After my last couple of day trips, it is very clear to me that I need a rolling briefcase. I just carry too much stuff in my purse for it to be comfortable, especially for huge airports like DFW. Even though I’ve been talking about getting one for almost a year, it just hasn’t been high on my priority list (like, say, shoes). But I promise you, here and now, I will have a rolling briefcase, that I love, before the end of May. Part of this is spurred on by the fact that I have three conferences over the next three months—my poor shoulders can’t handle the weight of my purse. Of course, one of the reasons I haven’t gotten one yet (and I know this will shock those of you who have read my blog for a while) is that I’m just too darn picky! I want all the features I need, I want it to be cute, and I want it for a good price. Is that too much to ask??

Here are the features I want:

• Lots of space inside. Of course it will need to have room for my computer, files, and purse stuff. But it would also be great if it had room for me to stick a change of clothes in for overnight trips. I often feel silly bringing my normal suitcase on a trip when it’s only half full.
• Outside pockets. Internal space is important, but I need to have a pocket on the outside where I can stick things I need immediate access to—my keys, phone, boarding pass, and lipstick.
• Sturdy construction. While I love my existing purse and my suitcase, I am rough on them. They get stuffed to the brim, shoved in tight spaces, rained on, dragged, and dropped on occasion. I need something that will hold up to serious wear and tear. Also, because I will likely set stuff on top of it, I need something that is pretty square—not just a purse on wheels, like so many of the rolling briefcases marketed to women.

Here are two of the ones I’m considering:

This houndstooth rolling briefcase by JKM and Company  (pictured above) is really, really cute. It looks to have plenty of pockets for clothes, files, a computer, and purse stuff. It’s also nice and square, and has good reviews. Plus it’s under $100!

I also love this McKlein USA Willowbrook Detachable Wheeled Briefcase. It comes in six different colors, is leather, has two main pockets, and it’s detachable if you don’t need the wheels! It’s a little smaller than the houndstooth one, but I do love the turquoise… It’s available from eBags for $206 and Amazon for $158.

Readers, do you have a rolling briefcase? What brand? Do you love it?

This post contains affiliate links.

April 2012:

• Although I hope you never have to travel while injured, here are some tips for making it easier. And yes, these are from my own experience.
• I spent a lot of time prepping for my two week conference, with strategies for packing and being out of the office that long.
• For some, eating at a restaurant is a time to relax and enjoy a meal. For others, it’s stress and anxiety producing. Try these tips to enjoy it more and stress less!

April 2011:

• I finished up the series “Building a Business Travel Wardrobe.”
• We talked about several different options for long-haul flights: t-shirt dress and leggings, yoga pants, and other travel-specific pants.
• A friend experienced a terrible breach in etiquette during a flight: someone clipping their nails. <<shudder>>

April 2010:

• My most important travel items three years ago are still valid today!
• I listed out the top three ways for dealing with the age old question, “Where does my purse go?”
• We discussed our best tips for remembering where you parked your car at the airport.

Back in August, my older sister and her awesome baby boy came to visit for a few days. We had a great time! It was my first time to meet my nephew, and much cuddling ensued. The day they left was a sad one for me, but since I’m a good sister I helped them pack and drove them to the airport. We left the house with lots of time, since it takes a while to get through the airport with an infant.

We got to the airport with over 90 minutes until departure. Great! Plenty of time, right? I helped her get all the stuff out of the car (as best I could, as I was 9 months pregnant at the time. In fact, I think this was the day before my due date!). Suitcase, diaper bag, stroller, car seat, baby, purse….Wait. Where was the purse?? We searched the car, pulling all of my crap out of the trunk. No purse. We searched the diaper bag. Nope. The front seat, the back seat…. You get the idea. What to do? Obviously the purse wasn’t there, so it had to be back at the house. Do we try to go get it and get back in time for the flight? We had about two seconds of indecisiveness, but I quickly realized that no matter what, we had to go back to my parents’ house where they had been staying. And if it turned out the purse wasn’t there, well, we’d end up back there anyway.

We threw all the stuff back in the car (except for the baby, who we placed safely and securely in his car seat), jumped in, and took off. Adding to the excitement—it was rush hour. I immediately called my parents’ house, hoping someone was there, while my sister looked for flights in case we didn’t make it back to the airport in time. I got my step-dad on the phone, and he looked all over the house for the purse, finally finding it near the baby changing table. Hooray! Now if we could only get there to retrieve it and get back to the airport in time…. Read more of this article »

Two years ago, I ran a series of posts called Business Travel 101. The goal was to introduce a novice traveler to the secrets of frequent travel, making the transition to expert as painless as possible. I’ve re-tooled the series, and now it’s more comprehensive than ever! It covers everything a new business traveler needs to know, including essential tips for packing, security, safety, etiquette, and comfort.

