Some co-workers know all the hottest new restaurants for people in search of a special meal. Others pitch in with clever budgeting workarounds. But when you’re the office oracle for travel, your advice is in constant demand.
In addition to the jetlag and frustrations that come with frequent travel, road warriors say an increasing part of their job is being the travel adviser for co-workers. No question is out of bounds, from maximizing frequent-flier miles to changing diapers on airplanes.
Newsletter Sign-up
Most embrace the role, often because they had a travel mentor when they started learning the ins and outs—and they know how difficult travel can be.
“If you let business travel bother you, it will eat you alive,” says Dave Menton, a vice president at a retail industry association. Co-workers often quiz him about his travel strategies.
Travel is one area where many people assume someone else has a secret solution. Some people always seem to score that upgrade or stay at the best hotels for next to nothing.
Since more travel is self-booked, even at the corporate level, there often aren’t professionals available to help. The office road warrior becomes the unofficial travel agent.
Airline tickets are full of rules and penalties. It can be challenging to find good value in rewards programs. Safety is always a concern, especially with little-known carriers. And life on the road is full of potholes and stress.
“I think there’s always that feeling that maybe you’re getting screwed. Did I actually get the best deal or not?” says Paul Singh, chief executive of a venture-capital firm in the Washington, D.C., area, who finds himself frequently answering questions from people at companies he invests in because, well, he’s the one always traveling. “I think the airlines are their own worst enemy. Things shouldn’t be as hard as they are,” he says.
Sometimes questions get very detailed and even delicate, like the diaper question.
“You see a look of sheer terror on someone’s face just thinking about having to do that,” says Mr. Singh. His answer: “Ask a flight attendant which bathroom has a foldout changing table.”
Todd Matlovsky, a San Francisco-based division vice president for a hamburger chain, manages a team of workers based all over the country. He sees part of his job to be helping co-workers book trips efficiently so they keep expenses down, such as the best way to get somewhere like Rapid City, S.D.
“It’s probably best to fly to Sioux Falls and drive,” Mr. Matlovsky says, even though it’s more than a four-hour drive. “You have better air service there.”
Mr. Matlovsky’s current favorite piece of advice: Avoid the bus ride to a remote lot for catching a taxi at New York’s LaGuardia Airport during the construction mess. Instead, exit from Terminal B, use 94th Street to cross to the other side of Grand Central Parkway and catch an Uber or Lyft within 10 minutes from there.
Share Your Thoughts
What’s your best travel tip? Join the conversation below.
Many people are knowledgeable about travel, but still seek reassurance from the experts. Several office oracles say they simply tell colleagues what they do and which brands they use. They don’t want the responsibility of recommending something that turns out badly.
What surprises them most is how many co-workers don’t bother to sign up for trusted traveler programs like Global Entry from Customs and Border Protection and PreCheck from the Transportation Security Administration. (Signing up for Global Entry puts you in PreCheck as well.) Many are also big users of Clear, a private service that uses biometrics to identify members and lets them jump to the front of an airport security line.
Traveling with one regional manager one time, Mr. Matlovsky was shocked at how many “mistakes” the employee made. He was ill-prepared for TSA screening, for example, struggling to organize his clothes and baggage and then losing things as he reassembled.
“You have to have a ritual,” he says. “Everything in the same place each time.”
Other rookie mistakes: waiting to select your seat when you book—always do it right away—and booking a connection that’s too tight, especially on evening flights. A small delay can mean missing your connection and getting stuck someplace overnight if it’s the last flight out.
“It’s happened to me about four times and I learned that’s a really bad idea,” says Mr. Menton, who is almost always connecting in Atlanta since he lives near Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He books connecting flights at least 90 minutes apart, especially in summer thunderstorm season.
Because of his longer layovers, he uses miles for an annual Delta Sky Club membership so he has a comfortable place to work and avoid crowds.
Ellen Prinzi, a vice president for business development for a media company, once bounced around the U.S. as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals front office. She says because of her travels she stays current on the best new restaurants in lots of cities and is happy to research places for friends.
“They ask about authentic experiences because they don’t want touristy,” she says. “They get lazy about it and trust me.”
Another area she frequently gets questions about: travel anxiety, especially from women concerned about safety and logistics.
“It’s a compliment when they ask,” she says.
Mr. Singh says there’s satisfaction for travel tipsters when their disciples stop dreading time on the road.
“What I really, really enjoy is when people get past this mental block and see travel as not that unachievable thing. You see the spark in their eyes when they start to enjoy it,” he says.
Mr. Menton is a bag checker—many frequent fliers have come to loathe the overhead bin “crampetition” and recognize that airline baggage handling actually has improved. And he’s frugal in how he redeems his frequent-flier miles. He takes an annual fishing trip with a friend, and sometimes a coach ticket months in advance requires 60,000 or 70,000 miles. It’s cheaper to pay cash at that redemption level.
“I can get two round-trips for that many miles,” he says.
Tips From the Semi-Pros
Road warriors often find themselves dispensing travel advice in the office. Here are some of their tips:
* Use trusted traveler programs (Global Entry, PreCheck, Clear)
* Fly, then drive. Don’t wait for a small plane to a small airport with infrequent service. Better to land at the nearest well-served airport and drive.
* Search by duration. Time matters more than price.
* Don’t book tight connections. Rookie mistake.
* Accumulate points at cheaper hotels. Redeem at nice brands.
* Have a routine at security so you don’t lose things or slow up the line.
* Don’t be afraid to check your bag.
* Pick a seat as soon as you book a flight.
* Use points frugally. If the price in points is too high, it’s better to pay cash.
Write to Scott McCartney at middleseat@wsj.com
Copyright ©2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
2019-11-06 10:30:00Z
https://www.wsj.com/articles/all-hail-the-office-travel-guru-11573036202
CBMiSGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndzai5jb20vYXJ0aWNsZXMvYWxsLWhhaWwtdGhlLW9mZmljZS10cmF2ZWwtZ3VydS0xMTU3MzAzNjIwMtIBTGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndzai5jb20vYW1wL2FydGljbGVzL2FsbC1oYWlsLXRoZS1vZmZpY2UtdHJhdmVsLWd1cnUtMTE1NzMwMzYyMDI
Bagikan Berita Ini
Related Posts :
Alessandra Sublet : Chemisier transparent et soutien-gorge apparent, elle étonne les internautes ! - Pure People- Exclu. Le coup de gueule de Tex pour la dernière des Z'amours : "La télévision part en co**lles et on n'y peut rien..." - Télé Loisirs.fr
- Coup de griffe ! Harry et Meghan contre-attaquent après de nouvelles accusations - Closer France
- Prince Harry, prêt à faire la paix ? Ces discussions épineuses avec son clan... - Pure People
- Pass sanitaire en Italie : Un étudiant se fait tatouer son QR code sur le biceps - 20 Minutes
0 Response to "All Hail the Office Travel Guru - Wall Street Journal"
Post a Comment