Take Care of Yourself if You Travel Frequently
August 7, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
If you travel frequently — 15 or more days a month on business — you can consider yourself a road warrior. But a new study by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and City University of New York says a better description might be wounded warrior.
The study of 18,000 business travelers who are away from home half the month or more found these individuals struggling greatly with their health. Many have mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, and they are sleep deprived and overly dependent on alcohol. They don’t get exercise and they tend to smoke more than those who don’t spend as much time away from home for work. They also have higher blood pressure and lower than acceptable good cholesterol levels.
Hotel Gym at Casa Velas Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
“At the individual level, employees who travel extensively need to take responsibility for the decisions they make around diet, exercise, alcohol consumption, and sleep,” Rundle explains. “However, to do this, employees will likely need support in the form of education, training, and a corporate culture that emphasizes healthy business travel.”
Rundle offered practical tips for employees that included being very selective about when travel is absolutely necessary and being honest with themselves about what constant travel is doing to their health and well-being.
One thing he suggested could serve as a tangible affirmation of the company’s commitment to the health of its warriors is providing memberships to national fitness centers for these frequent travelers.
Bottom line: If you travel frequently, please eat healthy, drink plenty of water, get plenty of sleep, and exercise 20 minutes per day, three times a week. That means things like walking to appointments, working out in the hotel gym, or just going for a walk in the evening. Don’t load up on rich heavy meals in restaurants, avoid soda and lots of alcohol, and drink water throughout the day. If you can do that, you can improve your health greatly while you travel.
Do you travel frequently for business? Do you take care of yourself, exercise, and get plenty of sleep, or do you find yourself lacking in a couple of those areas? Tell us about it in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter page.
Photo credit: Casa Velas Hotel (Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0)
American Travelers Really Want Hotel Loyalty Points
July 24, 2018 by ProBlog · Leave a Comment
How far would you go to earn loyalty points? According to a surprising study by Carlson Wagonlit Travel, some travelers are willing to go farther than you might expect.
American business travelers top the list (47 percent of all respondents) of those willing to risk a certain level of personal safety in order to earn loyalty points from their overnight stay. If given the choice to stay at a property where they’re not a loyalty member or stay where they are, business travelers will choose the loyalty program benefits over their personal safety.
But before you get images of people staying in rough neighborhoods for the sake of a few points, let’s define the sense of “feeling unsafe” most respondents described. Most wouldn’t put themselves in physical danger, but they would be willing to put up with disruptive fellow guests that made them feel uncomfortable. Others (44 percent) said they would disregard their fear of someone breaking into their room so they could earn more points.
The hotel front desk at the JW Marriott in New Orleans, LA.
Among those traveling for business internationally (37 percent), the personal safety concern was less physical. They were concerned their privacy would be breached by their information being given out without their knowledge or someone discovering their room number or procuring a key.
Many respondents also indicated they believed staying on higher floors of a hotel to be safer. Thirty-two percent said they avoid staying on the ground floor if at all possible.
Bottom line? No amount of loyalty points is worth risking your personal safety for. Your work and your life are too important, so don’t take unnecessary risks. Be smart, and don’t make unwise choices. There are other ways to get points!
How far will you go to earn more loyalty points? Where do you draw the line? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter page.
Photo credit: Prayitno Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons 2.0)
More Business Travelers Including Bleisure
July 19, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
We’ve been coaching, cajoling, and cheering you business travelers on when it comes to tacking on some extra personal time before or after your work trip. And Expedia says you’re listening!
Expedia Group Media Solutions commissioned Luth Research to find out more about what you’re doing and how you’re making bleisure work for you. The study asked American, British, Chinese, German, and Indian bleisure travelers to share what influenced their decisions, what resources they used to make their decisions, and what their resulting preferences were after their experiences.
Here’s what they found out.
The first thing Expedia discovered is which group of you is taking advantage of this. Those of you who work in technology, IT, and software—you’re making this work for you once every two to three months after you’ve been on the road for a two-to three-day trip.
Next, Expedia found there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of business travelers taking a couple bleisure days: a 40 percent uptick over the same period in 2016. Sixty percent of business travelers reported turning your work travel into a vacation sometime in the reporting period between March 2017 and March 2018. Bravo!