The topic for this week’s Business Travel 101 is general tips to make travel as easy as possible. For people who don’t travel often or haven’t traveled in a long time, the very idea of packing up and flying to a new place, while representing your company and yourself as a competent professional, is daunting. Keep the following in mind, and your first business trip will go much more smoothly.

• Check the latest guidelines. Before your trip, go online to TSA.gov and your airline’s website to find out what the current guidelines are about security, what you are allowed to carry-on, and how big your suitcase can be.
• Confirm your details. A day or two before traveling, make sure your hotel, flight, and car reservations are all correct. Also check the address and contact information for the office you will be visiting.
• Print out critical information. You may think, “I have access to all of my reservation info on my phone or computer. Why should I print them out?” I promise, having that info in hand for your first few trips could save you some serious headaches. One time I did not print out my info, I couldn’t connect to the wifi at the airport, and I had to spend an hour calling various Marriott Hotels in the area looking for my reservation. NOT a fun time. Even after traveling for six years, I still print out my information if I am going to a new location. (The most embarrassing part of the story? The hotel was on the airport property. Facepalm.)
• Don’t check your bag. This is one of the big ones. You will save so much time (and your company’s money) if you simply carry on your suitcase. It is definitely possible to pack for four days easily, and for over a week with some practice, into a rollaboard.
• Be ready to go through security. Have your ID and boarding pass ready for the agent, have your laptop and liquids bag readily available to pull out of your bag, wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on. And don’t stand by the x-ray machine once you’re done, putting your shoes and watch back on. Grab your stuff and move to a bench. This is one of my serious pet peeves. If everyone simply moved out of the way, security lines would go so much faster!!
• Dress for comfort. Flying is not the time to wear too tight pants or spiked heels. If what you are wearing isn’t comfortable on the ground, there is no way it will be comfortable at 33,000 feet with pressure changes. There are ways to look good and be comfortable, and sacrificing comfort for style is not worth making your flight miserable.
• Bring things to entertain you. I always bring my iPhone, Kindle, and knitting on every flight. Some people really enjoy Sudoku or movies. Bring whatever, as long as it passes the time for you. This is especially important if you get anxious about flying.
• Be aware of other passengers. Maybe this won’t technically make your trip easier, but try to remember that you are not the only person on a plane! Share your space nicely, say please and thank you, and help others where you can. Being polite will certainly help you with your traveling karma! And who doesn’t need more good karma coming their way?

See, that first trip doesn’t have to be intimidating! A little bit of planning can make a business trip, or any kind of trip, as trouble-free as possible.

Readers, what are your tips for effortless travel?

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When e-readers first came out, I’ll admit it. I was skeptical, because I love the experience of reading. Holding a book, turning the page, perusing my personal library for which of my favorites I am ready to re-read. Walking into a bookstore is practically a religious experience for me—the smell, the stories, the possibilities. I just knew there was no way some electronic device could possibly duplicate my sacred reading experience.

But while one of the things I love about a book is its heft, that very thing makes traveling with lots of books quite difficult. I am a pretty fast reader, so for a week-long trip I would often need three or four just to get me through the flight time. What finally made me willing to try an e-reader was needing to make a trip to Manila, with transit time of 25 hours one way.  I just couldn’t figure out a way to make the logistics work. How could I possibly carry enough books to entertain me during fifty hours of travel time?? So I sucked it up and bought a Kindle.

I was hooked. That first trip with my Kindle, I was amazed at how light my purse was. No longer full of stacks and stacks of books, it was incredibly easy to lift and carry. Hooray! I’ve been a convert and evangelist ever since.

Since I was a fairly early adopter (not super early, but early enough I guess), people would stop me often, in airports, airplanes, restaurants, wherever, to ask me how I like it. The honest answer is that I love it. Instead of replacing my beloved books, it is an addition to my library. I will still buy books on occasion, but I’m more discerning about which ones. I buy random paperbacks or things I want to read over and over on the Kindle, and special things in book-form. It makes travel so, so much easier. No longer do I have to plan out how many books to bring—I just grab my Kindle and I have hundreds at my finger tips. So easy!

