Tag: roadwarriors

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Business Travel Travel Tips

5 Funny ‘Road-Trip’ Movies to Watch While Traveling

roadtrip movies

Nothing beats passing the time on a long flight than enjoying a good laugh from watching traveling humor! I recently spent 9 hours on a plane over 2 days, and it got me to thinking about some great comedic road trip movies that I have seen over the years. Below is a list of some of my favorites, with a summary and a favorite quote from each.

Top road trip movies to watch while traveling:

  1. National Lampoon’s Vacation:  On a road trip to Wally World theme park, this family continually finds strange predicaments and catastrophes instead of a relaxing vacation. This is the first movie of five is about the misadventures of the Griswald family.  “The dog wet on the picnic basket!” 
  2. Tommy Boy: Starring Chris Farley and David Spade, the duos only chance to save Tommy’s family business is selling on the road. Watch them blunder through sales presentations and encounter various surprises on the road. “Fat guy in a little coat!”
  3. Dumb & Dumber: In an attempt to return a lost briefcase two imbeciles played by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels find themselves road tripping across America.  “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”
  4. Planes, Trains & Automobiles: Following cancellations and delays, Neal Page, played by Steve Martin, attempts the near impossible to get home to his family by Thanksgiving. His biggest obstacle is being paired with the clumsy, over-talkative and accident prone Del Griffith, played by John Candy. “Those aren’t pillows!”
  5. Due Date: A 2010 remake of ‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’, it holds its own as an original road trip movie. Played by Robert Downey Jr and Zach Galifianakis, they work together to get to LA before Robert Downey Jr’s wife goes into labor. “You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

There are certainly some great road-trip movies out there, and I know that I have left out a ton.  The next time that you find yourself on the verge of a long flight, download one!  Traveling humor; while one is traveling themselves, is a great way to pass the time until you reach your destination!

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Business Travel Travel Management Travel Tips

Surviving a One-Day Buisness Trip

We are all so busy that, at times, a one-day business trip can have a lot of benefits. First, it saves your company money on an overnight in a hotel. Second, it takes less time away from any personal and professional duties and can make a person more productive. While the benefits are strong, the concept of doing such a trip can be daunting to some people.

Tips to surviving a one-day business trip:

1) Stay healthy. Catching an early flight, attending meetings, and then catching another flight at the end of the day is exhausting. Combat this by drinking plenty of water and eating healthy to ensure you have plenty of energy to get you through the day.
2) Dress comfortably. Without access to a hotel, you will need to wear business clothes for the entire day. Invest in some that are wrinkle free and wear comfortable shoes.
3) Pack a small “what if” bag. You’ll need to be prepared in the event that you need to stay over. Extra undergarments, travel sized toiletries and a toothbrush can put your mind at ease.
4) Take advantage of any travel perks. If you have access to an airport lounge or a business center, these can be a great place to catch up on work. If you don’t have such access, you may consider using your extra time to enjoy your destination for an hour or two.
5) Lastly, if your trip includes a red- eye flight, you might consider purchasing an upgrade to ensure you get enough sleep to continue to be productive once you land.

A one-day business trip is eventually inevitable for most professionals.  But if you tackle it strategically, you can walk away with a productive and energetic day under your belt.

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Business Travel Travel Management

The Overlooked Factor In Efficient Travel Programs

federal employees sharing economy

In February, the GBTA- North Carolina chapter had the pleasure of hosting Scott Gillespie, a true travel management thought leader.  Mr. Gillepsie is the CEO of t-Clara and frequent contributor to Business Travel News. His presentation focused on a question travel managers often find themselves thinking – how do I gauge success with my travel management process?

Identifying the difference in efficient travel programs

Gillespie based his findings from a recent study, sponsored by ARC, American Express Global Business Travel, and his firm, tClara.  Participants were 700 US-based road warriors who answered questions about their company’s travel policy. The questions focused on if their travel management policies emphasized convenience or budget.

Not surprisingly, travelers operating under strict cost-focused travel programs tended to be more dissatisfied. They admitted to nearly 13% less compliance with their travel policies. They also indicated a 15% higher rate of burn-out and were significantly less willing to travel within two years time.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, travelers with companies that had convenience-based travel policies tended to be more productive on the road and had an overall better outlook about their jobs.

What travel managers should also be measuring:

So are these companies specifically prioritizing cost over the wellbeing of their employees? Of course not! Most companies just aren’t measuring employee satisfaction as a KPI. Gillepsie advised that each travel manager obtain an employee turnover report for employees in traveling roles from their HR department. Getting insights on high turnover rate is the first step to see if adjustments to the travel policy to result in higher employee retention. From there, it may make sense to look at other priorities for travel policies than budget.

Read Scott Gillepsie’s article for other key performance indicators and details on the survey.

 

With our 24/7 service, online support and exceptional service delivered by our travel agents, Christopherson helps ease any challenges that occur when your travelers on the road. In addition, your consultative account manager will assist you in making the necessary changes to your travel policy to decrease traveler dissatisfaction and increase productivity!

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Business Travel Travel Technology

Christopherson Business Travel and your Risk Management Program

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Charles Brossman, a prominent risk management author and consultant speak at GBTA- North Carolina’s Education Breakfast. His informal but informative conversation educated our group on the legal terms associated with risk management. These terms, coupled with real- life examples, left us thinking about ways to improve the risk management programs for our own organizations.

