Business Travel

[pageclot[$]]

In The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler, the main character writes travel books for people who don't want to travel. He has a system for everything, including packing for his trip. Everything he needs goes into one carry-on bag (you can avoid the luggage ramps that way, you see). He takes only one suit, a charcoal gray one, suitable for business meetings or the occasional formal occasion that might arise while you're overseas (a chance wedding invitation, say, or the funeral of a business associate). He brings a book, to engross himself in, and drive away other passengers from conversing with him.

Etc etc.

Do you have any business travelling systems? Lately, all of my trips have been by car, and packing is not limited to carry-on bags, so I carry everything I need in a huge battered Samsonite Hard shell case (with the retracting handle and the piggyback system), and I also take the makeup case, which always stands ready for emergency travel with travel sized bottles of shampoo, soap, lotion, shaving cream, deodorant, etc etc. I usually attract comments at the hotel where my business buddies are staying, dragging three pieces of luggage up to the check in counter (makeup case, behemoth suitcase, and laptop case) for a one-night stay.

My wife used to leave every Monday morning and come back every Thursday night, and over the course of her business travelling career, left later and later for the airport, cutting back the time of arrival before departure from 45 minutes to about 4 minutes. Her packing was done the night before, and she always checked her luggage, except for a backpack which held her small Acer laptop and a few other things.

What do you take for airline travel? Or lengthy assignments out-of-town?

P

[theworm[$]]

Check luggage whenever possible (especially since new security systems). Bring books (notice plural) and snacks (since they just don't feed us anymore). Always bring cell phone (unless I'm going out of the country) so I can call car service and advise them of how late I'll be. Bring sweater or sweatshirt since the planes are always freezing and the blankets can be nasty. For international flights - bring Unisom.
That's about it!

[sylvanb]

Munchies!

I pack a squashable (for stowing later) tote with snacks; experience has narrowed it down to:

Sunchips, wheat crackers, or small pitas
Zip bag of crunchy veggies
Containers of hummus and/or cream cheese
A disposable snap-top container of fruit chunks (well-drained)
A bottle of water for each of us, to refill as needed.
Plastic knives & forks, plenty of paper napkins
Optional:
Dried fruit
Fresh fruit -- plums and tangerines are fairly sturdy and neat.

Everything can be tossed at the other end, or when the food runs out, whichever comes first. This variety sustains us quite adequately on the RI-Seattle flight.

We have family in Seattle/Portland, as well as a client who gets an on-site once or twice a year, so we pack for both business and pleasure. However, both are casual, so the only addition to khakis and tees and sweaters is a set of church clothes. David checks his huge backpack and carries his big laptop bag; I check my small rolling suitcase-overnight case combo and carry on the food tote and the book tote. That's it.

Used to get a lot of knitting done on long flights, but now that knitting needles are weapons of international terrorism I am reduced to reading trashy paperbacks.

Cell phone: how did we ever live without it?

[mnehr]

A few pieces of advice from someone who travels about 50% of the year...

First, if you have presentations or training, be sure to fed-ex as much as possible to your location prior to your leaving, setting the arrival date of the package before you leave. This way you can confirm they received the info before you get there.

Second, get a cell phone that has modem capabilities and a pocketPC handheld or a cell phone that includes a quality internet browser like the Nokia 9290. These are far more convenient than carrying a laptop and, at least in my case, it is vital not to let your e-mail stack up.
(Also, be sure that your cell phone's plan has the coverage for the area you are in. Most companies offer nationwide calling now on a lot of their plans.. If you are going out of the country a lot get a GSM digital phone, if you are staying in the country mostly, go CDMA..)

Third, double check w/ hotels, etc. on your reservations. Many corporate travel departments send out itineraries early before final arrangements have been made.
One problem I almost always have is that initially the departure dates are different at the hotel, rental car, and airlines.. be sure to check this or you really can be screwed...

Fourth, make sure your company has paid your corporate expense card up to date.. nothing sucks worse than getting there only to find out that corporate has not yet cut your last Amex payment and they stopped the card until payment has been made.. (luckily this was cleared up w/ a 5 min phone call..)

Fifth, go for the perks.. If you are using a hotel chain that your company uses a lot, see what perks you can get for free.. many times, if you are a regular customer you can get in-room movies free..

Sixth, always give yourself an extra day in any location.. If you are going be traveling around the country or world, you might as well take in some of the sights...

Finally, make sure someone is at home to receive your Amex bill (or whatever corporate expense card you use..) If you are gone for a month, it is vital that you still are able to get your expense reports in on time.. I generally have my wife take my Amex bill to our office and an admin fills out my expense report for me...

[mnehr]

Uno Mas...

Gas stations are great places to stock up on snacks if you are using your expense c-card for rental car gas... One less line on an expense report to fill out and one less receipt to keep track of.. plus, most receipts I receive from gas stations are not itemized so you don't even have to itemize the munchies...

[mnehr]

Dos Mas...

Hotel dry cleaning services...
Why re-iron everything?

