General

People traveling either for work or to visit family. Here are some 4 air travel tips to make travel, less travail, particularly over long distances.

Air Travel Tip #1 – Get some sleep: Use “The Kit” to help you sleep on the plane; a series of sleeping aids you buy in advance or grab when I board the plane. Include: GOOD ear plugs, an inflatable pillow to avoid neck kinks (not necessary in most business class seats with ‘wings’), eye shades, comfy slippers, lip balm, facial cream, a light zippered jacket to regulate personal body temperature, a blanket (on legs only) and pillow for low back, take pressure off the legs or to act as insulation from cold window-wall of plane.

Air Travel Tip #-2 – The right seat is everything. I have varied my departure from Asia on a 3 week trip by as much as 3 days to get the right seat. As all airlines are different and have different configurations, you need to go to SeatGuru.com.

On most airlines, ANY seat in First Class is fine. If flying business class, most transPacific airlines window seats in the nose of the plane or against the bulkhead give you more freedom to get up and out at any time but still let you lie undisturbed when you want to sleep. You also get served first for all F&B and cleared up first after the meal. On some flights, middle row bulkhead BC affords you the same advantages.

AVOID like the plague the seats next to the toilets… sheer HELL with noise and smell.

If flying KLM or other carriers where BC is upstairs, I’d suggest the bulkhead or exit aisles.

For SAA, the only suggestion is if you must fly coach, take 52 A or K… window seats and only 2 of you, plus you have raft storage on your side to act as a shelf.

Air Travel Tip #3 – Passport, Frequent flyer, hotel frequent guest and rental car numbers printed on one sheet of paper with 4 colour copies of your passport key pages on the other side of the page and place them hidden inside of every bag you carry. If you have even one bag left after being robbed, you can get a new passport quicker. Sending a copy to yourself on your Google account and never deleting it also gives you access to your documents from any computer in the world. Also, no need to carry all those bulky cards. If plans change and you take another airline or stay at another hotel, you have the privliges and points you deserve. If you have a camera phone, keep a copy of all these details in your phone as well.

Air Travel Tip #4 – Faster Immigration, move to the line (cue) next to the special row for flight crew. If there is someone at the immigration desk, when flight crew is not going through immigration, many times they wave in the next person from the closest line. This can make the line closest to the customs line move TWICE as fast as the other lines.

The above air travel tips can make your travels less travail.

Have you ever gone to a conference, expo or retreat and come back a different person? Maybe you’re thinking more expansively, feeling relaxed, with lots of new ideas and excitement about what you are doing in the world?

I just spent a few days in Los Angeles at the Smart Women’s Business Conference & Expo as an exhibitor and am SO right there, right now! The people I connected with are changing the world, and I loved it! I came back with such clarity about how we can help even more people. My feet are still not quite touching the ground.

When you come home, however, the magic can begin to fade. Your “real life” intrudes on your brilliant ideas and exuberant feelings. Maybe the bathroom faucet is still leaking, a relationship is still challenging, you still hate your job, or you have ongoing pain in your life. And in contrast to the experience you just came from, it hits you in the face, hard. Bleah.

But challenges like this are opportunities in disguise! Look beyond the disguise to make business trips even more enriching. Pay attention when you come back. Hang on to that expansive mindset and feeling, and allow yourself to notice your “old” life without getting caught up in it. Remember: what you’re seeing is the life of the person who WENT on the business trip, not the person who came back. Just notice it.

Take Two Steps to Change Your Life

Now make that trip permanently enriching. Choose just TWO areas in your life where you can feel a before-and-after contrast. An area of your home, your life, your job, your relationships, your habits. Choose two to change. Just two. Maybe one personal and one business. Make the trip and the expense worth it by cementing in your newly expanded attitude into your life.

Take an action now and set up a routine – a new way of being and thinking – that takes care of the problem that seems so obvious to you now. Call the plumber, take your friend to lunch and have a heart-to-heart, or start or break off that other relationship. Call a healer or therapist or lawyer, whatever you need to heal that part of your life.

You ARE the more expansive you who came back from that trip. That IS who you are, and I’m happy you’re feeling it! Now incorporate that into your life so you can help more people more easily!

In these current times, finding tickets for a business class flight are generally actually unaffordable. However, people and vacationers are usually offered a big selection of techniques to be able to purchase business class flight tickets the cheapest way possible. It’s only a matter of understanding what to do plus where to go when acquiring airplane tickets. Listed here are a few simple ways concerning how to acquire business class flight tickets for the significantly less expense.

