Embassy Suites recently did their fourth annual business travel survey. Last year, they surveys showed that the vast majority of business travelers who had less face time with clients reported it had a negative impact on their business. Many lost deals, and some lost clients altogether! It seemed quite obvious to me that technology can’t replace face to face interaction, so I’m happy to report that this survey shows business travel is again on the rise.

• Fewer business travelers are citing cut backs on travel due to the economy—32% this year vs. 41% in 2011.
• Instead, travelers are being more frugal—looking for better hotel values (22%) or cutting back on meal expenditures (19%).
• In addition, road warriors are looking for more out of their hotels—including more space (46%),  free breakfasts (70%), and HD TVs (42%).

My thoughts: I have definitely noticed an uptick in travel for Q1 of 2012 compared to this time last year, and this trend will be continuing for me through Q2. Thinking back on it, I have been spending less on incidentals, but not on purpose—it’s just happened. And while I love space and free breakfast, it makes me laugh that so many people want HD TVs in their hotel room. Although since giving up cable last year I must say I really enjoy watching HGTV and Sex and the City reruns in hotels…..

Readers, what has your experience been? Are travel cut backs getting better?

Recently, I read a Facebook comment that said this person’s favorite time to fly is early morning, because they will get to their destination early, and flights are less crowded. I agree that early morning can be a good time to travel, but I am confused about the less crowded flights this person has experienced. Nonetheless, it inspired me to think about the pros and cons of flying at different times, and my own favorite time to fly.

Early morning: The nice thing about early morning flights is that the airlines haven’t had a chance yet to get off track, so everything is usually on time. Also, it’s true that you do get to your destination sooner, which for business travelers means getting to work sooner, so fewer nights on the road and more time with family. The problem is that the flights are usually super crowded, and airport security lines are often incredibly long. Another problem—you have to get up at obscene hours to make these flights, which can make for a looooong day.

Mid-morning to mid-afternoon: Early afternoon is actually my favorite time to fly. Most business travelers are through airports already, so lines are shorter and flights tend to be a little less full. You get regular amounts of sleep (yes!!!), plus I really like flying with the sun is up. Don’t know why. Of course, the problems are the opposite of early morning travel—you lose a lot of potential productive time, and delays could have built up by that time.

Evening. Flying home at the end of the workday seems so much more satisfying than going to a hotel and taking a flight out in the morning. The main perk is that you got your work done, and you get to go home! Of course, it has all the cons of the morning flights (crowded flights, long lines) with the added possible bonus of an entire days worth of delays stacked up. For me, though, that’s worth it as long as I get home.

Red-eye. Because I live in the middle(ish) of the country, I haven’t had the opportunity to take many red eyes. The few times I’ve flown overnight, I’ve been completely wasted the next day, and it was pretty awful. It seems like, in general, they would be terrible, unless you got an upgrade, but I’m sure there are pros as well.

Readers, what are your favorite times to fly? Did I miss any pros or cons? What about red-eyes? What do you love or hate about them?

The winner in the National 25th Anniversary contest is…… Tracie!! She was having fun with friends in elementary school 25 years ago. Congratulations Tracie!! She has won a $25 gift card and a Go Like a Pro kit filled with a National tumbler, a National embossed leather writing pad, a National pen set, a weekend duffle bag, and a driving kit.

There have been a great many debates over at Corporette about how appropriate it is to wear fragrance to the office. The reasons “for” range from personal preference to signature scents to I like it and no one can tell me what to do. The reasons “against” range from allergic reactions to simple dislike of popular scents to feeling like their personal space is being invaded by heavy scent users. And guys, don’t think you’re off the hook here. There are plenty of fragrances for gentlemen, including scented aftershaves.

Travel is a different beast from a day at the office, fragrance-wise. You are even closer to others than you would be at work, and you will (likely) pass by many more people than a typical day. In my opinion, it’s not a good idea to where perfume or cologne during travel. Or honestly, even a heavily scented lotion. As I mentioned recently, I am very allergic to a lot of scents, and even the briefest whiff of, for example, CK One can give me a major migraine. I never wear perfume, and only occasionally will where a scented lotion or body spray. But never to the airport—there are just too many people. (And remember, it’s never okay to spray perfume on a plane!)

