I learned a new term last week—Duty of Care. Don’t worry, not because something crazy happened, but because my mom’s seatmate on a flight home was in charge of Duty of Care for a large corporation. I had never heard the term before, but as soon as I did I made sure my company has someone responsible for it. Luckily, we do. Basically, Duty of Care is making sure that a company’s business travelers and expats are taken care of in the event of a natural disaster or medical emergency. While doing research, some of the situations that came up from Christopher Business Travel were:

• While working overseas, an employee gets sick and does not have access to adequate medical treatment
• During a natural disaster, a company realizes that it does not have sustainable business continuity plans, and/or employees cannot be evacuated easily and face unnecessary hardship
• An employee travels to a country where malaria is endemic. She is not given prophylaxis or education on malaria by her employer. She contracts the disease and gets very sick.

This last one hit really close to home for my mom, as next month several of her employees are headed to a country where malaria is a huge problem. Good thing she ran into this woman! There are several ways to get Duty of Care coverage for small businesses.

Readers, have you heard of this? Ever had a need for it while traveling internationally? Sounds like a good type of coverage to have!

(Don’t forget! There’s a big contest coming up this week so STAY TUNED!!)

As you know, I am always on the lookout for cool new gadgets that make travel easier. During my perusal of the latest TravelSmith catalog (always a fun time!) I found a very cool travel plug adapter. It’s an adapter/converter, and includes a built in USB port for an extra way to charge all of those devices. The four most common plugs (the ones used in 150 countries) are also included. Plus, it’s small, so will save space. Very handy!

Readers, where do your favorite travel gadgets come from?

Don’t forget–contest coming next week!!!

A few years ago, I managed to break both of my feet in the span of about four months. Not the most graceful period of my life. Sigh. Luckily, it wasn’t both feet at the same time, and the left on only required a shoe, not a boot, and not crutches. But the right one, oh, the right one. I was on crutches for three weeks and in a boot up to my knee for a total of six weeks. I was traveling a lot, like normal, and wasn’t able to take a hiatus until my foot healed. So I had to figure out how to get around an airport and other assorted travel related places while on crutches. There wasn’t a lot of info on the internet, so I managed to muddle through on my own. Here are the things I did that made it easier to get around while temporarily handicapped.

1)      One bag packing. The best way to be completely self sufficient is to carry everything in one bag you can wear. For my trips, I pared down to the bare necessities and managed to get everything into my amazing expandable backpack (a Swiss Gear bag similar to this one. It’s not super pretty but it will pack a ton). If you’re going on a trip longer than two nights, this may be one of the few times I will recommend that you check your bag.

2)      Cross-body personal item. I found an inexpensive cross-body purse just for this time period. If a messenger bag works better for you, that’s fine too. A cross-body purse/briefcase/personal item will allow you to move around without banging into your crutches. With my backpack and purse, I was able to crutch around without assistance a lot of the time.

3)      Get direct flights. If at all possible, skip the connection. O’Hare is a huge airport that can be difficult to navigate in the best of times, much less when you’re slowed down.

4)      Keep tip money handy. If you will end up getting assistance from people, be prepared to tip. Have plenty of $1 bills that you can easily access. If you need a wheelchair (which I did a lot of the time, especially in O’Hare), assume you will be wheeled by several different people—one person from the ticket counter to your gate, another wheel you down the ramp to the plane, another to take you from gate to gate if you have a connection, etc. While they wheel you, your backpack and purse can go on your lap, and you can balance your crutches on the footrest of the wheelchair.

5)      Let the airlines know. Most airlines are really good about getting assistance for those who need it. Call your airline and travel agent ahead of time to let them know you will need some extra help. They made sure people met me at each gate and that I got easily accessed seats.

I hope this helps you! Of course, mostly I hope you never break your foot and have to travel, but if it does happen, you’ll be ready to handle it.

Readers, have you ever had to travel injured? What did you do to make it easier?

(And don’t forget about our super exciting contest coming up next week!!!!)

Tomorrow, I leave for my 11 day conference. I have done as much prep work as I can for work, and for Road Warriorette. The good news: posts will be appearing regularly! The less good news: I will have limited access to the internet, so I may be slow on responding to comments or emails. The Home Warrior will do his best to get comments approved in a timely manner when I’m unavailable (thanks, honey!). I appreciate your patience!!

For an interesting read today, check out why The Middle Seat from the Wall Street Journal thinks American Airlines and US Airways need each other. 

Aaaaannnnnnndddd….. there might be an exciting post coming next week. One that you all want to watch for……. One that involves a winner of something very, very cool……..

