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Business Travel Survival Plan

The Business Travel Survival Plan: How to Get the Most Out of Travelling for Work

The first handful of times I traveled with work were a pleasure; I was pleasantly bemused I was being paid to travel to some stunning cities and do so in business class. This joy was unfortunately short-lived, diluted with every trip I was asked to make. Slight inconveniences became major pains and I started to dread being asked to represent the company on my travels. Luckily, traveling also gives me time to get caught up on how to advertise on Facebook, especially with the help of Facebook ads hacks.

In order to manage my anxieties, I developed a business travel survival plan.

Anxiety: The (Not So) New Car Feel

How I Survived it:

After a long flight, I just want to get to my hotel room as quickly and comfortably as possible. Long car rental queues for tired hatchbacks are not conducive to this. The ambiguous class system employed by many car rental companies only gives you the vaguest idea of the monstrosity you may be required to drive around a strange city for the next week.

I joined the Hertz Gold Plus Rewards club which gives me the chance to bypass the gathering crowds and find my car considerably quicker than my bags. Plus free upgrades allow me to ditch the bottom-of-the-range motor for a more luxurious and enjoyable ride. If you ever have issues with your car, like needing new tires,  you can always go to the very reliable Tyre-Shopper.co.uk.

Anxiety: Tired, Always Tired

How I Survived it:

Maybe it’s me getting old and unfit, but a trip across the time zones leaves me with a jet lag that’ll knock me out for days now. On my return home, I use it to my advantage to lever an extra day off from the boss, but on the outbound flight, it can be a killer. With meetings, presentations and seminars to attend/assist/lead almost as soon as I step off the plane, I don’t have the luxury of recuperation time.

In lieu of restful sleep, I now power myself on caffeine and my Starbucks Rewards card. Ordering a large caramel chocolate frappuccino with whipped cream and two extra shots of espresso at 4am almost seems like an investment thanks to my guilt-alleviating card.

Anxiety: Economising my Travel

How I Survived it:

About twice a year, the accounts team put their heads together and think a great way for the company to save money is by downgrading my travel. While I’d support this if it meant less travel, it somehow seems to mean even more travel, and in significantly reduced class. The boffins in accounts aspire to have me travelling in the aerial equivalent of an Indian train, holding on to the wings for dear life.

For now, I’ve managed to allay these downgrades by getting the bosses to enter into Lufthansa’s PartnerPlusBenefit scheme which helps them save money on my travel and keep me comfortable. The scheme offers a number of upgrades and rewards for passengers on flights by Lufthansa and 9 partner airlines and earns my bosses rewards – meaning I continue to fly on quality airlines.

Anxiety: Questionable Star Rankings

How I Survived it:

I’m not sure if it is the Burj Al Arab’s unofficial 7-star ranking which has greatly skewed the star ranking system in hotels, but a 4-star ranking could now literally mean anything. From 80% of the way to perfection to 80% free of rats, 4 stars carry different weight in different countries and cultures.

I’m not a particularly fussy man, but I need some standard of comfort. The Hilton Honors scheme ensures that I receive this level of comfort and cleanliness wherever I am in the world. By signing up to the scheme my bosses can earn points by putting me up in Airport Hilton hotels, which they’ll undoubtedly use to pay for a trip to Hilton Maldives. But it still makes the trip a lot more comfortable for me.

Do you travel a lot for business? If you have any of your own survival tips, feel free to share!

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