womantraveler

The Perils of Business Travel (in a Virtual Company) -- Go Figure!

I picked up this terrific read from Ann Handley of Marketing Profs this morning -- an 8-point guide to surviving business travel -- and still catching up from a finished a week of business travel myself, I wanted to share its wise and funny insights.

To her tips, I would add two points:

• Always pack a change of business clothing in your carry-on if you are checking luggage. I'll never forget being rerouted from Philly to Newark, but my bag went to Philly and couldn't be delivered until midday the next day. I was in jeans and had a business meeting at 9 am, where suits were the attire. The town where my client worked had no department store. Fortunately I was able to postpone the meeting until lunch (when the luggage arrived in the nick of time).
• Invest in a lighter laptop for that airport racing and schlepping, which I just did, especially if you need a real laptop, not an iPAD or such, for your work.

Speaking of O'Hare, last evening my colleague and I had a 30-minute conversation while he sat in a small regional jet for 30 minutes waiting for a gate, with his next flight scheduled only 35 minutes ahead. Finally his plane started moving, but not toward the closest gate -- they took a 10-minute cruise completely around the B and C gates all the way over to the F gates -- he was nearly hysterical! He made his flight with minutes to spare, but this is the stuff of heart attacks...and in today's skies, business travelers live this way constantly.

Reading "The Middle Seat" by Scott McCartney in the Wall Street Journal is my regular business travel therapy. Check this one out -- so who gets the armrest? and other inflight etiquette.

Wi-Fi in United's Skies

I tried out United Airline's new GoGo in-flight Wi-Fi service between New York and San Francisco yesterday. It can be used on laptops and smartphones and other handheld devices equipped with Wi-Fi. What a breeze! United's service is now available in all classes on its p.s. (premium service) flights from JFK to San Francisco and Los Angeles and is already on several other U.S. airlines. Virgin America, which was the first beginning in May, is now offering a free holiday season promotion to all guests through Jan. 12, 2010.

I was planning to sleep but couldn't resist the free offer from the GoGo sales rep at boarding. (GoGo's single flight passes range from $5.95-12.95 a trip, depending on the length of the flight, and a 30-day pass is $24.95, which can be used on all participating airlines.) It works just like any other short-term Internet service -- you go to a login page, put in a special code or your regular subscription information, et voila!

I sent several emails (and received) as well as surfed the Internet for work-related research. I even wrote my previous blog item, "Sorrento, Come Back," but didn't go live from the air because the signal was too slow uploading the pictures. That I had to do once back in the office, but so far, I would call that a minor issue. Here's what the Wall Street Journal's high-tech guru Walt Mossberg has to say about GoGo.

Business Travel: Be Agile

Entrepreneurs are agile, smart businesses in the new (aka recession) economy are agile and we business travelers have to be extra-agile to protect our business and navigate the predictable wacky travel uncertainties.

It's not only airlines.  Here's a familiar tale from a consultant friend  navigating the  East Coast for various clients recently -- arrival at Washington, DC's Union Station from private car service (to avoid taxi hassles) in good advance time only to discover that the Amtrak from Washington, DC, to New York City is delayed due to a freak situation (water main break near Baltimore).

Vital meetings were firmly and tightly scheduled for later in the afternoon and evening in Connecticut. Click, click, click -- brain cells go into action. Call airlines from cell phone, book next flight from Reagan International Airport, call private car service for return pick up at train station, zip over to Reagan, make the last flight before the thundershowers hit in both DC for departures and potential delays at LaGuardia. Whew!

What does it take to accomplish this? Think fast, have alternatives/options always at hand, keep your brain alert and your resources ready for quick action. Of course, such a plan is not foolproof, but it does yield big time in most cases. Scott McCartney's "Ten Rules of the Road for Air Travel" in the Wall Street Journal provides a terrific template for pulling it all together, business or leisure. Quick thinking is crucial -- calling the airline by cell phone while you're walking through the train station or airport and, critically, before even reaching a customer service line.

You have to be working all the channels at once as your own private switchboard. That means, first of all, thinking nimbly and having all necessary numbers loaded into your address book so they can be dialed up instantly on your cell phone. In this unpredictable world of business -- and leisure travel -- delays, the only constant is OPTIONS.

A Dining Rhapsody in Chicago

After a busy client day in the Windy City, trusting my intuition for a light dinner at Rhapsody's bar in the Chicago Symphony Center was really smart. And the choice of a flight of three cheeses with a salad of fresh greens, a crab cake and white wine was brilliant. Going solo on business, I've learned to ask the bartender what's hot -- and usually that recommendation is a winner.

I'm savoring the reminiscence of Raschera (Italian Piedmont), Garrotxa (Spanish Pyrennes) and Tete de Moine (Switzerland), an assortment of both goat's and cow's milk with a variety from sharp to balanced and sweet, different textures, and so on. A glass of the sturdy Sanford Chadonnay just nailed it.