The first thing you should do is to look for less expensive transport offerings offered by some companies. There are low cost carriers who definitely have expanded and developed their very own services for a long time now. A lot of these services may include providing very affordable and excellent in flight experience for their consumers. Most of these providers established themselves as airlines which present lower and cheap airfare. Additionally, when you view it closely, they don’t totally provide the cheapest airfares possible. Do you understand why? The majority of companies simply lessen the cost of their fares to be able to match up their competitors. Furthermore, some of them sacrifice quality above price. You might be booking a low priced ticket but the services usually do not match what you need.

One other thing to remember would be to be aware of the travel schedule. Almost all airline carriers offer flexible airfares based mostly on airline flight location as well as your schedule. When compared to booking a flight ticket at the last minute, which often entails very expensive charges, preparing in advance and examining if the budget suits your own travel costs may help you save hundreds of dollar. Booking your fly schedule upfront not only helps you clean out your own schedule the earliest possible time but you will also lessen your travel expenses.

Furthermore, another money saving tip in having business class flights will be to travel using two different airline carriers. Yes, it may look stressful and also demanding in the beginning but when you finally comprehend that you really purchased a great deal with separate airlines, the stress fades away. As an example, should you wish to go to a particular city to another one which doesn’t have any direct route, you can avail of connecting flights from separate air travel organizations. Make certain to be wary in reviewing the specific costs and be watchful of additional service fees.

Traveling is a wonderful experience. Passengers and customers who get pleasure from this one of a kind experience choose business class flights with the comfort and affordability they deliver.One should be prepared to know what to do and where to go if they want to have an ideal travel experience the cost effective option.

For those keeping their eye out for business travel jobs, there have been several events in 2010 that have given consultants and managers food for thought. The field is unpredictable by its very nature; there can sometimes be little warning before a problem overseas requires attention, or a new opportunity must be taken advantage of with an early meeting a long journey away. Travel managers, however, can never assume all will go as planned during these trips. Take a look at some of the events which affected the industry during 2010, and how they might affect the future of corporate travel.

Volcanic Ash

One of the biggest disruptions for travel in 2010 was the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull, a volcano in Iceland, which caused the most significant closure of European airspace since the Second World War. For weeks, many people simply couldn’t fly for a myriad of technical and legal reasons concerning the volcanic ash which was released over European airspace. Those looking for travel jobs would be wise to take note of the ways businesses adapted to the restrictions – making use of online conferencing programs like Skype and using long-distance train and ferry travel as a substitute. Many businesses found that their air travel wasn’t quite as critical as they’d first assumed. The most important lesson the volcanic eruption taught those in business travel jobs was to always have a back-up plan for travel arrangements, and a back-up for the back-up!

Snow Problems

At the beginning and end of 2010, heavy snowfalls in Europe left many airports and airlines struggling to cope. While the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull couldn’t have been predicted by those working in the industry, regular occurrences such as snow during the winter months should factor into business travel planning in 2011. It was Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, which was the most affected because – as its critics noted – it had done the least to prepare. A lesson for those in travel jobs in 2011 is not to assume major transport hubs will be ‘ever-ready’ whatever the weather – they are as susceptible to misfortune, and even closures, as smaller transport hubs.

Future Developments

With new transport security developments on the horizon in 2011, it remains to be seen what impact they will have on business travel jobs. In October 2010, the US Transport Security Administration introduced controversial new full-body scanners. Many air passengers saw them as highly intrusive as operators were able to see through clothes. When those in travel-related jobs need to deal with urgent or short-notice travel arrangements, avoiding such stringent security procedures may not be an option, and so the preferences of those embarking on the journey must be taken into account.

While 2010 threw up many challenges for the travel industry, there will always be a necessity for efficient travel arrangements. Those looking for travel jobs could learn a few lessons for the year ahead by examining the problems faced by travellers in 2010.

If you frequently find yourself in airports and hotels all over the country for business trip after business trip, the following tips for booking future business travel arrangements may prove helpful.

When booking your hotel, focus your search on those that offer special services for business travelers, such as access to high speed internet; fax and copier machines; courier service; continental breakfast; morning newspaper; iron, mini-blow dryer, and alarm clock or wake up call to your room; and courtesy toiletries at the front desk. To ensure that your surroundings will allow you to sleep well as well as think clearly and establish focus when you need to work in your room, request a room facing away from busy streets, highways, and ice machines in order to minimize noise during your stay.

