The first of what I’m sure will be many stories/learnings from my two week conference……

Where there is a conference, there is free stuff. Whether it’s papers, books, bags, water bottles, coffee mugs, or some other random tchotchkie, it doesn’t matter. Every time I’ve been to a conference, regardless of length, I have ended up cramming freebies into my suitcase before my flight home. Inevitably, some get left behind in the hotel room (sorry maids!!). This is especially true after the two week conference I just attended. I purposely stayed away from the exhibit hall so I wouldn’t get too much stuff, and I know I missed out on some cool items (smelly candles? hand carved necklaces? dangit!). So moving forward, I am going to strategically leave some extra space in my bag for the freebies. It may be junk, but it may be something I really want, and I want to have room for it! I recommend you do the same.

Readers, what is the weirdest thing you’ve ever gotten from a conference? In the last year I have gotten a fly swatter, a paper mustache on a stick, and an inflatable airplane hat. Useful? Ah, not so much. But fun! And memorable, which I guess is the idea…..

(Don’t forget about our awesome contest!! Win a vacation for two from Home2 Suites by Hilton!! Open for one more week.)

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?

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?

One thing I get a lot of questions about is dining alone. If you travel for work, chances are you are going to spend a fair amount of meals by yourself. At first it’s a bit daunting, if not outright depressing, to go to a restaurant and ask for a table for one. But after a few times, it gets much easier. Now I actually look forward to it! No one to judge what I eat or drink, no one to have to entertain, and some quiet time where I can get stuff done or take it easy, while someone brings me whatever I want. Doesn’t that sound fun? Here are a few suggestions for getting you from uncomfortable to happy dining alone. (Pictured: My awesome meal at the Angus Barn in Raleigh.)

• Don’t worry about others. One of the fears I hear often is that people feel sorry for people eating by themselves. But I promise—no one is looking at you, thinking, “That poor person is all alone!”  Chances are, they’re too involved with their own dinner companions to worry about anyone else, much less a single diner in the corner. If they do notice you, it’s probably because they’re not having too much fun themselves, and they envy your solitude!
• Make it fun. Yes, you have to eat. But that doesn’t mean dinner out has to be a chore, to be finished as quickly as possible. Enjoy yourself! Order something delicious, try a new type of wine, taste a decadent dessert. With constant meetings, delayed flights, and never-ending emails, this may be the only down time you get during your trip! One of my favorite things to do on a trip is try local restaurants, especially ones well known for local specialties.
• Bring something to do. For some, the worst part of eating dinner on your own is the discomfort of sitting at a table with no one to talk to. Well, if you bring work or something to read, that issue is eliminated. It can be hard to work on a computer once your food comes, but while you’re waiting is a great time to get a few things done. I also often bring my Kindle, and enjoy reading something fun while I’m out. If magazines are more your style, that works too. Just turn a dinner alone into time to do what you want. Enjoy it!

Yes, you can order room service and eat in your room, avoiding dining alone. But you’re missing out on the opportunity to try something new, get away from work for a little while, be around others, and enjoy yourself!

Readers, what are your best tips for surviving eating alone?

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?

Last week, we talked about etiquette for planes. One could reasonably argue that etiquette for carry-on suitcases should fit under that umbrella. And it probably does. But this is such an important part of thoughtful travel that I felt it deserved its own post. Here are some guidelines for how to share that overhead bin space, nicely.

• Know your airline’s guidelines. All major airlines have the size and weight restrictions for carry-ons on their website. If your bag is too big, they may make you check it. Also, there are slightly different size requirements for international carriers vs. American carriers, so make sure your bag works for your continent as well.
• Make sure you can lift your bag. You may not be able to depend on having people around you that can help, and some flight attendants are prohibited from helping customers put bags up.
• Put your suitcase on the correct side of the airplane, facing the correct way. Listen to what the flight attendants tell you to do, and do it. If one side of the plane is made to hold rollaboards, please put your suitcase there. That way there is room for everyone’s stuff.
• Only put your large bag in the overhead. Put your purse or briefcase under the seat in front of you, until you know for sure there will be room. Also, don’t put your jacket in a bin unless it’s going on top of or in front of your bag. Again, we’re trying to make room for everyone.
• Put your bag in the bin as close to your seat as possible. If you are sitting in row 25, and there is no room over 25 and there is room over 23, that’s one thing. But if you’re sitting in row 25 and you put your bag over row 8, the people in row 8 won’t have room.
• Don’t make it your plan to gate check.  If you bring a normal sized carry-on that you are happy to bring on the plane or gate-check, that is one thing. But please don’t bring an oversized bag on the plane, expecting they will make you gate-check it. If you are bringing too much stuff, check your bag. If you don’t want to pay the fee, bring less stuff. Don’t slow everyone else down because you’re trying to save $20.
• When getting your bag out of the overhead bins, please, please be careful. I have seen people get hit in the head, and come close to getting hit myself, by rogue rollaboards.

