Let’s face it. The best laid plans of mice and men … You’ve carefully researched your destination, reserved your room and rental car, checked in your flight online and are ready to travel. If you’re like me, you tend to not stress out too much over travel because once you’re out there so much is out of your control anyway. Roll with it. By now, hopefully you have taken my advice (See How to Live large on the Cheap) and enrolled yourself in every travel loyalty program known to man. Hey, you never know. Depending on your frequency of travel you may have enough juice to overcome most travel snafus. Just be prepared.
Luggage
If you’re a business traveler, you know the drill about luggage. When flying, it’s carry on or lost. If you can sustain the baggage delay, then check it. But be prepared and carry essentials you’ll need the next day in your carry on. The standard fare includes toothbrush and other basic toiletries, meds, fresh underwear and another shirt. I learned this the hard way. You don’t have to unless you want a full collection of Great American Airport T- shirts. In other words, if you don’t want to feel skeevy the next morning, bring what you need on board. If you are expected at a business meeting, take no chances. Dress for the meeting before you go unless you don’t mind shopping for business attire at Wal-Mart at 6:00 AM. A note about gate checked luggage: Do use the colored tag and keep your portion of the tag. Just because your bag is gate checked doesn’t mean it cannot be lost. Sometimes if there’s no room, they will not put your bag on the flight and you guessed it, it’s even harder to track a misplaced gate checked bag with no identifying record.
Flight Delays
We’ve all seen the irate traveler screaming at the ticket agent because of a flight delay/cancellation/overbooking you name it. Why???? How does this increase the chance that the plane will be repaired, the weather will change or you will get to your destination one second more quickly? Relax. If anything, you should be taking steps to help your situation. Will you miss your connection? Will it trigger an expensive chain reaction? Then get busy making contacts to mitigate your situation. Now in your most sympathetic and conciliatory voice talk with the ticket agent to explore alternative flight options. If you have missed the cutoff time to cancel your hotel check in (usually 6 o’clock PM) ask the ticket agent to speak with the front desk clerk so you will not be charged for your missed night. If the missed flight is the airline’s responsibility, they may provide a complimentary hotel room and food voucher but don’t go ballistic if they don’t for a weather delay. It’s just not going to happen. Some airlines provide great overnight packs that include deodorant, razors, toothbrushes a T-shirt and other essential toiletries. I’m a fan. If you do have to find a room of your own, you can use the airport hotel phones to bed down at a nearby hotel. These are convenient because they provide a shuttle service to and from the airport. Or, you can keep a list of the major hotel chain toll free numbers with you at all times. You can call their central reservations desks and find a room with an airport shuttle at a lower cost than those in proximity to the airport. Often the airport hotels fill up quickly, especially if there are weather conditions that cause widespread flight cancellations. Be resourceful. Get some sleep but don’t trust the hotel wake up call. If you were booked on that 6 AM flight to connect to your destination, set your alarm on your cell phone instead. Try again the next day.
Rental Cars
You’ve reserved your car and you pick it up at midnight, you’re informed that all they have is a 15 person van (Don’t laugh. It happens) or some other gas guzzling vehicle. This is where you use your loyalty club perks. Negotiate for a more appropriate vehicle. Quiet as it’s kept, if you are a member of their loyalty club, they may try to pawn off the gas guzzlers on you especially if they think you’re a business traveler with an expense account. Don’t fold. If you are stuck with a truck, negotiate the price down or better still bargain with other customers for a trade. Of course there’s the usual. Don’t accept the prepaid exorbitant fuel charge and if you are otherwise covered decline the insurance. Also, invest in a GPS. The daily rental charge for the agency GPS climbs weekly. If you are a frequent traveler spring for the GPS service on your cell phone and carry one less gadget. Oh, and remember, while you can usually receive calls on your cell while using the GPS; you may not be able to make calls. Bluetooth technology combined with GPS rocks.
These tips will help you get there without compromising your flow. In my next installation, I’ll cover what to do when things go wrong (e.g. tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and other acts of God) when you’re on the road. Travel light.