Readers, I’m curious what you think.

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I will be drawing a winner tonight, so make sure to enter! You could win a $25 gift card and a Go Like a Pro basket with all kinds of fun goodies. Click here to go to the contest.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to take better care of my fingernails. So for the past several months I’ve been meticulous—shaping, clear polish, better vitamins, etc. So far, I have been rewarded with longer, stronger, very pretty nails. It probably didn’t hurt that I didn’t travel as much as normal in January and February. But as soon as I started hitting the road every week, nail after nail has broken. I don’t know if it’s the way I maneuver my suitcase, the constant opening of boxes for meetings and events, or what. But all my hard work is going down the drain.

I’ve researched online, and I can’t find advice other than the things I did to get better nails in the first place. Am I just destined to have super short nails? (By the way, when I say long nails, I’m talking about maybe 1/16-1/8 of an inch past my nail bed. So long by my standards, not long like talons.)

Readers, what have you done to keep your nails nice even with travel? Any tips for me?

When you arrive at the airport, one of the first obstacles you encounter to getting to your final destination is the security line. Hundreds of people, all trying to get through that rope line to prove who they are, take off their shoes, send all of their belongings through an X-ray machine, then go through a scanner to make sure they’re not carrying anything dangerous…..well, it’s no wonder things can get a little testy! But don’t worry, I’ve put together a list of tips to help us get through that testing ground with our dignity and sanity intact (sort of).

• Be prepared to go smoothly through security.  Know what the current security rules are for the location you are traveling through, and follow them.
• If there is an option to choose your security line based on your level of experience, please choose honestly.
• Have your boarding pass and ID out for the TSO before you get to the front of the line. Don’t hold up the line putting it away; wait until you get to the next line.
• Have everything easily accessible (laptop, bag of toiletries, etc) so that you are ready to go as soon as you get to the bins. Have all change out of your pocket, preferably in a pocket in your bag.
• Wait to go through the metal detector until your bags are through the x-ray machine. First, simple etiquette. No one wants to be responsible for moving someone else’s things through. Second, if your belongings are out of your sight, someone could steal something. No reason to tempt fate!
• If for any reason you can’t go through the metal detector or body scanner, let the agent know up front. This may take some extra time, so be prepared.
• Once through security, grab your stuff and move it over to the bench or table nearby. Please don’t hold up the line so you can dig your change out of the bin!
• Remember (and this can be hard for the seasoned travelers, myself included) that not everyone flies every week. Some people will simply take longer than we’d like, and getting frustrated with them won’t make your own trip go any more smoothly.

For a full list of tips to make going through security smooth as silk, check out my Security Refresh from January.

Readers, what do you think? Did I miss anything? What is important to you, etiquette wise, when going through security?

Don’t forget about the National Anniversary contest!!

Happy 25^th Anniversary, Emerald Club! National’s loyalty program was the first of its kind when it was started 25 years ago, and they are celebrating their 25^th anniversary this month! To help them commemorate 25 years, we’re doing a contest!!

In the comments, tell us about what you were doing 25 years ago. In college? First grade? Traveling the world? Getting married? Tell us! One winner will be randomly selected to win a $25 AMEX gift card and a “Go Like a Pro” kit filled with everything you need for business travel! It includes a National tumbler, a National embossed leather writing pad, a National pen set, a weekend duffle bag, and a driving kit. (Winner will be drawn randomly from entries on Thursday, March 22. One entry per person.) For another chance to win, check out the National “Blast from the Past” contest on Facebook!

Twenty-five years ago I was in kindergarten, having a great time exploring the woods behind our house. I had a cat and my best friend lived across the street. Life was good!

So Readers, what were you doing 25 years ago?

Road Warriorette received a $25 gift card for doing this contest.

I really don’t like to bring more stuff on a trip than I need. My mother refers to me as the “queen of minimalist packing.” My friends stress about bringing too much when we go on vacation together, lest I judge them. (My husband ignores all of this and brings whatever he wants.) Packing light means I can get around quickly without being weighed down by a bunch of unneeded junk. Of course, it also means that if a trip has unexpected bumps, well, I have to improvise.

