Business travel can be both rewarding and exhausting. While some relish being out of their comfort zone abroad, others find it hard to adjust to new environments and routines, while still bringing their A-game. But how can you best look after yourself and your work while travelling on business?
Stretch your wings
Being in a sedentary position is a problem for business travellers and office workers alike. Combine the two and that’s a lot of time spent at a desk or in an airplane seat. Add in jetlag and the body is taking quite a hit. Whether or not you practise yoga, there is a range of stretches that help mitigate the effects of all of this, and you don’t need to be able to turn yourself into a human pretzel to do them. Stretches like ‘bridge pose’, ‘spinal twist pose’ and ‘half tortoise’ can all be done on a mat in the hotel gym or even a towel in your room, and they’re great for stretching out tired limbs, increasing circulation and reducing stress and anxiety. They’ll also revive you after a long flight and get you set for whatever your new environment throws at you. And they take no more than 10 to 15 minutes of your time, so what’s to lose?
Drink smart
The temptation when on long-haul flights is to take advantage of the free drinks but try restricting your intake to one or two glasses of beer or wine, and be sure to drink plenty of water. Even better, take on electrolytes, which help maintain your body’s fluid balance, and can be found in food and drink such as orange juice, coconut water, potatoes and spinach. Be sure to drink plenty of water before flying too – at least 2 litres the day before you fly
Beat the language barrier
One thing that can be intimidating is finding yourself in a country where you don’t understand the language. It can cause delays, confusion and maybe even have professional consequences. One way to get around this is to use a ‘cheat sheet’. This might take the form of a booklet or cards with universal images or signs that help people understand what you want, allowing you to communicate information by simply pointing at the pictures. There are apps you might want to think about too, like DuoLingo, which comes in dozens of different languages, and Google Translate.
Be a savvy planner
Planning flights efficiency is no easy feat, but learn to make use of airline alliance booking tools and you could soon be earning and redeeming flight miles like a pro. For example, if you’re a frequent flyer member of a SkyTeam partner airline their Plan & Book tool lets you book flights across 19 different airlines to 175 different countries, so you can get to exactly where you want, earn those miles and redeem them across a wider range of carriers.
Offline maps
You’re lost in a new city, there’s no wifi and you don’t want to spend a fortune on data roaming to help you navigate. Avoid this scenario by downloading an offline map of your destination to your phone before you travel. Apps like CityMaps2Go, Google Maps Offline and Maps.me are ideal, with thousands of destinations in hundreds of countries, using up-to-date, detailed and easy-to-follow maps, and coming with plenty of additional features like information on footpaths, bikeways and public transport.
Find the Internet
And if you’re after a café or comfortable public space in which you can work for a short while, make sure you’ve downloaded a ‘find the internet’ app prior to travel, something like WiFi Map, Wiman, NetSpot or WeFi, which show local internet hotspots on a map. Such apps also provide information and feedback on download speeds and facilities so you can plan for a productive time.
Use a VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is free, easily downloadable software that enables users to share and receive data across public networks as if they were directly connected to a private network. The fundamental reason for having one is security, a constant worry when you’re travelling for business and are likely to be using wifi in public places. After all, the last thing you need while trying to concentrate on work is to discover that criminal hackers have accessed your bank details and password. Another advantage of a VPN is you can access internet content in territory that might otherwise be restricted, places like China for example.
Frequent flyer perks
Finally, if you frequently travel for work our top tip is to become part of a frequent flyer program. For example, sign up to a SkyTeam member airline program and you can start earning and redeeming miles across all alliance member airlines, while building up the points required to get you access to their airport lounges and benefits such as the red carpet treatment with SkyPriority. Escape the queues and bustle of the terminal and kick back in a comfort of a SkyTeam lounge, whether that’s for relaxation or to get busy at one of the workstation areas.
Find out about the benefits of signing up for member airlines’ frequent flyer programmes to start earning and redeeming miles on all SkyTeam member airlines. No need to register for several programs, their alliance-wide offer has you covered. Find out more…