Do you have champagne tastes, but your company has a beer budget?
Comfort while traveling might seem like a luxury, but it is essential to your productivity.
If you spend hours up in the air flying economy, you can arrive tired and stressed, and not exactly in prime shape for working.
That doesn't mean you have to beg your boss to splurge for the upgrade.
Here are five savvy tips from experienced business travelers that will make you feel like you feel like a million bucks by the time you arrive at your destination (without costing your company the same).
Time your travel
One of the worst parts of flying economy are the long check-in lines. If you're smart and have a flexible enough schedule, you will time your travel so you never have to deal with them. "Airports are at their busiest in the early morning on weekdays," notes Mathias Friess, CEO of Webjet, a international online travel agency. If you fly the night before, you'll avoid the crowds, and if you book an airport hotel, the small extra cost may be made up by finding a less popular (read: cheaper) flight.
Earn frequent flyer miles, fast
Focus your miles on one or two airlines, and then start using the airline's branded credit cards. "Every dollar I spend is on credit and gains miles. I once flew and stayed in a 4-star hotel for free for a week for a business trip using only frequent flyer miles. Frequent flyer credit cards [also] can actually lower the cost to check baggage. The Delta Gold Amex allows passengers to check a free bag," notes Michael Stanat, global research executive with SIS International Research. He adds that some cards also offer free access to airport lounges.
Ask for things
If you don't try to get upgrades or freebies, you never will. "Traditionally in economy class, they make you wait until the plane has reached a certain altitude before serving drinks. I've found that if you ask the flight attendant for a bottle of water or a can of ginger ale when you first get on the plane as you board, they will just give it to you right then and there," shares Richard S. Bernstein, CEO and Founder of Richard S.
Bernstein & Associates, Inc., a national health care and life insurance company. And consider paying a few bucks for some small luxuries, like a pillow or blanket. "Think of it this way: What's better, paying a couple hundred dollars extra for business class or pay a couple bucks for the amenities of business class?" says Bernstein.
Read the full post here.
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