The British Museum Great Court
While the largest percentage of business travel was to participate in a conference (67 percent), the leading factor in whether or not the destination was considered for bleisure wasn’t proximity to family and friends, but other factors such as the availability of great food, a beach, or the opportunity to check it off your bucket list. Way to multi-task!
Even the time and cost of the bleisure trip had an effect: 37% of respondents said the proximity of their trip to the weekend played a role in their decision; the same number of people said the additional costs of the trip helped them decide. That’s always a good strategy: if you can end a trip on Friday or even Thursday, why not stick around for a nice weekend away? (Or if you can manage it, end your trip on a Monday and then stick around for the rest of the week. We won’t tell.)
Among the most popular US bleisure destinations were New York, LA, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and San Francisco.
What are your bleisure travel habits? What do you do to turn your business travel into a little bit of fun? Share your ideas on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter page.
Photo credit: David Iliff, License: CC-BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Airlines Predict Fare Increases Due to Fuel Costs
July 10, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
While this summer is already trending to be the largest travel season ever — up 100,000 fliers per day over last year — travelers may find airline ticket prices going up due to a spike in fuel costs, even while seat availability decreases.
According to the International Air Transportation Association, the cost of gassing up is up 50 percent, with oil selling at $65 a barrel this summer compared to $45 for the same quantity in 2017.
Airline executives told attendees at IATA’s annual meeting they were still optimistic about their carriers’ profitability, since they’ve worked to restructure their businesses so they can absorb the increased cost that always seems to come around this time of year.
While you might think a fuel surcharge may be tacked onto your ticket, there’s good news: the Department of Transportation has made such fees illegal on domestic flights five years ago because the DOT determined they were really just a hidden price increase. These surcharges are permitted on international flights, however, and flights to Asia have seen figures between $50 and $200 — almost 15 percent of the ticket price — tacked on.
Ticket prices to popular summer destinations, such as Europe, haven’t been severely impacted due to competition from the low-cost carriers, but flexible business class seats and fares to parts of the country where there’s less competition have begun to see hikes.
While this recent spike may seem large, airlines learned from the disastrous $140 per barrel season a decade ago. To avoid seeing profits plummet, they’ve implemented price hedging policies to protect their margins.
Bottom line, depending on where you’re heading, those fuel costs surcharges may be unavoidable. Just do your best to find the lowest-priced tickets you can and hope for the best. Also, buy your tickets earlier rather than later when surcharges could get bigger.
Do fuel surcharges affect your business travel plans? How do you deal with surprise fees? Tell us about it on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter page.
Photo credit: Gietje (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)
Passport Expiration Dates Can Impact You More Than You Think
July 5, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
A little-known fact about international travel could snarl your plans or bring them to an abrupt halt if you don’t pay attention to it. Just like you read labels for expiration dates, you need to know your passport expiration date.
Turns out, many countries around the world, with the exception of the European nations, require passports to be valid for six months or more before your entry date. The restriction may apply to your date of entry or your planned date of departure. That is, if you’re flying home from Spain on December 31, your passport can’t expire after June 30.
Twenty-six European countries follow a lesser known law called the Schengen Agreement which allows you to enter their sovereignties, provided three months’ validity remains on your passport beyond your planned date of departure. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, no minimum validity is enforced.
The best way to know which countries have which rules is to check the U.S. Department of State’s website. It has a menu of country-by-country details.
Another thing to keep in mind when traveling with children is that their passports are only good for five years instead of 10. For one family, their son’s passport expiration date completely derailed a long-planned trip to Spain.
They were just two hours from departure when an American Airlines representative told them their son couldn’t board the plane because his passport was due to expire. Turns out a valid passport isn’t always a valid passport.
How can you keep this from happening to you? Follow these guidelines as you plan your next international excursion:
- Check your destination country’s passport validation rules before you plan your itinerary. Do what you need to do if your passport will expire close to the country’s expiration date. Don’t try to slip through unnoticed, because they’re looking out for it.
- Check every person’s passport expiration date before you book your flights. Remember that children’s passports expire every five years, so our best advice is to go ahead and apply for updated documents for any that will expire within the year you plan to go abroad.
- Book your flights with points so you’ll have options. The family in the story above had purchased their flights with miles, so they were able to get their flights refunded. But if they had waited to get them refunded until after the flight had taken off, they would’ve forfeited them and the points. Ouch.