Now I’ve had my Kindle for a few years. It is old-school—it’s not in color, and it looks like an actual book when I read it. It’s not back-lit, which means I need a light to read it, but it doesn’t hurt my eyes like a computer screen. So even though I’m mostly pretty happy with it, all these new e-readers are intriguing! Nook, Kindle Fire, pretty color displays…..

So I wanted to ask you guys—which one do you like best and why? Do you think it’s time to get a color e-reader so I can read magazines or go online? Or do you still prefer paper books and magazines?

One of the things about traveling for work is that eventually, you’ll have to, well, work. Whether you’re attending meetings, going to a conference, touring offices, going to court, meeting customers, going through training, or some other type of work, a few office supplies will always come in handy. Here is a list of what I keep with me for a typical domestic trip.

Writing utensils. I like to have a pen and highlighter with me all the time, whether I’m traveling or not. You will inevitably need a pen several times a day, and you never know when a highlighter will come in handy! I was recently asked about pens exploding in flight. I’ve never had this issue, but apparently lots of people have. A couple of tips to avoid this:

1. Keep your pens in a plastic bag, so if there is a leak it won’t get all over your other items.
2. Store your pens with the tip up—they are less likely to leak this way.
3. If you travel with a fountain pen, either fill it completely or have it completely empty during the flight to minimize mess potential.
4. Check out The Well-Appointed Desk for a great roundup of pens that are supposed to be flight-friendly. Also, the Uniball website will allow you to search for pens that won’t leak in flight.

Notepads. Again, I always have a notepad with me, travel day or not. Size doesn’t really matter to me—I will typically take whatever free notepad I’ve gotten recently. Some people prefer spiral notebooks or legal pads. Whatever works for you!

External mouse. This little guy makes it way easier to use your laptop on the road. I also use mine as a clicker during presentations. Just remember that some airlines won’t let you use a wireless one in flight.

Binder clips. I have a set of tiny binder clips that help me corral travel docs and random work papers.

Flash drive. About to do a presentation and your computer won’t work with the projector? Been there. Need to send someone a file too big for email? There too. Forgot your passwords? Three for three. A memory key is a necessity for a variety of reasons. In addition to current presentations and files, I also have a password protected list of important numbers, website logins, and passwords, just in case.

Padfolio. When you need to keep a lot of papers together or look professional, a nice padfolio really does the trick. It will hold business cards, a notepad, a pen, and random papers, and makes you look put together in the process. Another option is to bring a simple file folder to keep papers from crumpling in your bag.

Headphones with microphone. For everything from meetings on the road to chilling out to my favorite tunes, headphones go with me everywhere.

Readers, what office supplies do you always travel with? Have you ever had an issue with pens leaking or exploding in flight?

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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?

One of the issues with international traveling is carrying around a travel adapter and all its various bulky pieces. Enter the Worth the Wait International Travel Adapter from ModCloth. It will convert from US to Europe to UK plugs, simply by toggling the switch. Genius! Only one little thing to pack, instead of multiple little things. Plus it comes in super cute and fun colors, turquoise, orange, pink, and green. At $24, it is quite the bargain. I am definitely getting one, and will let you all know how it does.

ETA: Sorry guys! I put the link on the photo but not in the actual post. D’oh! This is what I get for trying to post while on vacation. It’s fixed now!

In the last couple of months, I have been getting a lot of questions about miles and points. Now, I love me some miles, and have a credit card where I get miles, sign up for promotions through Hilton and American Airlines, and have been known to go on a rare mileage run. But as much as I believe that business travelers should get all the miles they can, this is not a site devoted to miles. There are so many great miles sites that do an amazing job of helping people get all they can, and there is no reason for me to compete on that front. Since my readers still have questions, I want to post some of my favorite miles sites for those of you who are interested.

FlyerTalk. There is so much information on this site that it can be a bit overwhelming. But if you want knowledge about miles and points, this should be your first stop every time.

Loyalty Traveler. Want to know the latest hotel promotions and how to use them to your best advantage? Ric Garrido will tell you. He talks about all the major rewards programs, and some I’ve never heard of. But it’s all very helpf!

Travel Hacking Cartel. If you don’t want to have to search various sites, and don’t mind paying a little, TravelHacking will do a lot of the work for you. They also guarantee that you will get one plane ticket every three months–that’s four per year. A pretty good deal, if you ask me.

View From The Wing. Gary Leff knows everything. At least, sometimes that’s how it seems. So if you have any questions about, well, anything travel related, get thee to his site.

Anyone have a favorite site that’s not mentioned here?

And don’t forget! Today is the last day to enter the National Emerald Club Executive Elite giveaway.