Readers, what are your favorite etiquette tips for carry-ons?

Winter is a tricky time to travel. Flight delays, holiday travelers, and cold weather can lead to stressful situations of all kinds! Unfortunately, flight delays and infrequent fliers are out of your control. But you can deal with the snow and cold temperatures—you just have to pack smarter!

I have found that I can follow my normal strategy for packing (one pair of pants for every two days, and a shirt for each day), my winter suitcase becomes insanely full. After my last trip, I figured out why. In the spring, “a shirt for each day” takes up almost no room. But in the winter, a sweater plus undershirt for every day takes up at least twice as much room, and I can hardly zip up my suitcase! Oops. Here is a refined packing strategy, specifically for winter.

• Wear your base layer more than once. There is no reason to have a long sleeve tee for every day. Make sure each undershirt you bring matches multiple sweaters. Neutrals are very helpful here—black, brown, and white will be much more versatile than a colorful print. Also, silk will help keep you extra-toasty.
• Thinner is better. Two thin sweaters take up less room than one thick sweater. Before you grab that bulky knit cable, see you have a sleeker cashmere or wool. It will keep you just as warm (especially with your base layer!) and take up far less room.
• Wear boots and coats. As long as your boots are reasonably easy to take off and put on, wear your boots on the plane. Unless you have a ton of extra room, it makes sense to carry your coat as well. If you aren’t used to navigating a suitcase, briefcase, and coat, practice around your house before your trip so that you can manage gracefully.

Yes, it takes a little more strategic planning. But packing smart in the winter is definitely possible!

For more tips on winter travel, check out my post about What to Pack for a Winter Business Trip.

Readers, what are your best tips for packing smart during the winter?

Interviews are hard. Super hard. Add travel, and you’re looking at a very stressful situation. Not just stress about sounding competent and knowledgeable, but stress over hotel and flight logistics! Here’s some advice for acing that interview, regardless of where the interview is.

General:

• Practice ahead of time. Find example interview questions, and have someone practice with you.  For my last interview, Home Warrior quizzed me day and night for a week.  There are sample questions everywhere, but we found great ones on Monster.
• STAR format. Situational interviewing is everywhere, but organizing your thoughts on the fly is hard. Prior to the interview, think of 3-4 situations you can cover, and during the interview discuss them like this: Situation, Task, Action, Result. I.E.: Last year, my team fell 30% behind on sales goals (Situation). Our manager told us to figure out a way to exceed our goals by end of quarter (Task). By expanding our customer base and offering new products to existing partners (Action), the team ended with a quarterly attainment of 105% (Result).
• Research the company, industry, and role.  Before interviewing, spend time learning about the company and role.  Having a working knowledge of the industry is also very important.  Familiarity with these can help you stand out, but a lack of knowledge will be a strike against you.

Travel:

• Plan for delays.  Missing your interview due to flight delays is terrible.  Arriving the day before eliminates this, and you avoid going straight from the airport to the office.  Map out your route from hotel to office ahead of time, noting road construction or other delays and planning accordingly.
• Pack smart. Bring a suit that doesn’t wrinkle.  Affordable, attractive, wrinkle resistant collections are everywhere!  Don’t wear anything new that may be uncomfortable, because worrying about the tag on your pantyhose during the interview is lame.
• Worst case. If you do have to go directly from the airport to the office, don’t wear your suit on the plane.  After landing, go to the ladies’ room, change clothes, and fix your hair and makeup.

Before you land the interview, you need a job to apply for. That’s where BeKnown comes in!  BeKnown is a professional networking app for Facebook.  Set up a professional profile separate from your Facebook profile, network with alumni on the College Pages, search Monster’s database of job postings (without leaving Facebook), and find many valuable tools.  This app is cool—check it out! (As part of this contest I want lots of readers to check out BeKnown—so do a gal a favor and take a look!)

In honor of BeKnown and Monster, give me your best interview tip!  (Bonus points if it’s travel related.) The winner will be randomly chosen on Tuesday January 10^th. One entry per person.  Winner receives a makeup kit and business card holder from Monster!

