Ten Tips for Business Travel

There is nothing more frustrating than knowing that you are supposed to be in another city for a meeting, and knowing also that there is no way you'll make it. According to a survey conducted in 2004, business travel was the top stressor for 76% of business associates. "It's like investigating a strange noise in an old house at night," a colleague once told me. "You just know it's going to have a terrible ending."

Unfortunately, problems with business travel are not completely avoidable. You can have a minute-by-minute itinerary, confirmation from all connecting flights, rental cars and hotels booked, and you still might not make it to the 9:00 conference. That's simply a fact of life. After 9/11, airports are even crazier than they were in years past, and there are so many people traveling that mistakes are bound to be made.

Thankfully, however, there are a few things that you can do to make business travel run more smoothly. It won't guarantee you a perfect business trip, but it will at least partially eliminate some of the major concerns.

1. Choose your airline carefully

Businesses are notorious for trying to save a few extra bucks where they can - including their employees' travel arrangements. If a business thinks that they can save by booking you on a smaller airline, then they will probably do it, leaving you to pay the price.

There is nothing wrong with smaller airlines, but they tend to go bankrupt much more quickly than the larger companies. For example, in March of 2005, a Canadian budget airline called Jetsgo suddenly liquidated, leaving 18,000 passengers without tickets to their destinations. This happens all the time - especially in the last three years - and it can cause quite a bit of confusion and panic for business associates who have to be somewhere. Encourage your employer to go the extra mile and buy plane tickets from major airlines.

2. Pay with a credit card.