What’s your number one worry as a business traveler? Most travelers say missing their flight is their top worry. But the other answers on a Booking.com survey are a bit surprising, especially when there are obvious ways to manage those anxieties (or at least the causes of them).
If you have any of these concerns cited by your fellow business travelers, maybe we can help you avoid them altogether. Most of these solutions come in the form of mobile apps, so fire up your wifi and see if you can find your solution online.
- Worrying about missing your flight? Download the app for your airline, especially when you’re getting ready for your trip. It will update you with any scheduling changes for your flight, and also let you check in 24 hours before your flight.
- Don’t know the language where you’re going? Take a little time, even if it’s on your flight, to familiarize yourself with a few key phrases and words with an app like DuoLingo. Next, get the Google Translate app, which can provide instantaneous translation of signs and menus. And remember, the natives of the country you’re visiting already know you’re not fluent in their language, but they appreciate any attempt you make to communicate in their tongue.
- Worried your luggage will be lost? First, stop checking your bags. If you’re traveling for less than a week, you should be able to fit everything into a carry-on bag like a Crew™ 11 22″ Expandable Rollaboard. Can’t avoid checking? You can get a tracking device for your luggage, which will track it through the airport, and even around the world, so you know where it is at all times.
- Some people are anxious about being in an unfamiliar place and navigating a new city while under the pressure of transacting business. Go online and use Google Maps and Street View to virtually stroll the area where you’ll be. Find your destination, then predetermine the route you’ll take to get there and how you’ll get around. You can even save your routes in Google Maps ahead of time and pull them up when you arrive, as well as save your maps for offline usage.
- Losing an important document, such as a passport, is another common concern. You can avoid problems if you follow this routine religiously: Designate a place in your luggage and always put your wallet, passport, and phone in that spot. Many of our suitcases and briefcases come with RFID-protected pouches to keep this information from being read by hackers and thieves. Also, keep photocopies of important documents hidden in your luggage in case you lose the original, as well as online photos in Google Drive and/or Evernote.
Many aspects of traveling that seem unpredictable and out of your control really can be put to rest by some simple planning. How do you deal with travel anxieties? How do you avoid the problems and relax a bit? Share your ideas with us in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or in our Twitter stream.