[poseidon]

Originally posted by pageclot
Do you have any business travelling systems? . What do you take for airline travel? Or lengthy assignments out-of-town?

Well, lessee...

1. My boss calls me and tells me I need to be _______ for some disaster that just hit. I need to be on the road in two hours or less and on my way there. Oh, by the way, I'm driving.

2. Usually, I have just paid for something expensive or made plans with someone from out-of-town or a very special day comes up (oh, such as my birthday, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.).

3. Before my boss hangs up, I've usually done my bitchfest, explaining how it's incredible that my unannounced travel always comes during some sort of holiday and how others never seem to be inconvenienced in the same manner. Boss usually mentions something about how I'm not married so it is so easy to leave town for three weeks because I'm single (can't wait to hear the new reason why in two months).

4. I do my laundry while I spend time cancelling my appointments for the rest of the week, pay my bills, get cash for the trip, drive to the post-office to stop my mail, suspend my newspaper delivery, discuss with the managment company any outstanding issues that need to be discussed before our next monthly homeowner's meeting (I'm the president), dismantle my computer, pack my clothes, apologize to friends and family who have taken vacation time from their jobs, etc. that I'm unavoidably leaving town, etc., etc., etc.

5. I pack up my car. I try to pack everything in a carry-on bag and a garment bag (that way I can just toss my shirts that are on hangars in the garment bag rather than wasting valuable time folding them in a suitcase.

6. I drive to Michelle's office on my way out of town and we have our very brief good-bye.

7. I go to my destination for three weeks.

8. Two days before the three weeks is up, my boss calls me to tell me that I need to stay a few more weeks. This usually results in a debate over company policy (not keeping an employee out of town for more than three weeks unless they agree) versus the guilt-trip. My usual response involves telling him to go inconvenience someone else, I miss my family and friends, and then goes into a diatribe about how I work two days a week without any compensation (we're paid M-F, yet we are expected to work sunrise-to-sunset Sa and Su when we're on Catastrophe Duty).

9. On the last day of my three weeks (including travel-time, thank God), I'm usually able to skirt out of town at the first available second and drive home in record time.

[theworm[$]]

Your knitting needles reminded me of a funny story.
A few years ago I went on business to Bangkok. From Florida the travel time was something like 30 hours - not fun. TheEye had recently had the Poopster, so I brought along a rather complicated baby announcement cross-stitch to do on the plane. I'm not a major cross-stitch fan, but it really made the time fly!
In May I went back to Bangkok on my new job. I decided to get another (much less complicated) cross-stitch to do on the plane. I was concerned because I wasn't sure if they'd let me take the round-tip needle and scissors on the plane. I found rounded plastic kiddie scissors and brought them along. Showed them at security and was allowed to keep them from Fl-New York, from New York - Tokyo and from Tokyo to Bangkok. Cool. On the way back from Bangkok - Tokyo, security confiscated my plastic scissor. Oh well - no problem. Once on board and comfortably seated in business class, I opened the little travel kit they provide and took out the metal mini-scissor that they supply in the sewing kit!

[murasaki]

I like the knitting needles/scissors stories.

I don't have much of a system for traveling (moving is another matter entirely). But I do take books. On our recent trip to Phoenix and Denver, my husband and I packed an entire suitcase, albeit a small one, with books. When we had a physical search of our luggage in Hartford, the agent asked if we were moving (I had a small wedding photo album in the same suitcase to show friends who hadn't been able to come). I think she was a little mystified when I said no, just traveling.

Tip: do not make last minute changes to your tickets if you can help it. If you do make changes, be prepared for all the additional security checks, luggage and of your person (the ticket agent when you check in will stamp your ticket and you'll be flagged through the entire airport and the rest of your flights that day).


--naomi

[Joubert[$]]

I've been trying to get down to a single duffel bag for 3 nights that includes shirts, slacks, a couple of casual things and laptop and cables.

Post 9/11, I do get searched more often, which can be a drag, but I've found a couple of tricks:

*Electric toothbrushes show up funky on the monitors and will cause a search.
* I keep all my computer cables and gadgets in a side pocket. That lets the screener simply go through that pocket.
* Bundle laundry in a clear bag. Your screener will appreciate it and simply squeeze the bag. They don't especially want to be touching your dirty clothes either.

I also try to wear a blazer over whatever I'm wearing when I fly so I can go casual or at least have a jacket and tie if needed. You don't have to wear the blazer all day. Simply slip it on while boarding and put it in the closet or overhead when you reach your seat. This is key to the duffel bag strategy.

If you're not going to be working out or otherwise need gym clothes, wear your dress shoes and don't take any others. Many's the time I've boarded wearing a pair of wing tips, jeans, golf shirt and blazer. A little off in the matching department, but saves tons of room.

Always, always, always keep your laptop on top. You're going to have to put it through the X-ray machine by itself so you don't want to be digging for it at the time. But having it in your main bag allows you to ditch the briefcase. If you're taking work with you, simply put the files or paperwork flat on the bottom of the bag where they stay neat and out of the way until you arrive.