Here's my formula for a successful dinner alone in a big U.S. city as a Womantraveler. Do a little research. Read the brochures in your hotel room or ask your clients for some options. Typically the local office workers drift to the bars and early dinners straight from their jobs, so 5 to 7:30 is the worst. If you don't have a reservation, especially in a busy downtown scene like Chicago, you have to improvise. And I don't typically have huge expense budgets so I do like the bar or light meal options.

Rhapsody was smart because the early crowd is headed to the symphony and the rush begins to dissipate between 7 and 7:30. And, often bar and lounge seating (which I prefer because of the abbreviated menus and quicker service) is pretty jammed. So I got there as soon as I could, in this case about 6:30, and was willing to wait (with a smile). I make sure the staff knows I'm there and waiting patiently. It pays to be friendly -- there are lots of pushy people who aren't. When a seat opens, I take my place.

Another good choice in Chicago was 1492 Tapas Bar at 42 E. Superior Street off upper Michigan Avenue. In a rainstorm, it was a haven -- and my own bar table with an ample choice of appetizers felt novel, was definitely tasty and the budget was right, too. Candidly, I would put it in the "good but not great" category, but it certainly was far above an ordinary meal at a hotel or familiar chain. When I'm traveling for business, I seek dinners out of the ordinary. It makes the day feel not so routine -- and in my  life, every day counts.

Bags Here Today, Gone Today

It only takes one lost luggage experience on the way to the first meeting with a new client to change the system for packing. Showing up in jeans and a day-old shirt clearly won't deliver impressions of professionalism and confidence to the president or CEO. So when my flight from California to Philadelphia got canceled in Chicago, and I quickly snagged the last seat on a flight to Newark, NJ, silly me...I had happily managed to actually get to the East Coast -- and to arrive within 90 minutes' drive from my final destination -- and I expected to rendezvous with my bags at Newark baggage claim.

Having to figure out an alternative at 11:30 pm on a Sunday night does not provide a lot of options for the 9 am meeting the next morning. The lessons:

• Always carry on a small bag with a change of clothing, or wear something that can be washed overnight. Business travelers customarily carry on a suitcase for this reason, but carrying on can be a real hassle -- when traveling for a week or in winter and needing multiple outfits, when flying on small commuter jets with little or no storage, when toting a roller bag computer case that is chock full of business papers and when trying not to injure neck, shoulders and back with lots of schlepping. The one solution -- my default travel outfit: Chico's "Travelers Series." I was an early-adopter of this professional-looking wash-and-go line that also has many dress-up options, and the articles can be rolled into tiny spaces relatively wrinkle free. This solution also jives with my "always wear skirts" philosophy for airplane travel.
• Wear comfortable but stylish shoes that can be transformed into business attire the next morning.
• Carry on all make up, a toothbrush, fresh change of underwear, jewelry and other accessories. This is a good idea for a day trip because travel delays can wreak all kinds of havoc on one's appearance -- let alone well-planned calendars. Hotels usually carry some cosmetic items -- and have irons -- but don't expect eyeliner or fresh nylons.
• Remember that hotel shampoos and hair dryers come in very handy if you have to wash out clothing in a rush. To speed up drying, first wrap the item in a towel, twist the towel to squeeze out excess (or stomp on it) and then apply the hair dryer action.
• Always pack a pashmina -- the rayon versions found at most airports for under $20 are indispensable. If nothing else, you can wrap up and hide under a colorful pashmina and look quite professional and stylish.
• Check out 24-hour emergency bag delivery services provided by some airlines at some airports. This isn't always a sure thing. While the helpful United Airlines baggage customer service telephone operators were on the job all night, the local company delivering the bags from the Philly airport had closed down before I got to Newark and did not open again until 6 am the next morning. But I was able to talk to a resourceful and sympathetic sympathetic baggage service operator who put a rush on delivery the next morning.
• Put a copy of your itinerary in your luggage -- in case someone in baggage service has to open it to locate you as the owner.

The gods sorted things out so I could be a little late to the first meeting, but that isn't always something you can count on. Oh, yes, and the carry-on options are only going to get worse with all the airline cutbacks. So, stay tuned...

Shop 'til You Drop on Your Handheld

It's easier and easier to shop by mobile phone or PDA while you're on the road. Here's a roundup of the most popular Web shopping sites with their special slimmed-down interfaces for small screens -- and links to a few lesser-known sites as well. Save this for wirelessly happy travels.

Tax-tracking Business Travel

It's that time of the year again when the W-9s and 1099s start rolling in in anticipation of spring tax season. If you're a business traveler, especially an independent business traveler like me, you're either well-organized and way ahead of the game -- or facing a pile of uncatalogued receipts. So file this advice away now and follow it -- some quick tips for keeping better records on the road.