The family in question was able to rebook their flights and used points to put together a last-minute trip stateside. They learned their lesson, so let their experience be a cautionary tale.
Have you ever had passport issues when you travel? Any big problems or narrow-misses? Tell us about it on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter page.
Photo credit: Tony Webster (Wikimedia Commons/Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0)
New Platinum® Elite Collection: Available Only at Travelpro.com
June 18, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
Just because you’re not traveling first class doesn’t mean your clothes can’t. Upgrade your traveling experience when you purchase from the new Travelpro® Platinum® Elite Collection — available exclusively at Travelpro.com through the end of June.
This new 17-piece collection of soft-sided luggage features the PrecisionGlide™ System, which offers precise control and an effortless roll. Three patented features function as an integrated system — just the kind of thoughtful innovation you’ve come to expect from Travelpro.
Travelpro Platinum Elite Vintage Gray
The Contour Grip has cushioned touch points to help alleviate stress on your hand for greater comfort and control. The PowerScope Extension Handle, made with airline-grade aluminum, is lightweight, yet durable and adjusts to four set heights while minimizing wobble. The MagnaTrac® Dual Spinner Wheels are self-aligning, allowing them to roll straight in any direction for excellent maneuverability when you can’t afford to slow down.
The Platinum® Elite Collection features smooth-gliding Spinners and Rollaboard® suitcases, as well as garment bags and personal totes for overnight trips and weekend getaways. Constructed of superior, scuff- and scratch-resistant fabrics with leather accents in online-exclusive colors and all backed by the new Built-for-a-Lifetime Limited Worry-Free Warranty, you’re sure to find the perfect piece of luggage to elevate your travel experience.
The Platinum® Elite Collection warranty “guarantees the functional performance of each piece against defects in material and workmanship for the life of the bag”. Additionally, the new Trusted Companion Promise element offers additional coverage like reimbursement of shipping cost if the product needs to be shipped to an authorized repair center for repair and it also covers the cost of repair for damage caused by an airline or other common carrier as long as you register your bag within the first 120 days of purchase or gift receipt.
Travelpro Platinum Elite
Another design feature created to meet airline regulations is the integrated USB port, which includes a zippered exterior pocket to store your power bank while you charge and use your electronic devices. Your power bank can be removed quickly and easily from the bag’s exterior, allowing you to continue using it during the flight while your bag is stowed in the overhead bin.
From the grab and go, lightweight Platinum® Elite Regional Duffel with built-in strap, easy-access front and back slip pockets for essentials and a roomy interior that accommodates packing cubes, to the sleek, top-of-the-line 29″ Expandable Spinner with fold-out suiter, integrated accessory pockets, and interior tie-down system, this collection has everything you need to elevate your packing game to the highest level—the elite, one might say—with Platinum® Elite.
Are you interested in learning more about the new Platinum Elite collection? You can do so by visiting our website at Travelpro.com. You can also follow us on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter page.
TSA Launches Stricter Screening Guidelines
June 14, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
Enhanced carry-on screening procedures that were tested at 10 U.S. airports during last summer’s peak travel season have now been implemented across the entire security system, which are adding some extra steps to the TSA security check process. The biggest change comes in how travelers must handle their personal electronic devices.
While it has been a requirement for years that laptops be removed from carry-on luggage and placed in a separate bin, now any personal electronic device larger than a cell phone must also be screened outside the bag. The list includes tablets, e-readers, and handheld gaming systems, while batteries for charging these devices have not yet made the list.
“By separating personal electronic items such as laptops, tablets, e-readers, and handheld game consoles for screening, TSA officers can more closely focus on resolving alarms and stopping terror threats,” said TSA Acting Administrator Huban A. Gowadia.
Travelers carrying food and powders through security may also be subject to removal so TSA officers may obtain clear x-ray images. The administration advises travelers to keep their bags uncluttered and organized in order to avoid being selected additional screening of specific items. Also, be aware that some of your items may just call for extra screening anyway, so add some extra time and don’t cut your flight time so close.
For example, carrying a stack of books in your bag may get you pulled aside for additional screening. I know of one person who was traveling with six of his books in his bag to sell at a speaking event, and they showed up as a dense mass on the TSA x-ray machine. So a TSA agent checked each book to ensure there weren’t any explosives inside the pages of the book. The whole process only took an additional 10 minutes, but that could have been a problem if his flight was boarding at that moment.
