew how you can influence technology and also the internet to bail themselves out of an emergency situation.

But one aspect of using your laptop in order to recover yourself in the event the airport is in shut down is Read the rest of this entry »

Travel can be a huge expense for any small business that does business in different places. If you are a consultant or if you are a self employed professional then traveling will be a huge part of your business. Although it can be mean a lot more business it can be very bad for your cash flow and making sure that you save wherever you can in really important – especially in this day and age. Another important thing to remember is to charge your clients for your travel expenses as its part of your service.

Finding simple ways to Read the rest of this entry »

There several types of position available to those with travel consulting experience; one category that many people consider is business travel jobs. In some ways, these are very similar to commercial travel agent jobs. For instance, typical positions require worldwide booking experience, with familiarity in systems like Sabre and Galileo, as well as domestic experience, which especially includes familiarity with rail networks. However, there are several key differences, and those considering a career in the field should be aware of these before applying for a position.

Client Demographic

While commercial travel agents make bookings for every kind of customer imaginable, those in business travel jobs typically are dealing with certain demographics: adults, often travelling alone or in small groups. Few business bookings involve entire families; a business travel consultant will almost never book for a very young person or a very elderly person travelling alone. The ability to make arrangements for disabled individuals is, however, very important.

Hours

Not all business travel jobs require round-the-clock availability, but some do. While a commercial travel agent’s job is often finished once the customer is underway, with on-holiday issues resolved by another department, consultants are more likely to be tasked with handling the entire trip from booking to successful return into the office. If difficulties are encountered en-route, such as cancellations or delays, or plans are changed at the last-minute, the consultant must often be on hand to resolve these issues as speedily as possible. This requires not only a willingness to receive phone calls and potentially work in the middle of the night or on weekends, but the ability to make the most effective booking on the spot.

Learning the Accounts

Travel agencies often have repeat clients, for whom remembering previous preferences is a valuable relationship-building tactic; in business travel jobs, this skill is taken up a level. Those in business travel jobs are expected to not have to refer to their notes every time they make a travel arrangement. They should know that one individual is vegetarian and prefers a private taxi from airports to the hotel, or that another prefers train travel where possible, and so on. This knowledge enables them to work as quickly as possible. This is an essential part of the process of establishing trust: the individuals in the company must be able to place a high level of trust in their consultants’ efficiency.

Budgeting

A client often comes to a travel agent with a budget, which varies in flexibility, so the skill of keeping booking arrangements within a certain range of expenses is one required by all travel agents. However, some business travel jobs add a new dimension: budgeting over time. There are several ways that budgeting is handled in the field, such as the agent being given a budget per trip, but many are given a monthly or annual budget for the company, department or individual. Managing this is a crucial skill, so that the budget is not exceeded without good reason.

The veteran road warrior must have been in this scenario at one point or another, but picture this anyway. You are in town for yet another meeting; it must be the nth time you have been here this year. Whenever you are in town, you stay in this particular hotel because you like it there. Because you are already a familiar face at the hotel and have booked your stay prior to arriving there, the hotel staff greet you very warmly and refer to you by your name. The bellhop escorts you to your room, and upon opening the door, you are automatically greeted by the room’s sound system with your favorite number from that old Randy Crawford album at just the right volume. Your eyes are sensitive to light, so you are surprised to find the lights of your room dimmed to the proper degree that will not hurt your eyes. The room is the exact temperature you would have it: cold, but not too cold. The mini-bar carries your favorite brand of soda and a stash of your favorite black chocolates.

You still have a few hours before you meet your colleagues for dinner, so you decide to rest and freshen up. The water in the shower is deliciously warm and the soaps, shampoos and toiletry are exactly the brands that you prefer using even at home. While you dress, you turn the TV on in the hopes that the hotel may have the channel that airs your favorite early evening comedy. Lo and behold! They have it, so you giggle at the characters’ antics while you prepare yourself for that dinner with the colleagues.

How did the hotel know all the preferences of their guest? It is simple: the room the guest stays in is “smart,” meaning it is wired with sensors that feed the hotel’s central computer inputs as to what temperature the guest set the air conditioner and the water heater, how dim the lights, the repertoire on the sound system, the channels watched, the food taken from the mini-bar, among other things. The central computer stores this data so upon the guest’s return, he or she will have a room that will be to his or her exact liking.

To quote this article from the International Herald Tribune:

“The backbones of these smart rooms are the data networks that hotels are installing to carry phone calls, video and Internet connections.

These networks, for example, make it possible for hotels to offer Internet TV services that store programs and let guests watch shows on demand. (A guest from Chicago, for example, could watch a Cubs baseball game in London as easily as in Tokyo.)

These networks also allow hotels to connect the lights, air-conditioners and other room devices to a central computer so they can be remotely monitored or controlled.”

Neat, isn’t it? The issue of the guests’ privacy was, of course, brought up, but hotels give their assurance that they only use the data they have gathered to serve their guests in a better manner.

SOURCE: Author’s blog: http://biz-trips.info/

To ensure that your business trip runs smoothly, you don’t want to have to worry about what you’ve left behind once you’ve reached your destination. Ideally, if you travel frequently, you will keep a stored list handy, full of all the common items you need for travel, so that you’re always prepared and never frazzled when the time comes to pack your bags. To get you started in the right direction, start with this list of essentials, and add your own to build a list you can count on for all your future business travel packing needs:

• Vital electronics and their accessories, such as cell phone, camera, laptop, PDA, iPod, their respective chargers, as well as an extra battery for your laptop, the car charger for your cell phone, and extra memory cards for your camera.

• Travel alarm, just in case your hotel does not provide an alarm clock. To save yourself that space in your luggage, however, you may call ahead to find out whether they perhaps offer wake-up calls by request.

• Flash drives containing any information you will need for Read the rest of this entry »