When I went to Raleigh a couple of weeks ago, I saw that the weather was going to be just like at home (mid seventies) but rainier. Since I was just going for one night, I brought something to sleep in and something to wear to the office the next day, which I also planned to wear home. This meant I had a tee shirt, yoga pants, a long sleeved tee shirt, slacks, a blouse, a light jacket, a pashmina, and an umbrella. Plenty, had my trip gone according to plan. But alas, it did not.

My flight out to Raleigh went according to plan. I arrived on time, had a nice dinner with a coworker, and got all my work done before turning in. On Friday, after my meetings had finished up early, I went to the airport to see if I could get on an earlier flight, or at least a more direct flight as I was slated to fly home through Chicago (which, by the way, is not the shortest route from Raleigh to Texas, but was the only flight available when I made my reservations). Not only were all the earlier flights AND all of the later, more direct flights overbooked, there was a ground delay in Chicago and I wasn’t going to make my connection. Which meant I was going to have to spend the night in Chicago and come home on Saturday. And of course, all of the direct flights from Chicago were also overbooked, so I was going to have to connect through Dallas and wouldn’t get home until 5pm. Sigh.

On the bright side, my sisters live in Chicago, and even though I was only going to get a few hours with them, it’s always nice to get to visit. The biggest problem was that it was 34 degrees and snowing, and I didn’t have any clothes for that kind of weather. I ended up putting my sleeping tee and long sleeved tee over my blouse, putting on my light jacket, and using my pashmina as a scarf while I waited for a cab. The cab line was mercifully short, but had it been its typical 20 minutes I would have been very uncomfortable. I’m not necessarily recommending that you bring your winter coat if your connecting city is much colder than your destination. I would have at least liked to have a sweater, maybe, or some gloves and a hat. Those things don’t take up too much room in a suitcase, and could have made things a lot better!

I suppose that I’m lucky that this is the first time in six years of traveling for work that this has ever happened. And I’m definitely lucky it happened in Chicago where I have family, as opposed to some random place. But next time I will pay a little more attention to my connection, because a little preparation (and a few extra items!) can make things a lot better.

Readers, do you bring anything with you “just in case”?

After a flight last week, I realized I may have left something out of the Plane Etiquette Roundup from a few weeks ago. Something important. I was flying home from Nashville and preparing to enjoy a nap after a long, long day trip. Almost asleep, I was at that in-between stage where you’re still kind of aware of your surroundings but very relaxed. Suddenly a huge cloud of odor accosted my nose. It took a second for me to react, but I jerked upright, looking for the culprit. A woman across the aisle and two rows up was spraying perfume on herself. (To give you a little background: I am incredibly sensitive to scents. I can get a migraine in seconds from certain smells, and am allergic to many others. Luckily, I actually have a pretty terrible sense of smell normally. I like to think it’s my body’s way of protecting me from harm. Anyway.) I immediately started sneezing repeatedly, getting curious stares from my neighbors. Eventually I stopped sneezing, but my eyes were itchy and watery the rest of the flight. (Pictured: the very lovely Thierry Mugler Angel Eau de Toilette. Smells great, but wait until you land!)

Another example: fingernail clipping. Remember what happened to my friend several months ago? Well, after I relayed this perfume story to the Home Warrior, he told me an even worse story that happened to him on a recent flight. He was looking at stuff on his iPhone when a piece of a fingernail hit his tray table. (I shudder as I write this.) Turns out the guy in front of him was clipping his nails and lost control of one. I asked the HW why he didn’t tell me about this when it happened, and he said he knew I would freak out. He was right.

There are many personal grooming things that simply should not be done when you are in close confines with other people. Spraying perfume, clipping your nails…. I’ve even seen people brushing their hair and clumps of hair flying onto the people behind them. Please be aware of those around you, and if there is any way that what you are doing could impede on their personal space, wait until you land. Obviously not all personal grooming activities are irritating to other passengers—using a cleansing cloth on your face or hands, putting on makeup—those kinds of things can be done without disturbing fellow passengers. Just be mindful! And remember, you’re sharing a small space with hundreds of others. When in doubt, wait until landing. Your neighbors will thank you.