With many business travellers expecting to take their first trip in over 18 months, here are our five top hacks (that’s hints and tips to most of us!) to help save time or make your journey more comfortable. Using technology, making the most of loyalty schemes, and being prepared can all help you make your trip successful and enjoyable.
Top 5 Hacks for Business Travellers
- Be prepared. Ensure that you are up to speed with all the current regulations related to travelling. If in doubt we are here to help. Consider taking printed copies of Covid related documentation as having them as hard copies to be checked will help expedite your passage through airports. As ever, take the time to make a high-resolution scan of your travel related documentation – drivers licence, passport, visas, and your credit card. Save it on your phone/laptop and leave a copy with a trusted family member or colleague. If anything goes missing or is stolen, it will be much quicker and easier to replace with these documents to hand.
- Make loyalty work for you. Gone are the days when dressing smartly and speaking nicely to the check-in agent will get you an upgrade, these days you need to be part of an elite customer group. Airlines, hotels… in fact pretty much any service you use will have a loyalty scheme of some sort. This is why it pays to sign up to loyalty schemes and, where you can, stick to the same provider to quickly get on their radar as a valued customer. If you’re not sure which airline loyalty scheme is best for you, read our blog and find out your options.
- Get the best seat on the plane. The website Seat Guru is a brilliant resource to work out where to sit. You can see where the galleys, toilets and emergency exits are, plus it highlights any seats with restricted legroom. Be aware though, the airline could change the type of plane you’re flying in at the last minute so it’s possible it will change.
- Pack smarter. With the current situation is it makes sense to get in and out of the airport as promptly as possible. To save time and the potential stress of losing your bag, consider just taking hand luggage. This can sometimes be a bit of a squeeze, so if you are short for space, these tips might help:
- Take little luxuries that will make a difference. Think through items that will help you feel more at home whether that’s noise-cancelling headphones or a candle to help you relax after a long day.
- Choose versatile clothing. Think through your outfits and pack clothes that mix and match. Tops that go with your business outfits, as well as your jeans, are a good place to start.
- Stay in touch. It’s not always possible to have access to charge your phone/laptop. Pack a portable power pack to ensure you never get caught out.
- Make the most of the apps available. Whether it’s the app of the airline you’re travelling with to get live updates on gate changes or delays or a taxi company in the city ready for when you arrive.
We hope that you find these hacks useful and would love to hear of anything that you do to make travelling a simpler experience.