Individuals with TSA PreCheck are exempt from the new regulations, which is just one more reason to sign up for the security-skipping program.
Staples, the office supply chain, in partnership with security firm, IDEMIA, has announced it will make applying for the five-year priority screening available using 50 IdentoGo enrollment centers at stores in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle this summer. For $85, PreCheck-approved travelers can leave their shoes on and do not have to remove any liquids, electronic devices, belts, or jackets as they go through security.
What plans or contingencies do you have for these new TSA screening guidelines? Have you already experienced them? What did you think? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter page.
Photo credit: NJTVNews (YouTube, Creative Commons)
Bots Poised to Take Over Travel Industry
May 15, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
It’s not just other people who know you these days. Thanks to machine learning, artificial intelligence has evolved to the point that your personal preferences for nearly everything are not only being cataloged, they can assist an AI system in helping you complete everything from a hotel booking to a dinner reservation.
The process is so seamless that sometimes you may not even be aware you’re being helped by a computer instead of a real person. Chatbots are ubiquitous on online travel sites and airline reservation systems, as well as some financial institutions, software help centers, and ecommerce websites. They allow human agents to work on more complex issues, and they facilitate faster processing and confirmation of orders and reservations.
Delta Airlines’ machine for biometric boarding passes
AI’s use in the travel industry is the result of traveler feedback about desired efficiency and convenience. For example, if you don’t want to make any decisions, Google Trips can plan a complete itinerary based on what it has learned from your past travel experiences. Just tell the app where you want to go, and everything is kept in one location and can be adapted if your plans change en route.
The hotel industry is also partnering with technology innovators, like IBM, to provide their guests with “personalized” attention from a robotic concierge, 24/7. Connie, the result of a partnership between Hilton and IBM, provides details about the hotel, its amenities, and local attractions. Its software allows it to continually enhance users’ experiences because it is able to learn from interactions and apply that knowledge in future conversations.
AI is also being used to enhance security at airports. While all of us are aware of the body scanners used in the security screening process, one airport is testing the use of hidden facial recognition cameras to identify who is moving through security areas. Dubai International Airport is testing its facial recognition in real time through the implementation of a virtual aquarium, where cameras track and catalog who moves through the tunnel.
With all this data collection, the next concern for this technology is the potential that exists for breaches of privacy and security, as well as misuse by the organizations storing our data. Do travelers have the right to know if they’re being scanned, photographed, and their data stored somewhere? As we continue to crave efficiency and convenience, this issue will have to be addressed.
What are your thoughts? Are you ready to welcome our robot overlords, or are you a little hesitant to turn your information over to a machine? Tell us about it in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or in our Twitter stream.
Photo credit: Delta Airlines
Five Tips for Getting Your Passport and Avoiding Headaches
May 3, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
Passport applications and renewals are surging at an all-time high, so if you’ve been meaning to renew your old passport or need to apply for a new one, we’d like to give you some tips to make the process as painless as possible.
The reason for the surge dates back to 2007, when the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative of 2007 required all those traveling to the United States from other countries to show a valid passport or approved documentation. This changed from the days when US citizens could travel between Canada and Mexico with just their driver’s licenses. In 2007, 18 million passports were issued, and now all those are approaching or have exceeded their 10-year issuance limit.
Another reason for the record number of applications and renewals is the Department of Homeland Security’s implementation of phase four of the REAL ID Act. Beginning January 18, 2018, a driver’s license was no longer sufficient identification for boarding an airplane if the state didn’t comply with the mandated standards set by the DHS.
So, how can you get that little blue book in the shortest time possible so you don’t encounter any travel headaches? Here are our five tips.
1. What should be obvious by now is this: don’t wait until the last minute to start. If you have a few months before your trip, that may not be enough time. Expediting is possible, but due to the glut of applications and renewal requests, don’t push your luck.
2. For you procrastinators, there is a service you can pay to handle the process for you. Called govWorks, it exists to change the way people interface with federal and foreign governments. The company can accelerate processing for travel visas, passports, and other travel documents by facilitating access to a customer’s information from a secure platform.
govWorks CEO Adam Boalt said, “Many countries will not accept a passport with less than six months of remaining validity. If possible, you should get a passport renewal at least nine months before it expires.”
