Choose your own flights and flight times. This allows you a measure of control over your trip, and lets you plan around any personal or family activities. Selecting your own flights can be challenging when you have a corporate travel desk employed to minimize travel expenses. Travel desks will often book your flights based on the minimum price and their own convenience, rather than your needs. You could be stuck with flights that are the least expensive, but cost you both time and effort.
I have managed to circumvent corporate travel desks by researching flight alternatives on Expedia or Travelocity Web sites before calling the travel agent. I can almost always find low-cost flights that the travel agent will accept and are more convenient to me. As long as the price sounds reasonable, they will rarely bother doing research themselves. I have simply copied my own flight information onto the travel request form, and it has never been rejected.
Consider using a secondary airport that might be more easily accessible for you, or offer better facilities. For example, Boston's Logan Airport is the nearest major airport to me. But because Logan is surrounded by highway construction, it's difficult to get to during rush hour. Plus, parking is practically impossible. So instead, I typically fly out of Manchester, N.H., a regional airport served by major carriers, which is easier to get to and has excellent parking.
Additionally, it's a good idea to research the on-time percentage of your flights, available from either Expedia or Travelocity. If you have a 30-minute layover, for instance, and your incoming flight shows a 40% on-time performance, you may want to consider a different connection.
Furthermore, obtain nice accommodations. Getting plenty of rest is critical to your job performance on the road. If you're on a per diem, spend it at a decent hotel. Research hotels on the Web or via a travel agency like AAA. Ask for the opinions of friends and colleagues. If you're staying for more than a night or two, consider a suite hotel that offers a sitting room, bedroom, and often a small kitchen. These usually cost no more than a standard hotel room. Last year, I found an excellent suite hotel in the Raleigh, N.C. area, at a reasonable price, and even obtained a discount coupon from the Chamber of Commerce Web site to boot.
Be sure that your work location is easy to get to from your hotel. You can't predict what the traffic patterns will be like in a new city. A half-hour drive on Sunday could turn into a two-hour commute Monday morning. Also, know where you're going to eat your morning and evening meals, so you don't waste your time driving across town to restaurants.
Make certain that your personal responsibilities are being managed. This is especially important if you're going to be away from home for weeks or even months at a time. Find a friend to collect your mail, pay your bills, watch your house or apartment, and perhaps take your car out for a spin. If you have family members who depend on you, they must know where to turn with problems encountered during your absence. If necessary, go to a lawyer and execute a limited power of attorney. Then, someone else that you trust can make decisions and sign checks or documents in your name if necessary.
Finally, if you're not in a hurry to return home when your business is concluded, take an extra couple of days at the end of your trip and fill them with leisure activities. This will help you relax before going back to the office, and let you see and learn about an area that you might not otherwise visit. Staying over a weekend can cut the cost of your airfare too.
When you're traveling for business, it isn't always possible to take all of these things into account. But if you feel that your travel is taking away from your work performance and/or personal or family life, you can at least ease the burden a bit by planning a little in advance. This will ensure that your travel plans meet with your schedule rather than someone else's.