17 Business Travel Tips You Should Know
After many months of travelling for work every week, I have a few very useful business travel tips that make it easy to travel for work.
These tips can help you improve your business travel experience, whether you are a consultant who travels for work every week or a business traveler.
My favorite travel tips and techniques:
Here are the top business travel tips.
Under time? Below is a quick list of business travel tips!
- Hand luggage is the best way to travel.
- Make an investment in quality luggage. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive, but it should be durable and high-quality.
- Always have spare batteries and chargers with you.
- Anti-wrinkle spray packet. This is a game changer for keeping your work clothes looking great without having to use the ironing board.
- Only join one loyalty program. This will allow you to accumulate more points, airline and hotel status quicker.
- Find out if you are eligible to join any status challenges. These challenges will allow you to get airline and hotel status faster than usual.
- Download hotel/airline apps. Save time and stay organized with apps.
- Make the most of ridesharing apps. Earn rewards from Uber/Lyft, and combine them with other loyalty programs.
- Always have an extra set of travel necessities with you
- Global Entry/TSA Precheck. The Best $100 You’ll Ever Spend.
- You can get access to the airport lounge if you plan to spend a lot time at airports.
- Don’t forget to bring casual clothes. Take clothes you can wear to work, casually, or out exploring the city.
- Use earplugs to get a good night’s sleep in the hotel
- List your preferences in travel profiles. For example, whether you like an aisle seat or window seat, or a high floor or low floor in a hotel.
- Reduce expenses. Take photos of your receipts with an app like Expensify and set aside a time to submit expense reports.
- Get ready the night before. Create a routine for your morning.
1. Only use hand luggage when traveling.
You probably travel only Monday through Thursday if you are in consulting, which is why you don’t need much more than a carry-on.
You can save a lot of time by packing a carry-on, as you don’t need to wait for your bag to be released (or worry about it being lost).
2. Good luggage is worth the investment.
While you don’t have to spend a lot on luggage, it is worth investing in quality luggage for business travelers.
A large Longchamp bag and a carry-on suitcase are my go-to luggage when I travel. If you are looking for a carry on suitcase that can be used as a backpack, make sure it has spinner wheels such as These.. Some business travelers prefer to use a bag with a laptop compartment such as These..
These are just a few of the best-rated suitcases for business travellers.
3. Keep spare batteries and chargers with you.
It is a must-have travel item that I carry with me when I travel for work.
I always have a spare battery for my phone or laptop in my luggage.
4. Anti-wrinkle spray pack.
wrinkle spray It is a lifesaver to business travelers!
This ironing board is perfect for smoothing out wrinkles in a dress shirt on a morning when you don’t want the hassle of ironing and setting up an iron board in your hotel room.
5. Stay with one loyalty program.
It is best to join a loyalty program to earn hotel points and airline miles.
You can enjoy many benefits once you have achieved status with an airline/hotel, such as priority boarding/check in, complimentary upgrades, bonus points and miles, and other benefits.
This applies to all travel loyalty programs, including car rental companies and train lines.
6. Find out if you are eligible to join any status challenges.
Many companies face “status issues” when it comes to hotels and airlines. This is particularly common in the consulting sector.
You can earn expedited status by joining a status challenge. This is when you complete a set number of stays/trips within a given time period (usually between three and six months).
In just a few short months, I was able achieve Gold Medallion status at Delta, Platinum status at Marriott and Gold status with Hilton.
7. Get airline/hotel apps.
You will save a lot of time by downloading hotel and airline apps to your phone.
Many airline apps let you check in, change your seat selection and receive a mobile boarding card. This is convenient because you don’t need to print it at home or at airport.
Hotel apps are also great for saving time. Some even have mobile check-in and mobile keys so that you can get to your room immediately after you arrive at the hotel.
8. Ride-sharing apps can be a great way to save money.
If you don’t have a car to rent, you will most likely use Ubers/Lyfts for your work travels. You can sign up for both rideshare apps and get rewards.
You can also link other loyalty accounts. For example Delta SkyMiles can be earned for every dollar spent at Lyft.
9. You should always have an additional set of travel necessities.
You can save time packing and ensure you don’t forget anything.
You can find items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, toothpaste, earplugs and deodorant in this bag.
10. Get Global Entry/TSA Check.
Global Entry, which includes TSA Precheck, has been a lifesaver. This has saved me so much time and effort at the airport. Although my company paid the $100 fee, it is worth spending extra if yours does not. You may also be able to get the fee covered by some travel credit card.
TSA Precheck allows you to skip the security line and get through an expedited screening. This means you won’t need to take your shoes off or remove any electronic devices from your bag. You may be required to go through expedited customs if you travel internationally.
Global Entry costs just $100, and lasts for five years. This is a great option for business travelers.
11. Access to the airport lounge
This is something that I don’t have, but I wish I had!
It may be worthwhile to pay for access to the airport lounges if you are traveling often for work.
This is more than just travel credit card coverage. Airport lounge access can be obtained if you have reached a certain status with the airline.
12. Always pack casual clothing.
On one of my first business trips, I made a mistake by only packing work clothes.
I was going to use the hotel’s gym on one night but didn’t have any tennis shoes or sportswear. If you plan on going out exploring, having casual dinners or hitting the gym after work, make sure to bring a few casual clothes.
13. Make sure to pack earplugs.
Earplugs are a must-have for me.
It is not uncommon for hotel rooms to be very noisy at night. It can be difficult to sleep well at night due to the noises of other guests, air conditioning/heating, and other disturbances. A good pair of Earplugs can make a big difference.
14. Your travel preferences should be recorded.
You can update your profile by downloading airline/hotel apps (see tip #7 above). You can choose whether you would prefer an aisle or window seat on a plane or a higher or lower floor in a hotel.
If your company has a travel booking platform, you should update your travel preferences there.
15. Reduce expenses.
You are responsible for reporting and tracking your expenses if you travel on business. If you have personal expenses that are being charged to your credit card and require reimbursement from your company, this can be very important.
You may be required to save receipts by some companies. You may need to save receipts if that is the case. To keep track of your receipts, you can download apps like Receiptmate or Expensify and take a quick picture.
Set a recurring reminder to your phone for when your expense reports are due so that you don’t forget.
16. Get ready for the night ahead.
Do not add stress to travel by packing your bags the night before.
Do what you can before you go to bed on Monday night so you don’t feel stressed about trying to do something.
17. Have fun.
It is important to have fun when you travel for work.
Business travel is often taken for granted. I view it as a mini-vacation, and an opportunity to discover a new place (for free!)
While your primary focus should be work, there are many fun activities you can do after work or in the mornings. Instead of ordering room service from your hotel, try dining out at great restaurants or taking a walking tour.
These things are simple to implement and will make your business trips easier.
We hope you find these business travel tips helpful!