3. If you travel internationally frequently, consider applying for a 52-page passport. Many people aren’t even aware this is an option, but that almost doubling in capacity can really come in handy when each country requires two stamps for entry and exit from its state. When a page can only accommodate four stamps, the standard 28-page booklet can fill quickly.
4. If you plan to travel with your children and live in a state that is currently out of compliance with the REAL ID Act, get passports for yourself and your children. Keep in mind that children’s passports aren’t issued for the same length of time as adult passports. They are only good for five years and will be required for children who travel with their parents in the continental US if their parents don’t have REAL ID-compliant documentation from their state.
5. Consider having two passports. Boalt confirmed it is possible, and sometimes necessary, to simultaneously hold two valid passports. “Some countries reject passports that contain visa stamps from certain other countries, such as traveling into Israel if you have a stamp from Saudi Arabia. Second passports are also helpful for frequent travelers who might need to apply for multiple visa applications on an ongoing basis,” Boalt said.
Bonus: Finally, don’t assume a passport is all you need to travel to certain destinations. Thoroughly investigate all necessary documentation before planning an itinerary. If you don’t, your biggest travel headache could occur at the airport gate when you are turned away because you lack the appropriate travel visa. To help travelers avoid this frustration, Boalt created Travel Visa, a division of govWorks. Do some investigating and make sure you have what you need before you ever leave the house,
Are you an international traveler? Do you have any passport success stories or horror stories? What have you done to get your passport renewed? Share your tales with us in the comments below, on our Facebook page, orin our Twitter stream.
Bleisure Travel Benefits Company, Employees
May 1, 2018 by Matt Sill · Leave a Comment
Have you ever found yourself scheduling a business trip in an interesting city, and trying to find a way to see some interesting sights in the city? Have you ever tried tacking an extra day onto your trip, or even extending it over the weekend? This is what’s called bleisure travel, the combining of business and leisure.
According to a recent Expedia survey, more business travelers are doing exactly that, and sometimes bringing their family in for the weekend
Expedia Media Solutions and Luth Research found that 43 percent of business trips are actually some combination of business and leisure, and 70 percent of business travelers report doing so every two to three months. According to a similar survey conducted by the Global Business Travel Association, those taking advantage of these opportunities aren’t who you might expect.
Only 33 percent of those between the ages of 35 – 54 said they extended their stays for vacation, while even fewer of those 55+ — only 23 percent — did so. The group with 48 percent participation in bleisure travel were the 18 – 34-year-old business travelers.
Researchers weren’t able to say why definitively, but they speculated this younger group values traveling on someone else’s dime, having a weekend to explore a city when their employer has already picked up the airfare tab, and paying a lower negotiated rate for accommodations by staying at the same hotel they did while they conducted business on the company’s behalf. Expedia’s senior director of owner services stated that 84 percent of bleisure travelers stay in the same hotel they did for business, and the number one reason they move is because they can get a cheaper deal elsewhere.
The GBTA also said employers should encourage bleisure travel as a way to demonstrate they understand this demographic’s stated need for work-life balance.
So, how do you take advantage of a business trip and seize the opportunity to incorporate some leisure into it? Go in early or stay late. If you have business in a particular destination you’d like to explore, consider going in the weekend before those Monday and Tuesday meetings. You might become a hero to the accounting department by negotiating a lower rate because your stay is longer than the typical two-day booking made by most business travelers.
You could also schedule your business on Thursday and Friday and stay over the weekend, paying the same hotel rate and booking a cheaper return fare on Sunday. You may even be able to use the frequent flyer miles you’ve accumulated through other business trips to bring along loved ones or a friend, thereby reducing the cost for those you want to share your vacation time with.
Special Travelpro Bleisure Promotion
Platinum Magna 2 21 Expandable Spinner Suiter
If you’re considering a bleisure trip and you find yourself in need of new luggage, Travelpro has an extra incentive. Between now (Tuesday, May 1, 2018) and Friday, May 4, 2018, purchase any piece of luggage from the Travelpro website and receive a free, foldable nylon tote. This small, compact bag is great for carrying on those fun mementos from that bleisure trip that might otherwise not fit into your normal carry-on luggage.
Are you a bleisure traveler? How do you combine work and business travel? Do you have any suggestions or favorite destinations? Share them with us in the comments below, on our Facebook page, or in our Twitter stream.
Photo credit: PXHere.com (Creative Commons 0, Public Domain)