Road Warriorette is participating in a blogger contest from Monster, and will receive a prize kit (makeup kit and business card holder) for participation.

Yesterday, CNN had an article about business travelers and expense reports that got me pretty riled up. The point was that people are getting creative about how to cheat the system, even going as far as buying fake receipts online and then filling them out to be reimbursed.

“Those items can include everything from an “accidental” use of the company credit card on a business trip to purchase a suit coat to listing every single can of soda or pack of chewing gum purchased.”

…

“Bachman heard of one instance where an employee frequented a certain restaurant franchise and asked for receipts so often, they gave him a pad of them. The employee would turn in fake receipts for lunches he never had. He was only caught — and fired — when he began turning them in for locations where the franchise didn’t exist.”

Yep–this is bad. Falsifying receipts or having your company pay things that are out of policy are ethically wrong, in my opinion. Although I’m really surprised that they think listing every pack of gum or can of soda is a sign of fraud.  My company allows me to spend X on food every day, and many days I don’t even come close. Soda and chewing gum count as food, so I list them to get reimbursed.

“One woman was immediately fired for putting a $9.95 hotel room movie rental on a business travel expense report, according to Peter Goldmann, president of fraud-prevention consulting firm FraudAware.”

Are you kidding me? They had an employee they spent probably thousands of dollars training, and who they value  enough to send to various locations to represent the company, but they fired her for $10? I’m sure this is just a tiny piece of the story, but I certainly hope that they at least asked her if she meant to put it on there or if it was a mistake. You would think she could just reimburse the company for it and all would be well. And there is a huge difference between this and the people who buy fake receipts online.

“So just what are employees getting away with on their expense accounts? Upgrading hotel rooms, excessive taxi rides, double-billing for plane tickets, seats and baggage fees, luxury rental cars, fake lunches and dinners, layovers for personal visits and heaps of laundry on overnight trips, according to Goldmann, Geron and Bachman.”

Um, baggage fees, really? I am a huge advocate of carrying-on your suitcase, but if you can’t, your company should pay for it!!

“”There are a million different ways to game the system,” Goldmann said. But the fallout could ground high-flying business travelers.”

I’m sure they are right–there are probably lots of ways to game the system, and I’m sure people do it. But I feel like the overall tone of the article makes it sound like we road warriors have a glamorous lifestyle, with fancy food, first class seats, upgraded hotel rooms, and luxury cars. My last trip I stayed in a Hilton Garden Inn (perfectly fine but hardly a luxury hotel), flew coach (and didn’t get my upgrade), ate at fast food places and the hotel (because I had no time), and drove a Ford Focus. Hardly “high-flying”. It makes me wonder how many actual business travelers this writer spoke to. Because he certainly didn’t seem to have a whole lot of personal experience!

The comments to the story are particularly enlightening.

So, Readers, what do you think? My opinion is that fraud is bad (duh) but your company should pay for things in its policy while you travel. Yes, this includes gum. And water. And laundry, if necessary.

What?? You may be thinking. Wear a dress with a skirt? That sounds ridiculous! I thought so too, until a night a couple of years ago. I was at my favorite wine bar with a group of friends. One of my girlfriends had on a super cute gray sweater tucked into a black skirt. “How did you get that to tuck in so nicely?” I asked. She motioned me closer. “It’s a dress!” she whispered, and pulled up the bottom of her black skirt a little to show me the bottom of the gray sweater dress. Brilliant! Another way to use the same items in different ways, especially in packing.

So. How does it work? Sometimes it’s as easy as, 1) put on dress; 2) add skirt; 3) leave the house. Other times, not so much. There are a few things to look for when combining dresses and skirts for the most successful union.

1. Different types of material. It helps the dress and skirt not cling if they are different materials, for example sweater and cotton, or silk and wool.
2. Different silhouettes. The dress needs to have a more fitted line, where the skirt needs to be a little wider. Think a pencil dress with an A-line skirt. This way the skirt will lay more nicely. For example, this sweater dress from Banana Republic with this circle skirt from Ruche.
3.  Lengths. Obviously the skirt needs to be longer than the dress. It also helps if the skirt has a bit of structure, like this wool skirt from JCrew.

One typical reaction from people when I’ve extolled the wonders of dress+skirt is that they’re worried it will be too warm. That is totally valid–this is definitely more appropriate for colder months. But the benefits? You can pack fewer things and have more outfits! My favorite look is my super comfy gray sweater dress with a maroon A-line skirt. I’ll wear the dress with tights and boots one day, and then with the skirt and flats another day. Less to carry, more to wear? Win!!