You guys have been a huge help while I refine my packing strategy for my long conference next week. But in addition to packing for 12 days, I also have to prepare to be out of the office for nine working days. And by out of the office I mean virtually unreachable, not just somewhat unavailable like normal. This has been making me pretty anxious over the last few days. There are a lot of projects that I’m in the middle of that I just won’t be able to work on for almost two weeks! So I’ve had to develop a strategy for making sure the office runs without me. With a few adjustments, it would also work well for a long vacation, or maybe even a long leave. Here are the steps I’ve been taking to stay sane:

1. Communication. Everyone I work with on a daily basis, and many people I work with less frequently, knows that I will be out during this time. All of my customers know as well, and know who to contact while I’m out. I have been reminding people for probably two weeks now, and will send out a final round of emails before I leave. I don’t want anyone to be caught unaware!
2. Checking-in. I have checked on the status of more action items in the last three days then in the past month altogether. This way I know everything that I need to have done before I leave is done, and things will continue on track while I’m out.
3. Lists. Lists, lists, and more lists of current projects, action items, status updates, and general customer information fill my desk right now. I’ve been keeping a running list of everything that must get done before I go, and everything that can wait.
4. Preparing for coming back. I’ve set aside several hours on my first day back to read and respond to emails and voicemails that came during my absence. I’ve also got (yet another) list of things to do and check on once I return.
5. Out of Office. I used to work with someone who never used her out of office, and so people had no idea that she was on vacation for a week. My out of office will be very clear, and include the dates I’ll be out and information about who to contact for urgent matters.
6. Let things go. There are a few things that just won’t get done before I leave, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I have to just let that go. Everyone knows I’ll be out, and if they can’t get back to me before I leave then it will still be here when I return.

Whew! It does actually help to have everything written down. It sounds crazy, but even with all of the travel I do I’ve never been out of the office for nine days before. But I’m sure everything will be fine!

Readers, did I miss anything? What is the longest you’ve ever been away from the office?

I love perks. Of course, who doesn’t? I collect them as much as possible—from airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, and anyone else who will pass them out. Not only are they a nice little reward for all the time and money I spend on their services, they make travel that much nicer. Since I travel so much, I am constantly striving to make every trip as easy and streamlined as possible, and am always on the lookout for perks to make that happen. Here are a few of my favorites.

Executive lounges in hotels. I have enjoyed the lounges on executive floors in Hilton and Marriott hotels, and think they are well worth the higher room cost. I usually make the extra cost back by enjoying the breakfast offerings. It is also very nice to have a hotel employee nearby, dedicated to helping business travelers. My best experience with a hotel lounge was the Edsa Shangri-La Garden Wing in Manila. Not only was there a fantastic breakfast and happy hour spread, guests in the Garden Wing had expedited check in and check out, a back door entrance, and fast and easy money exchange. I will always, always stay there when traveling to Manila in the future. (I’ve also noticed on Executive floors the toiletries are often upgraded, which I love.)

Priority security line at airports. Going through the priority security line by having a first class ticket or having elite status with an airline loyalty program is the biggest time saver. I have seen airports (I’m thinking specifically of Chicago Midway, although this has happened all over the place) where the  normal security line is backed up all the way to the entrance, and there are fewer than five people in the priority line. If I ever lost status this is the perk I would miss the most, even over boarding first.

First class upgrades. The other great thing about elite status with an airline is getting upgraded to first class on a regular basis. The extra room alone makes it wonderful, but of course the extra attention and free drinks don’t hurt!

No check in when renting cars. Many car rental companies don’t make their frequent renters check in, therefore avoiding long lines. This is a huge time saver, allowing me to simply walk from the airport gate to my car, and go.

Points. Of course, points. Who would pass up free stays in hotels, free flights, and free car rentals? I make sure I am registered for the loyalty program for all airlines, hotels, and car rental agencies I use. I also keep an eye out for double points or other promotions, to make sure I maximize my points.

Readers, what perks make travel easier for you? What are your favorite travel perks?

Have you ever woken up from a nap and not known where you were or what’s going on? Yeah, it’s happened to me too. Evidently, it has also happened to pilots…..

The Home Warrior sent me this article yesterday: “Pilot Mistakenly Sends Plane into a Dive.” The title kind of gets you, right? You want to read more and find out what happened, right?? Basically, on a transatlantic flight, the first officer took a nap, which is totally legal and fine. Except when he woke up, he was disoriented, and mistook Venus for an oncoming plane. So naturally he grabbed the controls and sent the plane into a steep dive. Where he almost hit the actual plane that was near them. Oops.

Passengers who didn’t have their seatbelts on were thrown all over the cabin, including several who were sleeping. (Talk about being disoriented after waking up!) In fact, more than a few passengers hit the ceiling. Holy crap.

So there you have it folks. When the flight attendant tells you to fasten your seatbelt when seated just in case, sometimes “just in case” actually happens. There have been many times when I did not have it on, especially when sleeping on a transpacific flight in business class. But no more!! When the Home Warrior and I were discussing this he, the great rule follower, said, “I don’t wear my seatbelt because I’m worried about safety, but because I’m afraid to break the rules.”  Of course, now he is also afraid of turbulence. Hah!

Readers, do you wear your seatbelt even when the “fasten seatbelt” light is off? Have you ever had crazy turbulence on a flight?