There are several ways to make your trip easier during the flight booking process. Book your flights online to easily compare airlines and airfares, as well as to save on the extra fee that many airlines now charge for booking over the phone – which usually exceeds the fee that discount sites like Travelocity charge when they do charge a booking fee at all. Purchasing tickets online also offers you the convenience of being able to expedite your check in process by printing your itineraries and your boarding passes before you even leave for the airport, and also provides you with convenient back up copies of your information online in case you lose any of those vital materials during the course of your hectic travels.

Also, make an effort to schedule your flight for as early as possible in the day, to protect yourself from missed meetings, frantic arrivals, or appointment tardiness in case of flight delays. If possible, arrange to arrive the night before any of your major obligations in order to allow yourself plenty of time to rest up and adjust before going ahead with the chaos of your travel schedule – especially if there are jet lag issues to adjust to with any time zone changes. If necessary, consider other means of travel based on the distance of your business travel destination. Commonly, our minds immediately jump to flying, but when your destination is no more than a couple of hundred miles or so from home, driving or taking a train might be a better option once you take into consideration the amount of time you’d spend checking in at airports, then waiting to board, then waiting to take off, then taxiing after landing, then waiting at baggage claim, and finally traveling to and from the airport – plus the extra expenses and restrictions that airlines attach to your travel.

If you’re at all uncertain about your travel dates or have any reason to believe your itinerary could change, consider booking an open-ended ticket. Changing your flight otherwise could cost you as much as $150 anyway – and that’s in addition to the difference between the cost of the old flight and the new one – so the security of the open-ended ticket could be well worth its additional up front expense instead. The quickest way to corporate recognition is to prove your worth as a valuable asset to your company, and these practical tips should have you well on your way.

If you own your own business, then work-related travel can really add up if you’re not conscientious – and even if you work for a company that will reimburse the majority of your expenses, there are measures you’ll want to take to be mindful of your own finances in the interim and maximize your reimbursements down the line.

Always consider signing up for the frequent flyer programs associated with every airline you frequent since you never know with whom you’ll be booking your next trip. However, since some airlines are beginning to charge for cashing in frequent flyer miles that have been sitting around collecting dust for extended periods of time, be sure to make use of your accumulated miles the very next time you book a flight with a given airline to avoid such penalties, rather than waiting around for the equivalent of a free flight to stack up. An even better option you may want to consider is acquiring a credit card that offers airline miles as rewards for every dollar spent, which are applicable to any airline with no expiration date so that there are bigger pay-offs, fewer restrictions, and more flexibility for application to later travel plans.

Before your departure, be mindful of the balance remaining on your credit cards. If necessary, as a safety precaution, consider having your credit limit increased for more spending flexibility to protect yourself against maxing out while away from home or to avoid spending any of your own money on expenses that will be reimbursed by your company upon your return anyway. It is wise to make business-related purchases and personal purchases on separate credit cards, to make the organization of your expense reports that much simpler and straightforward. Also, be prepared for places that do not accept credit cards. ATMs may not always be as nearby as you need them to be, so always bring a fair amount of cash money along with you, just in case.

It is also prudent to develop some means of keeping track of your business related expenses as accurately as possible. Without keeping organized records, and without sufficient documentation to back up your claims, many dollars that could wind up back in your hands may not make it there. Keep all of your receipts, and keep a diary of some sort – whether on a notepad or on your PDA – to serve as an expense log for each and every dollar you spend. Chances are, if you do not record your expenses immediately and opt to document them later, you’ll forget something. Each day should have its own labeled envelope of receipts, and any ambiguous receipts should have notes on them for clarity. Fill in your expense forms throughout the course of each day, then type everything immediately upon your return in order to be prepared with your expense report before you even make it back to work – as submitting it for approval and dispersal should be one of the first things you do upon your return to prevent any unnecessary delay in receiving your reimbursement. Your boss will definitely appreciate your organizational skills, and who knows, it could pave the way for some much deserved corporate recognition in the future.

Business travel can be very demanding. Being away from home for long periods of time, spending a lot of time in hotels and airports and working really hard are all things that come with the job. While its demanding in every aspect the one area where it can affect you most is with your health and particularly your weight. If you’ve been doing any significant amount of business travel then you know just how easy it is to put on extra weight. Its a combination of the lifestyle and the lack of routine that is the main cause of gaining weight when you are traveling for business.

So, what can you do to still work hard and fulfill all your duties without gaining those much dreaded extra pounds? Here are a few simple tips that really works.

1. Eating Out
One of the main reasons why you will gain weight is because of your eating habits when you are on the road. With no real regular schedule its very easy to grab junk food out of convenience. While its inevitable at times, its important that you make a firm rule for yourself to not do it. You have a food allowance, so why not use it. Find proper restaurants to eat healthy and nutritious meals.

