As the Founder of a global magazine, I do my fair share of international travel every year. It’s fair to say I’ve become something of an expert from experience, and I’ve learned a thing or two from fellow executives.
It’s a blessing and a curse to travel so much, but they won’t let you take double-edged swords onto a plane. That’s why you have to be ready for anything, and I do mean anything.
Once, on an airline that shall remain nameless, we’d boarded and prepared ourselves for takeoff. Before anything further could happen, an announcement from the captain came over the public address system telling us that there was a slight issue with the aircraft. The luggage door had fallen off.
So off we went back to the airport to wait until a door technician could be found to reattach the offending door. As it turned out, the specialist was asleep, making ours a very long wait indeed – plenty of time to question the integrity of the plane’s other doors.
Be prepared
That’s just a taste of the kind of chaos that’s always just outside the window on any trip, waiting on the wing to ruin your journey. My advice? Don’t let it happen. Be prepared.
The first step when preparing for corporate travel of any kind is selecting the right luggage.
The first step when preparing for corporate travel of any kind is selecting the right luggage. It’s not simply a matter of choosing the right laptop case for the cabin while you stick the rest in a large sized check-in case and hope for the best. I can clearly remember waiting at the carousel for an uncomfortably long time, only to have my light, fabric-based case returned soaking wet.
Never again.
Pay more, gain a lot
For my most recent trip, to Necker Island in the Caribbean, I went with Samsonite luggage. Sturdy, lightweight, spacious and extremely durable, I was able to check it in without fear of dodgy doors or soggy transit days.
The Necker Island journey is complex, especially from my home in Sydney, but it’s a great example of the kind of corporate journey most people aren’t accustomed to. It’s got the lot: long flights, multiple stopovers, various aircraft sizes and a swathe of time zone changes to boot.
When you get on the plane, you should be adjusting to whatever time it is at your destination.
And yet, with the right preparation, you can sit back and enjoy a great journey. I prefer to pay that bit more to reduce the number of flights involved. In this case, it means going from Sydney directly to Dallas for a stopover, and then on to Puerto Rico, which is where I like to stop before heading to Tortola.
The time you spend on the stopovers, which in my opinion are important to help mitigate jetlag (the last thing you want on a corporate trip), you make up for by cutting down the number of flights.
And just on that, I always try to get into the next time zone as soon as I can. When you get on the plane, you should be adjusting to whatever time it is at your destination. If it’s dinnertime where you’re going, that’s when you should be dining and having a glass of wine on the plane.
Corporate travel requires a different mindset to an annual holiday abroad.
In fact, managing yourself on the plane can go a long way to ensuring you arrive alert and collected. I hydrate constantly throughout the flight (electrolyte supplements), and I wear a sleep mask and earbuds or noise canceling headphones to minimize noise. I also swear by wearing your own pajamas, reason being that they’re going to be much more comfortable than what the airlines offer.
Pick of the best
Speaking of airlines, I’d have to give the nod to Emirates above all, if you’re lucky to be traveling business or first. I believe their offering is better than any other airline long haul. Domestically, I’d choose Qantas every time for their reliability. Delays on corporate trips can have severe consequences.
Not this time, however. We arrived at Necker Island on time and refreshed, and it was the same story on the journey home. Upon arrival I was even more impressed with the Samsonite gear. The build quality was supremely impressive, and I think it’ll probably last longer than any other luggage I’ve used before.
Corporate travel requires a different mindset to an annual holiday abroad. You don’t often have the luxury of jet lag recovery time; it’s about hitting the ground running. What works for me may not work for the next executive, but these universal tips can help us all not only look the business upon arrival, but deliver it, too.