Southwest is running a promo right now where you can get an extra 4,000 Rapids Rewards points on roundtrip Business Select flights. Depending on how much your ticket costs, you could get almost enough for a free flight from one trip! You can earn 2,000 bonus points for one way Business Select flights.

I know not all of us have the ability to choose Business Select fares when choosing our flights (myself included), but if you get the opportunity to fly Biz Select, this is a great promotion. Often you will have the opportunity to upgrade your ticket when you check in, and if it’s not a huge amount it may be worth it to pay out of pocket. For example, two weeks ago I flew to San Jose. Because I bought my ticket at the very last minute (literally about three hours before my flight left thanks to the tornadoes in DFW), it was an “Anytime Fare.” I ended up upgrading to Biz Select for $22. Now, unfortunately this was before this promotion started (dangit!), but I think it would have been well worth the $22 for the extra 2000 points I would have gotten. I just did it for the better placement in the boarding line.

Don’t forget, you have to register for this promo. It seems to be another promotion that everyone should sign up for, even if they don’t know for sure they’ll be able to use it. Because it won’t hurt, and you may get a ton of extra points! Promo runs from now until May 29.

Hooray promotions! Readers, have you heard of any other great opportunities for extra points lately?

Happy Friday!!

As I mentioned yesterday, I may need a new pair of shoes for my long conference in a couple of weeks. I took a look at some of my favorite sites, and found some great ones right off the bat!! So here are a few of the finalists. They are bright, happy, super cute, and best of all—should be very comfortable for travel.

LOVE these Bow Flats from Hego. The springy colors will go with lots of things in my wardrobe, but I’m thinking my white pencil skirt and a teal cardigan would be lovely with the peachy color. The bow adds a touch of feminine fun without going overboard.

The pale yellow of these Me Too Fable peep toe flats just says “Spring!” to me. Peep toes are my favorite thing to wear from now through the summer! These would go well with a pair of gray slacks and a cream top, or maybe something navy. Or lavender. Okay, almost any color would look cute with these!

These buckle flats by Tod’s are insanely adorable. The color is the perfect shade, the yellow belt adds some cute contrast, the shape is great, and they look very comfortable. Of course, they have to be perfect to justify the hefty price tag. But a girl can dream….. I would wear these with just about everything I own. (Wonder how long it would take to justify the $445 that way???)

Readers, have you found any fun shoes lately?

Can I fit it all in my carry-on??

A few months ago, I ran a post about how much I stressed about what to pack for Blog World. I feel like I ended up doing pretty well, and was happy with my choices. In two weeks I leave to go to a regular work conference. Should be simple to pack, right? Normally, yes. But this time I will be conferencing elevendays. That’s right, I will be in conference from a Tuesday until the next Friday, and traveling home on Saturday. Oy. Talk about tricky packing!! And of course, I want to carry on. A list like this requires some major planning and editing!! Here are the steps I am following as I put together my packing list:

1. First, I need to remember the cardinal rules of conference clothes: comfortable, professional, with shoes you can walk in. I’m going to add one more: layers. Because the conference is in Florida, I’m assuming it will be warm outside and cold inside, and I want to be able to adjust as necessary.
2. Figure out the different occasions. How many conference days are there? Will you want to change for dinner? Will there be any free time? Will there be a chance to swim? In my case, I will have ten conference days, one free day, and two travel days. The conference days are looong, so I may not have the energy to eat dinner, much less change for it. Just in case, I’ll bring a couple of cute, non work items.
3. Plan to wear items more than once. Since I really want to avoid checking my bag, I will need to wear my itemsmultiple times. I will just assume I need to wear everything 2-3 times, changing accessories as needed to keep things fresh. In fact, if I don’t think I can wear something at least twice, it won’t make the cut and it will stay home. This also means I’ll need to spend some extra time planning outfits, and bring more accessories (primarily necklaces and scarves, and maybe an extra pair of shoes) than normal.
4. Think about toiletries. Since almost two weeks is far longer than my normal 3-4 day trip, I will need to make sure I have enough of my everyday toiletries. Some of my grooming items are kept in 3 oz bottles (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion) so I should be good with those as long as the bottles are full. But I may need to increase items I carry in smaller amounts (face wash, moisturizer, makeup remover, and hair products).
5. Make a preliminary list. On the first list, I’ll just write down everything I think I should take, no matter what. Also, at this point I will start figuring out what I need to get for my trip (yay shopping!) Then I’ll start figuring out outfits, and adding and removing as necessary. Finally, I’ll get everything out and try to fit it in my suitcase, just to make sure I’m being realistic about what will fit, and what I can actually lift.
6. Buy the missing items. Starting early on planning for a major trip gives you plenty of time to fill in the gaps. For this trip, I will need to get some new mascara, some more razor blades, and possibly a new pair of flats.

At this point, I plan to utilize my travel workhorses—jersey dresses, cardigans, slacks, and flats—just in larger quantities. My goal is to stick to my three pairs of shoes rule, but we’ll see how that goes. I’ve got just under two weeks—I hope I can figure it all out by then!

Readers, have any of you been to a two week conference before? What did you take? Any recommendations?