2. Drinks And Parties
Work functions, parties and drinks with clients are just part of traveling on business. The problem is that these festivities can take its toll. You need to set yourself some ground rules and try and have fun without overindulging. Excessive drinking plays a big part in gaining weight and you need to be aware of that at all times.

3. Hotels With Gyms
Exercise is critically important if you want to stay in shape while traveling. You cannot afford to live that lifestyle without regular exercise. Try and always find a hotel with a gym or at least a pool. Make a point to get at least 45 minutes of exercise every day. It will not only help you stay in shape but it will leave you feeling refreshed after a hard day or get you off to a jump start first thing in the morning.

Its important that you make a commitment to yourself that you intend to stay healthy despite a crazy busy schedule. Far too often the temptation of taking the easy way causes us to slip and fall into am unhealthy lifestyle.

One of the more innovative factors improving efficiency in company truck fleets is Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device. It helps companies save money and monitor vehicle usage, maintenance issues and employee habits. Whether it is a small or large company, each commercial vehicle can be fitted with a GPS tracking system which can be interfaced through the company headquarters.

Monitors
The number of vehicles monitored by the GPS tracking services is limited only by the number of devices the company is using. The systems work on commercial trucks and vans. GPS tracking devices are not yet available for tractor-trailers, but the technology for this is currently under development.

Data
Some models feature onboard diagnostics. This is an interface between a device mounted on the vehicle and a computer database accessible by a computerized program from the business’ headquarters. A report can be generated as needed.

Capabilities
A GPS device can track a number of characteristics on the vehicle.

• Speed – The vehicle’s speedometer is monitored to report how fast it goes at any given time. This allows the company to see who is exceeding the speed limit and how often the vehicle is left stationary.

• Idle – With companies that provide delivery services, the issue of how long a driver remains in the idle mode at the pick-up or drop-off destination sometimes comes into question. The device will monitor how long the truck or van sits in the same position without moving while the motor is running.

• Location – The GPS system can pinpoint the exact location of a vehicle at any given time. In the event of an emergency, the driver and vehicle can be located. This is especially helpful if there is an accident or natural disaster that prevents normal communication between the driver and dispatch.

• Route – The exact route of transport from Point A to Point B is recorded. The company can see how the driver travels from place to place, how fast they move and at what time of day the vehicle is performing the delivery.

• Fuel – the consumption of fuel is also tracked and recorded in the database. This will let a business know there is an issue before a serious problem occurs. When a truck or van is not getting the expected miles per gallon on fuel, this is a signal that something may be amiss. They can then check for proper tire inflation, fuel system anomalies or improper driver behavior.

A woman undergoes a strange metamorphosis after giving birth. Two eyes sprout in the back of her head, always awake, constantly supervising her rambunctious little tykes. Stealing cookies and smashing toys are no longer a child’s simple pleasures, but difficult feats of wrongdoing, for Mom always knows.

What is a trucking company but if not one big family? And what is a manager or executive if not a parent? Unfortunately, many managers have been de-eyed. Stealing cookies – aka, running personal errands – is now (pardon the pun) child’s play. But a GPS tracking system will bring back their eyes.

Fleet tracking is a fundamental necessity for any transport company. Even the best of drivers may speed or run a red light, and the worst of drivers may steal property or linger at the housewife’s doorstep. Employees and employers benefit from a GPS tracking system. How? Let the long list begin.

Efficiency is essential. Inefficient routing and driving waste fuel, time, and other company resources. Efficient work is profitable work. One study concluded that the average fleet saved a whopping 13% in fuel costs by using a GPS system.

Not all employees are Good Samaritans. Keep tabs on the bad apples with a GPS tracking system. This not only reveals delinquent employees, but also reveals truly valuable workers, the ones worth keeping. This increases employee productivity. An expert study found out that the average company that implements a fleet monitoring system saves $5,484 annually.

Insurance companies often offer discounts, up to 30%, for companies employing vehicle tracking systems.

Even something as sizeable as a semi-truck or caterpillar can be stolen. Once stolen, they are generally considered gone for good. But with a GPS tracking system, stolen items can be quickly and easily recovered, and their perpetrators receive a douse of well-deserved justice.

A truck is used day in and day out – no rest for the weary. Maintaining vehicles is expensive. A monitoring system shows miles driven, terrain of driven miles, average mph, gas and oil servicing, and other invaluable information. This information can be used to identify the maintenance needs of each vehicle.

