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Business Travel Tips: Top 5 Business
Traveler Nightmares – And How To Prevent Them
by Kathleen Ameche, http://www.awaytravelgear.com/
Business travel is on the rebound. As the
economy continues to grow, companies are
unleashing their employees to travel to seek
opportunities and work with clients and
customers all over the world. Increased numbers
of business travelers bring problems as well. Travel delays and other obstacles simply
increase with volume, and the more you travel,
the more you suffer from them.
But preparation can at least equip every
business traveler with the tools to master the
business travel environment and reduce or
eliminate the obstacles to a successful business
trip.
Here Are My Top 5 Business Travel
Nightmares -- And How To Prevent Or Deal With
Them:
1. You’re in danger of missing your
flight: you’re stuck in the security line
because you didn’t know about some recent rule
changes. Today, 3-1-1 is the mantra of
the business traveler. If you want to carry on
– remember containers of liquid holding no more
than 3 ounces, all in 1 (and only 1) quart size
zip lock bag. But these rules change all the
time. Keep up to date on the government
carry-on restrictions. It takes a few minutes at
home on your computer before you head to the
airport. The best resource to use is
www.tsa.gov. Another alternative
would be your airline’s Website – if you check
in on-line, then it’s just an additional click
of the mouse.
2. Your flight’s been cancelled, you’re
in danger of missing that critical client
meeting and you’re 30th in line at the customer
service desk. As a standard practice,
your travel agent’s, preferred airline’s or
website’s customer service number should be in
your cell phone speed dial. At the first hint
of a delay, contact one of them directly and ask
for the flight status. They have access to
information that you don’t and can start working
on alternatives for you. If your flight is
cancelled, there are only going to be so many
seats available on alternative flights, and your
objective is to get one of those coveted seats
before anyone else does. One early phone call
can get you there.
3. You are receiving the cold shoulder
because you used the 6 words that every ticket
or gate agent despises. “Do you know
who I am” are the six most lethal words any
passenger can use. A gate or ticket agent,
unlike your colleagues or your clients or
customers, doesn’t care who or how important you
are. What’s important to them is your name and
flight information, which they have in front of
them. So leave your “status” at home. Kindness, deference, respect and a little
empathy go much farther as a business traveler
than self-importance when dealing with airline
personnel. They are the gatekeepers with a lot
of discretion, and treating them properly can
make them much more interested in helping you
when one of the inevitable flight problems
arises.
4. You just realized you can’t rent a
car (or possibly even get home) because you’ve
dropped your only form of identification in the
airport that’s 2000 miles away. Remember
that you can’t rent a car without a driver’s
license and can’t board a plane without your
ID. Thus, you must keep your ticket and your ID
in a secure place with easy access at all times
on the road. Get something to put around your
neck or, if that’s not stylish enough, try a
separate case, such as the A-Way Ticket Tote. A
little expenditure for something that will keep
your ID in the same place all the time will be a
big help in preventing a disaster or at least
keep you from worrying about it.
5. You and your colleagues have been
discussing a confidential strategy the entire
flight only to find that your competition has
been listening from the row behind you.
Business colleagues typically discuss their
business when they travel together, and if they
are going on a trip for a specific purpose,
their discussion will probably center on that
purpose. But on an airplane you have no idea
who is listening nearby. Just be sure that you
are guarded enough that you would not be
embarrassed or your business harmed if your
words were published in the newspaper. Be
discrete; you really never do know who is
listening to you.
Known nationally as “the Woman Road Warrior”,
Kathleen Ameche, author and CEO of
A-Way Travel Gear and The Ameche
Group LLC has developed business travel
strategies guaranteed to keep both the
occasional and frequent business executive
traveler safe, secure and sane! For a slew of
travel products developed from the input of
travelers Kathleen met on the road and at
speaking engagements go to:
http://www.awaytravelgear.com/emporium.
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