In the first instance, business travel can sound pretty exciting – the idea of jet setting around the globe, negotiating business deals, staying in luxury hotels sounds great. The reality of business trips however is not always so glamorous. Many trips can feel like a real slog – with lots of waiting around at airports, jet lag and of course, been away from friends and family.
To keep business trips to a minimum amount of time, many meetings and countries are crammed into a relatively short trip of a couple of days, meaning multiple meetings in one day and plenty of time travelling – all of which can really exhaust you.
To help with business travel, we have put together a little guide to help business travel not only run smoothly – but be a little bit more enjoyable too.
Stick to Paper Boarding Passes
Rule number one of business travel – if something can go wrong, it often will. Having used both paper boarding passes, and boarding passes downloaded on my phone, I choose paper boarding passes every single time. There’s no awkwardness when passing the airline staff your £1,000 smartphone for them to scan, and paper boarding passes do not require unlocking in the middle of a queue.
Get on the Aircraft First
If travelling first class or business class, or even with premium boarding (well worth it) this isn’t usually such a massive issue. The reason for this is simple, business trips usually mean hand luggage – and with limited room in the aircraft stowage – you do not want to suffer the delays of having your hand luggage chosen to be stored in the underneath of the aircraft. Either upgrade, of join the queue.
Rack up the Air Miles
If your bank, or credit card provider is part of an ‘air miles’ scheme where frequent flyers rack up rewards – make sure you collect them for your business travel. In a couple of years, you can very quickly have enough points for holidays and upgrades into business or first class.
Always take an opportunity to re-charge
We aren’t talking about hitting the hotel spa, we are talking about making sure all of your technology is charged up and ready for use. Whether it’s your laptop which you need to create that report – or your kindle you need to pass some time in the airport – there’s nothing more frustrating than a black screen. Hotels, Airport Lounges & your home should all be used to make sure your tech is at 100% before travelling.
Stay Insured
Company Travel Insurance policies are usually very comprehensive, so make sure to stay well insured to avoid any nasty surprises. Note, many company travel insurance policies also cover domestic holidays for you and your family – offering savings over having to take out a separate insurance policy.
Choose the Right Luggage
Business Travel places a number of unique demands on Business Luggage, on the one hand it needs to big enough to carry everything, whilst also fitting in hand luggage. It also needs to be smart enough to take into customers meetings, which occasionally will have to happen. For example, Burton Blake provide a fantastic range of luggage suitable for business trips of all types and durations, you can view their full range of luggage and travel accessories here.
The ideal business luggage will also feature handles and wheels to help you transport it across long distances. It also needs to be strong enough to protect your belongings, whilst been light enough to remain comfortable.