Tracking fleet vehicles lowers administrative costs. Paperwork is a – well, you know. A central GPS tracking system consolidates important information in an accessible central location, readily available for use and analysis. Accounting is breezy and verification is easy.

Most importantly, customers are satisfied with prompt and secure deliveries.

No family is perfect. All fleet transport companies can benefit from some supervision from the always awake GPS fleet monitoring system.

The majority of travel departments/managers are only empowered, authorized or capable of looking at travel management from a cost perspective exclusively. However, to truly ensure that the process of travel is efficient, profitable and safe; a much wider focus is required-predominantly in the areas of cost, productivity and safety. When such a wider and more comprehensive perspective is engaged, most organizations will discover that business class flights are in reality much cheaper than economy class for the majority of their executives and traveling talent.

Consider a short-haul flight of under four hours. For an executive this will typically translate to an eight-hour working day. If traveling in economy class they will typically need to be at the airport nearly 2 hours before departure. Even with privileged frequent-flier status they will need to be checked in much earlier than their business class counterparts. Without such privileges, the time required maybe even longer as check-in queues and airline efficiency lengthen and decline respectively. The immigration processing will potentially be lengthened also as many airlines now have preferential immigration processing of business travelers. The traveller in economy will now be left to fend for themselves in the public seating/WiFi/meals environment of economy class travel. Boarding time will be lengthened and carry-on luggage will be reduced which again will have added to the overall pre-departure time. Regardless of the physical size of the traveller, their work laptop, the airline or the seating space; very few people get anything close to productive work conducted whilst in economy. Not to mention, when corners have been cut, everyone within proximity of a business laptop user can often see the entire content and context of business presentations, e-mails, discussions and intellectual property. The arrival stage will also entail longer immigration processing times, time lost awaiting baggage and jostling within the bulk of the flights travelers. If after all this, on a short-haul flight you expect the traveller to bring their A game or deliver pivotal business results, you should prepare yourself for disappointment now.

Conversely, a journey that has been considered in a whole of risk manner will play out significantly different. First, the traveller will have the time and flight best suited to the work productivity objectives and reduced commute, check-in and processing times. Utilization of the business lounge will ensure productivity and access to information and systems prior before departure. Overall fatigue and affect on the individual will also be reduced. Whilst not entirely risk free, the threat to personal belongings, company information or other valuables will also be reduced. Productivity (best calculated by adding the per hour cost to the company for the executive and the per hour revenue potential of the trip or executive) will also be enhanced by a compact yet usable mobile workspace. Even if the individual is not conducting work on a computer platform, the demands to the individual are also diminished. It is also almost ensured that the executive will hit the ground running and clear the aircraft, immigrations and baggage claim much faster, leaving only the commute from the airport to the place of business. This streamlining and efficiency is also replicable for multiple travelers or trips.

When analyzing all of these factors (even in a developed country) the hundreds or even thousands of dollars between economy class and business class travel is often much cheaper than the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of business productivity, time and dollars at risk. However, the functional heads responsible for cost, productivity and safety are all typically measured and evaluated on cost containment rather than profitability or maximized earnings of their senior executives. All of these elements are significantly amplified in developed or developing countries. When the entire journey is constructed along whole-of-journey travel risk management lines thousands or even millions of dollars in opportune business can be preserved while appropriate expenditure managed. Reduction or elimination of disruption and wastage can be easily achieved. When it comes to whole-of-journey travel risk management most companies are penny wise and pound foolish.

There is nothing more comical and economically tragic than a senior executive or CEO traveling on a budget airline. While sitting in cheap seats being nonproductive and paying five dollars for peanuts or drinks they are losing thousands of dollars or even millions in productivity or earnings for the sake of a few bucks. In the wake of the financial crisis, some very savvy financial institutions openly conveyed that they dare not reduce the privilege, risk or status of their major wealth generation executives for fear of losing them to more competitive or sophisticated banks or financial institutions. Why should this be any different in the face of many other threats to talent and revenue?

The empirical data and evidence of enhanced productivity and efficient travel risk management exists at present in every company. The only limitation is that few are rewarded or supported in harvesting, processing and analysis of such data. If companies and their respective leadership took the time to stop and analyze such processes or even historical culture within the organization, they would find that simple and efficient adaptation of such processes like the use of business class travel versus economy class travel could potentially unlock thousands of hours of productivity and greater business competitiveness. This is certainly the case in developed markets and significantly more acute in developing markets where there is an accumulation of much greater threat, costs, threat disruptions and safety issues.

The question then is not “Is business class is cheaper than economy?” but more a case of “Can you accurately prove that it’s not?”