10 Business Travel Hacks to Maximise Productivity and Comfort

Business travel can be both exhilarating and exhausting. From navigating airports and long flights to staying productive on the go, business travellers face a host of challenges. However, with the right strategies, insider tips and business travel hacks, you can optimise your travel experience to maximise productivity and comfort. Our business travel experts present the top 10 business travel hacks that will help you stay efficient, organised and stress-free while on the move. So fasten your seatbelt and get ready to unlock the secrets of successful business travel.

1. Plan Ahead and Pack Smart

Start your journey to productivity by planning ahead. Ensure you have a detailed itinerary, including all flight details, meetings and accommodations. Pack efficiently, particularly if only travelling on hand luggage. Focus on essential items and versatile clothing options. Consider calling ahead at your accommodation to check the availability of amenities such as hairdryers, irons and laundry services. Consider using packing cubes to keep your luggage organised and make packing and unpacking a breeze.

2. Embrace Digital Tools

Harness the power of technology to streamline your business travel. Use travel apps to manage itineraries, track expenses and access important documents. Explore productivity apps for task management, note-taking and document scanning to ensure useful tools are always at your fingertips. We recommend the likes of OneDrive for file sharing on the go, Quickbooks for expense and receipt tracking and Otter.ai for minute taking and live transcriptions.

3. Join Loyalty Programmes

If you travel for business frequently, take advantage of airline and hotel loyalty schemes. Accumulate points, enjoy exclusive perks and access airport lounges for a more comfortable experience. Loyalty schemes also offer opportunities to upgrade and earn rewards for future trips. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll be enjoying a First Class seat or Junior hotel suite sooner than you think!

4. Master the Art of Sleep

Restful sleep is essential for productivity. Bring along a travel pillow, blanket, noise-cancelling headphones and an eye mask to create a sleep friendly environment. If you are travelling long-haul chances are your airline will already provide most of this. A new environment isn’t always conducive to sleep. Stick to your usual bedtime routines if you can and avoid caffeine and screen time before bed to improve sleep quality. Other sleep promoting aids to consider for your accommodation would be lavender pillow spray, camomile tea bags or preparing a white noise playlist.

5. Create a Mobile Office

Transform your travel time into a productive workspace. Lightweight laptops or tablets are ideal. Your portable office should also include a charger and noise-cancelling headphones. Opt for airlines and accommodations with Wi-Fi access and space for working. Lounge access at airports is an ideal environment for working. If your cabin class doesn’t already include this, consider paying a fee for entry if available. Most hotels offer workspaces in-room and good hotels generally include facilities for business travellers such as fully equipped business centres.

6. Time Zone Optimisation

Conquer jet lag and optimise your productivity across time zones. Adjust your sleep schedule before departure, stay hydrated and strategically plan your activities upon arrival to acclimatise to the local time as fast as possible. Consider apps that help track and manage time zone differences.

7. Eat Smart

Fuel your body and mind with nutritious meals to increase productivity. Avoid fast-food and too much sugar to avoid any sluggish feelings during your business travels. Research local dining options in advance to find healthy and delicious cuisines close to your accommodation and meeting locations. Stock up on nutritious snacks for busy schedules to avoid energy crashes between meetings.

8. Exercise and Stretch

Combat the sedentary nature of business travel by incorporating exercises and stretches into your day. Utilise hotel gyms or swimming pools during your stay. Alternatively, opt for in-room workouts using fitness apps or take short walks to explore the destination in between meetings to stay active and rejuvenate.

9. Take Time for Self-Care

Self-care can look like many things. Ultimately it’s about dedicating some time for relaxation to maintain balance and reduce stress or burn-out. Whether its through meditation, reading, a quick workout or spa session, make time for you. Perhaps incorporate exploring the local area and enjoying a hobby, whether that be exploring museums and galleries or trying local street food at a market.

10. Use a Business Travel Agency / Travel Management Company

Sourcing, booking and managing all aspects of a travel itinerary or multiple itineraries can be a real headache! Its likely that it takes up a large chunk of your time that could be used more effectively elsewhere in your professional life. A business travel agency or travel management company can alleviate that load for you. Leave the travel sourcing to a business travel expert. A good business travel agent will get to know you and your preferences as well as help you manage loyalty schemes with airlines and hotels. They will then proceed to book the option(s) you deem most suitable and help to manage every step of the trip for your comfort and safety until you arrive back home.

By implementing these ten business travel hacks, you can transform your business travels into productive and comfortable journeys. Our business travel experts at Your Travel Corporate are on hand for any queries and wish you safe travels!