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Travel can be stressful enough, but travelling for business can be much worse. Keeping schedules, meetings and deadlines all in line can contribute to a business trip so tiring, that you need a vacation when you return! While business travel is an essential aspect of many people’s lives, there are some steps you can take to make it easier. The average domestic business tip can get quite expensive, so it is important to economize too.

Book your trips online. The web has made the entire process of booking and tracking business trips easy and convenient. You can generally add in hotel rooms and a rental car if necessary; as well as compare options and keep track of expenses. Also, the web has access 24/7, making the booking of last minute trips simple – no more waiting until 9am the next morning to call your travel consultant.

Make other technology work for you, too – a reliable pager, electronic organizer, and cell phone can all be invaluable. Program frequently dialed phone numbers – or numbers that you might need – into your cell phone, such as airlines and hotels, as well as your office. That way, if there is a flight delay or you have a last minute cancellation, you can easily and quickly contact whoever you need to. Many experienced flyers claim that it is quicker to call the airline to be rescheduled, rather than stand in a slow moving line at the ticket counter.

Try to use the same airline. You will rack up frequent flyer miles a lot faster – these can be used not only for free flights and upgrades to first class, but also for hotel rooms, rental cars and various other services. Also, perhaps just as importantly, sooner or later, the airline staff will know you at your local ticket counter – perhaps ensuring you get better service in case of flight delays.

If you fly frequently on the same airline, invest in membership of their club or lounge which offers a pleasant and less crowded environment than the airport terminal. Many of them offer all the facilities you will need – internet access, fax machines, data ports and copiers. Some have showers, complimentary snacks and meeting rooms; most of them have ticketing facilities, can issue boarding passes and generally help out in the event of a delayed or canceled flight.

If at all possible, try to book nonstop flights and flights leaving early in the morning as there is less chance of delays. All airlines are required to give you, if asked, the DOT figures that indicate what percentage of the time a particular flight is on time. In general, Southwest is considered the most reliable US airline in terms of on-time performance and mislaid luggage, followed by Continental and JetBlue. Always try to pack lightly – with just a carry on if you can manage – and have anything important in your carry on rather than your checked bag.

Being well organized and using your time profitably are both key factors in making business travel a little easier. Use your time on the plane or any downtime to read through notes or other relevant material. Print out directions, and anything else you might need ahead of time, rather than at the last minute. Try to schedule some down time during your business trip; also a day at home before you are scheduled back at work is a good idea, to relax and to help safeguard against any delay.

Just like airlines, try to use the same hotel chain, if possible. Most hotel chains have a rewards or frequent guest program, often coupled with an airline mileage program. Many hotels now have a room dedicated to the needs of business travelers, with internet access and copier facilities; you will want to make sure that access to these facilities is included in the room price. Many business travelers consider a fitness center to be a necessary amenity; as well as staff who provide a personal touch.

Choose your hotel with price in mind. Of course, you want to stay somewhere that is comfortable if you are away from home, but you – or your company – will appreciate any cost saving. If you are staying somewhere for just one night, consider a mid-scale hotel that has more than adequate facilities, with a good breakfast included – but doesn’t cost as much as a luxury or five star property. Always ask for any discounts, even if none is offered to you.

Finally, if you travel regularly for business a good plan is the best approach to easing the burden of constant travel. That is, a plan for packing your luggage and work materials, a plan for getting to the airport on time, a plan for passing the time waiting for your flight, and so on. A good plan can help ease the stress of travelling, and perhaps make available some time for yourself to sit back and relax.

Lisa Parker
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/tips-for-easing-the-burden-of-business-travel-727743.html

Technorati Tags: Airline Staff, Business Tip, Business Travel, Business Trip, Business Trips, Domestic Business, Electronic Organizer, Flight Delay, Flight Delays, Free Flights, Frequent Flyer Miles, Hotel Rooms, Invaluable Program, Last Minute Trips, Minute Cancellation, Rental Car, Rental Cars, Technology Work, Travel Consultant, Travel Travel

Planning a trip to a far off destination can be a lot of fun. But if you don’t plan ahead, you can sometimes end up with a bad travel deal or some bad timing when you want to see some special events on your trip. This is why it is important to utilize the internet in order to plan your trip. You can get free travel guides and free travel brochures right from the internet so that you can get a great overview of nearly any major tourist destination anywhere in the world.

Planning a trip online will usually save you money. You can save a lot of money when you book your flight, hotel, and rental car (if needed) all from a single website. And many of these websites can give you an overview of the major tourist attractions that are in the city, mainly near where you are staying. They will also provide you with orientation as where you will be located from the airport.

The main concern for people that use the internet to plan travel is to find a website that will cater to your own philosophy about travel and the price that you want to pay. If you find a great, comprehensive site, but all it can offer you is information on five star hotels and swanky restaurants for two, you may not want to use this particular website to plan your family vacation.

If you are working with a tight budget, you can still travel in nearly any city in the world. All you have to do it think outside the box for money saving strategies. If you want to head somewhere warm and tropical, think about trading in your plane ticket for a room of a cruise. Cruises can be much more affordable and you will be able to cover a lot of ground quickly. And if you are worried about hotel costs once you get to your destination, you can explore different options for housing such as house swapping with someone who wants to go to your home and stay for a vacation, or think about couch surfing if you feel safe doing that.

If you want to find a lot of free events and attractions to attend while you are on your vacation, you will want to utilize the local chamber of commerce or city run websites. These will list all of the upcoming events, and things like parades and festivals that celebrate something unique are usually free to the public. Most of these festivals will happen in the summer and fall months, so you will want to plan the timing of your vacation accordingly.

And to make sure you are safe when traveling, you will want to check the US Department of State travel website for any warning and travel advisories for US citizens. It’s not always an ideal situation to travel to an area where US citizens are not welcome.

Jordan McPelt
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/online-travel-planning-tips-for-rich-folks-555168.html

Technorati Tags: Couch Surfing, Cruise, Cruises, Family Vacation, Five Star Hotels, Free Brochures, Free Travel Brochures, Free Travel Guides, Hotel Costs, Orientation, Philosophy, Plan Travel, Plane Ticket, Planning A Trip, Rental Car, Rich Folks, Tight Budget, Tourist Attractions, Tourist Destination, Travel Deal