1. Go ahead and pay to join
something like AA's Admirals Club.
With it you’ll get assistance with reservations, seat
selection and boarding pass issuance; a quite place to wait and
work; complimentary snacks and beverages; private bar at most
locations, and showers at some. At around $450/yr. for one person,
it could be well worth it.
2. Use airport Conference Rooms and Executive Centers.
Saves everything from nerves to time to money. No membership
required. Eliminates need for overnight stay, hotel or car
rentals.
There are 22 available at O’Hare, for instance.
Executive Centers come equipped with everything you need to
conduct business. Call 1-800-237-7971, option 3.
3. Keep all your luggage on wheels, use one carryon, invest
in good luggage.
According to the US Transportation Dept., about 1 in 200 bags
are lost, misdirected or stolen, which is about one person per
flight. 87% of this happens at the curbside check-in station.
Advantages: don’t have to tip porter; don’t have to arrive
as early; if you miss your connection, you can easily rebook
yourself; you can easily volunteer to be bumped on a full flight;
no wait once you land.
4. Take a book with you.
Better than TV in most hotel rooms, good for waits, also good
to hide behind if you get next to someone in the plane who annoys
you. Leave it behind for another traveler or tear off chapters as
you go along and lighten you load. If you can find one that will
make you laugh, all the better. Best stress reliever there is.
5. The travel wardrobe.
Coordinate to one color, like black. Many women, myself
included, swear by Tencel®. Indestructible, always looks nice.
Choose the right print blouses and it won’t show stains.
Gentlemen, consider microfiber fabrics. Choose something with
inner pockets (that zip!) for important papers and cash.
6. Don’t appear wealthy.
Especially important in 3rd world countries. Wear cheap-looking
watch and jewelry and leave the diamonds at home. Makes you less
of a target for pick pockets and luggage theft. If you must take a
camera, guard the lens; popular with pick pockets as well.
Remove luggage tags from other trips. Thieves consider it a
tip-off that you're the cherished “rich frequent traveler”.
7. Cash.
Hide cash in different parts of your body. If traveling
internationally, get new bills, as some countries won’t take
“dirty” money. In Africa, for instance take new $100 bills.
The exchange rate on anything lower is not good. Check with
someone else who’s been where you’re going. i.e., in Russia,
they aren’t supposed to take US dollars, but they sure do.
8. If you get a rental car, write down all the information
about it. Just in case you forget what you’re driving.
9. Stay alert.
Take a water bottle with you for dehydration and drink 2
glasses of water before you board. While on the plane, splash
water on your face; when you get to the hotel, take a warm bath.
Relieves stress and sore muscle, plus dry membranes are more
vulnerable to infection.
Go rested.
Try the Argonne
Anti-Jet-Lag Diet.
10. Take measures to avoid developing deep vein thrombosis.
Drink lots of water, avoid beverages that dehydrate, avoid
salty food, wear support socks, get up and move around whenever
you can, exercise your feet and legs 4-5 mins. every hour.
