From the rough highways of yesteryear to the jet-powered skyways of the present, business travel is the engine that powers commerce. If a deal is to be struck, a journey often has to be made. Here are some tips that can make your odyssey easier and more successful.
Alternatives to Air Business travel doesn't always require an airplane trip. "My boss and several of my colleagues needed to visit a client about 150 miles away," says Margaret Weisner, a medical computer analyst. "We needed to do the trip in one day. The logistics of flying were horrendous, and the trains didn't run late enough at night. We didn't want to drive ourselves, because we had to work on the way down."
They hired a limo. For about the same cost as five airline tickets, they got comfortable door-to-door service and space to spread out and work. "We arrived fresh and rested for the meeting," says Weisner, "since we didn't have to hassle with tickets, hiring cabs, or worrying about making a flight. There was actually less travel time than if we had flown."
Phoebe Henderson, a satellite communications specialist and frequent business traveler, raves about airline alternatives. "In Europe," she says, "the trains and buses can be faster and more economical than planes. And the scenery is stupendous."
X-Ray Expertise If you do fly, here's a tip for those who set off the metal detector at X-ray checkpoints. Instead of searching yourself for the offending coin, key, watch, or other metal item, collect these things into one place beforehand. A waist-pack with a quick-release buckle, for example, can easily be handed to the attendant.
More importantly, be prepared for the X-ray/laptop computer theft ploy. Here's how it works: You put your computer on the conveyor, and suddenly two people cut in front of you as you move toward the metal detector. The first one goes through OK, but the second one sets off the detector and takes his time getting out of the way. By the time you make it through, your expensive computer is long gone.
If you are traveling with a companion, this ploy can be foiled if one person holds onto the computer until the other person is successfully through the metal detector. If traveling alone, the best protection is to simply be observant. After you put items on the belt, make sure no one cuts between you and the metal detector. If someone does, don't be shy. You might call to the attendant, "Excuse me, but there's a bottleneck here, and my laptop is on the other side of the conveyor. Could you please keep an eye on it?" Even if he refuses, an alert has been sounded and potential thieves will hesitate to try anything.
Telephone Techniques For cost effective, call-from-anywhere long distance capability, you might want to pick up a pre-paid Sprint phone card. Anytime rates can be as low as ten cents a minute and it works in almost every part of the world.
Some hotels charge up to $5 for local or toll-free calls dialed from the room phone, so watch the surcharges. If the cost is 50 cents or less, use the room phone. Otherwise, use a pay phone in the lobby, but check the fine print. Some wireless phone companies offer plans that cover the entire country, with no long-distance fees and tons of airtime. They cost about $99-$150 a month and will work in any target area that has good radio coverage.
Passport Panache "U.S. passports are highly prized by pickpockets," says Henderson. "Get a passport cover and use it. Make copies of the front page of your passport and keep them in your office, home, and briefcase--just in case the document is lost or stolen. List your blood type and any allergies you have in your passport, in case of a health emergency."
Track Your Expenses Here's a great tip: Buy some 5" x 7" clasp envelopes and, using a computer, design expense forms that will fit onto the outside. Cut them up and mount one to each envelope using spray adhesive. Write the pertinent info for each expenditure on the form, and then stuff the receipt into the envelope. Punch holes in the envelopes so they can be inserted into your day planner.
"Save every receipt, no matter how unimportant it may seem," says Grover Proctor, a world traveler who sets up education centers for Northwood University. "In China, if you don't have receipts from when you exchanged your money on the way in, you can't re-convert your excess cash on the way out."
William Cornett is a freelance writer and photographer whose credits include National Geographic World Magazine, The Washington Post, American Heritage, and many other prominent publications and organizations. Based in Washington, DC, Cornett is also a contributor to YourWriters.com.