Navigating the Washington, DC Landscape

As Congress and the White House launch their much-anticipated 2007 battles this week, thoughts turn to the US Capital and its attraction as a not-to-be-missed nerve center of the world. However, having lived in the Washington, DC happily off and on since the '60s, I'm alarmed what a struggle it is to visit now for work or pleasure. The region is practically unnavigable! Cultural expansion, a wealth of historical and political tourism and a breathtaking influx of new residents from home and abroad have resulted in a transportation nightmare (an overburdened Metrorail system, gridlock on the roadways and a dearth of downtown parking). Since 1960 the DC area has more than doubled in size to 5 million, and the giddy lack of planning controls is unfortunately evident today.

Fortunately there are bright spots -- the major improvements finally starting to go on line at Dulles International Airport and the growth of urban centers in surrounding communities, making a trip downtown often unnecessary for business travelers.

One tip for making DC manageable is to stay in one of the dozens of new hotels in close-in suburbs, such as Arlington, Virginia. Thirty years ago Arlington's Ballston area was a suburban crossroads of auto dealerships and small retail stores; today it's a bustling urban center served by Metrorail, Interstate 66 and hundreds of restaurants (many of them, particularly in the Clarendon area about two miles east along the same corridor retaining their Mom-and-Pop ethnic or neighborhood pub feel). A Ballston center dining highlight was the hibachi-style Matsukake Steak & Sushi Restaurant, where knife-juggling hibachi chefs entertain diners at large communal counters. There's also a new P.F. Chang's and, less expensive quality options in chain specialties such as Chipotle, Panera Bread and Chevy's Fresh Mex. (Beware of long lines by office workers at lunch.)

This explosive growth also is bringing spiffy new hotels, including the Westin Arlington Gateway, a high-rise structure at the multi-lane intersection of Wilson Blvd. and North Glebe Road. As a longtime Westin and Starwood hotels fan, I wish I could be more positive about the experience.

Hotel News

Happy to hear that Starwood Hotels have reflagged the Hilton Key West Resort & Marina to The Westin Key West Resort & Marina. If you visit, you'll experience an upscale renovation for the next two years but it's well-deserved. Key West has some of the best sunsets anywhere, but its lodging is hit and miss. These upgrades will include conversion of the Sunset Key Cottages just 500 yards offshore into 37 luxurious residential-style accommodations. Since Key West began moving from funky/laid-back to hot/stylish in the 1980s (and, for my money, a big loss), I vote for classy trumping wanna-be wherever possible there now.

Good news, too, that we can now print out our boarding passes in the lobbies of Marriott and Renaissance hotels. Checking into flights early helps reduce onsite airport hassles, ever more prolific these days.

Hotels are trying to create community -- try harder, I say, since airlines are herding us around like sheep. Sheraton's move in this direction is to invite visitors to share stories, tips and photos about travel finds and hotel experiences. Sheraton calls it "the first hotel industry website to embrace social media and feature user generated concent." There's even a "live chat" option for those needing help with a particular property. The home page "flash" globe loaded a little too slowly in my browser, but something to give a try anyway. I always check out several online sites and compare the visitor ratings, never depending solely on one catalogue of opinions. Everybody's got a fave and a beef about something -- so our job is to be influenced by the opinions that suit our preferences.

The ABC's of Biz Travel

Successful business travel for me has three requirements -- comfort (including quiet), convenience and connectivity (and if we're lucky, charm). So much for the C's. Which means that the right B's (or B&B's) can fill the bill as much as any executive hotel. And we womentravelers get an A for adaptation. Which brings me to the Cornerstone Mansion in Omaha, Nebraska, where the ABC's of women's business travel are largely met.

As a frequent woman business traveler, you know it's a waste of a precious day to treat any destination as simply "a place" with no identity of its own. That's why the Cornerstone Mansion was a good find in Omaha and a great lesson for my business travel to other cities. I had always enjoyed the Hilton Omaha, but along with the other major hotels it was booked for the annual College World Series.

So my clients suggested a bed-and-breakfast inn. This 1893 mansion is populated during the weekly primarily by women business travelers. Situated in the city's historic "Gold Coast," where structures date back to the prairie explorations of the late 19th-early 20th century pioneers, it is adorned in hand-carved wall paneling, mantles and balustrades of mahogany, among other woods brought in from Oregon and the West. What better mix of past and present than of neighboring mansions in Scottish baronial, French chateau and American craftsman styles, rooms wired with free Wi-Fi and CNN news playing on the parlor TV?

Down the street was McFoster's Natural Kind vegetarian restaurant, a casual neighborhood place that serves chicken and seafood, interesting wines and fresh-squeezed juices. For my second-night dinner, I went downtown to the Old Market District, and was delightfully spoiled in the upscale elegance of The French Cafe, having previously enjoyed on other business trips neighboring restaurants V Mertz and M's Pub.