How Christopherson provides risk management security

Guess what? By partnering with Christopherson as your Travel Management Company, you already have the shoe on the right foot. Housed in our AirPortal 360 platform, SecurityLogic allows travel managers can access real-time threats. This includes security updates, weather, traffic, airport delays, and disaster alerts. These alerts can be automatically pushed to travelers via text and email. With the intuitive Safety Check feature, you can request safety verification from your travelers, from anywhere in the world. Once activated, the traveler will immediately be messaged. Knowing that you are worried about their safety and they can also quickly respond. Additionally, SecurityLogic provides multiple global map overlays. All travel information is geocoded to street-level accuracy. So you can zoom into any country, city, or street to find risks near your travelers.
Learn more about how Christopherson can assist with your duty of care and risk management goals.

Charles Brossman is the author of the book “Building a Travel Risk Management Program: Traveler Safety and Duty of Care for Any Organization”. For more information on Charles Brossman and his services, see his website.

Christopherson Business Travel provides full-service travel management for companies. With advanced technology and customized service, we are one of the top TMCs in the nation. Contact us to learn how we can save your company time and money on future travel.

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Business Travel Travel Tips

Holiday Gift Ideas For Roadwarriors

gifts for roadwarriors

In our continued holiday series, we are focusing on gift ideas for roadwarriors this week. What a unique group of professionals, holding interesting skills and quirks. Think about it— who can continually drive in a car for hours on end and then on cue become energetic, friendly and enigmatic? That takes real skill and a unique individual you should praise. We’ve scoured the internet for the latest gift ideas for roadwarriors.

Best gifts for busy roadwarriors

  1. Tumbler – This RTIC brand tumbler is a recent favorite of our entire sales and account management team. This container is stainless steel and double wall vacuum sealed, keeping your drink extra cold or extra hot for hours on end. In fact, they claim it keeps drinks cold for up to 60 hours or hot for 12 hours. It comes with a clear plastic top with an open slit, but you can also purchase a spill proof top as well. Keep your beloved roadwarrior hydrated while always on the go.
  2. In-car navigation system – This is definitely the most expensive item on our list, but seems too good to be true. This advanced navigation system creates a ‘heads up’ display, so your driver’s eyes are always on the road. An interactive projection is illuminated onto a small part of the windshield, ensuring the driver has easily accessible navigation. Plus, it manages music, incoming calls and messages, and car information, like gas level and speed. This device provides information to the driver in easy, succinct ways, so they can focus on what’s most important, driving.
  3. Tile item locator –  This inexpensive bluetooth tracker helps locate items that tend to get lost easily, such as car keys, wallet, or jacket. Simply keep the small ‘tile’ attached to the item and virtually connect it to the user’s smartphone. Then, when the item goes missing, simply use the phone to locate. If within 100 feet, a loud song will play. If further, the item can be geo-located by the app. This is perfect for the busy professional who is always on the move and in and out of different hotels. Providing them the gift of peace of mind might be just what they need.
  4. Car Espresso Maker – An on-the-go espresso maker is perfect for the business traveler looking for an extra caffeine buzz. The device plugs into the cigarette lighter in any car to brew a perfect cup of espresso. Plus, it sits comfortably in the cup holder, to avoid spillage.
  5. Stereo aux receiver – One of the hardest parts of being a busy traveling professional, is a lack of connectivity when it’s vital. With this cheap stereo aux receiver, it makes any car bluetooth enabled. So your roadwarrior can connect to the music, podcasts, or whatever is important to them.
  6. Power inverter to charge any device – Another issue with consistently traveling for business is the stress of keeping devices charged. This power inverter solves that problem. It easily plugs into the cigarette holder and charges smartphones, tablets and even laptops. This device could be a real lifesaver for someone always on the go.
  7. Jewelry organizer – One of the downsides of traveling with jewelry is the inevitable tangle its creates. This easily portable jewelry organizer allows packing jewelry in one container, but individually from each other. With mini internal sections, your business traveler can always look great without the mess to clean up later. The bag is a little bulky but could be perfect for the fashion forward roadwarrior.
  8. A lock you can use on any door – This is a cheap gift, but perfect for any traveling professional. This small device instantly locks any door with no additional tools. It’s perfect for traveling, at home, apartments, motels, etc. Added security is always appreciated, and this device is small enough to bring along anywhere and easy to install in seconds.
  9. Night cable – This 10-foot charging cable with a weighted knot is perfect for any busy professional on the go. Hotels often have electrical outlets located behind desks or inconveniently low. The weighted knot on the cable ensures that once the device is unplugged, the cord won’t slip off the desk and fall to the floor. Help your roadwarrior with the burden of annoying cables. Plus, it’s perfect for the office, home or where ever your busy professional needs to work.

Read next:

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Business Travel Guides Travel Tips Vacation Travel

Travel Packing List For Dummies: Use Carry-on Luggage For EVERY Trip

Passengers gathering at the gate prior to their boarding time is strange to me. My first thought is often, ‘why stand in line before you are called, cutting into time that could be used for work, a preflight meal, catching up on a phone call?’ But then I remember that these travelers, like me, are terrified of not finding a space for their bag on the plane. I pride myself on using the same international sized carry-on for every trip, no matter how long. In fact, I wrote a blog on my favorite packing tips a few years ago.  Since I wrote this, I’ve continued traveling for business and leisure and know even more about packing light. I’ve discovered a few easy tips that are especially helpful as we move into the cooler months.

Carry-on packing tips for business and leisure travelers

1) Invest in packing cubes. They not only help you separate your clothes, but they really do keep everything compact. They are especially useful for sweaters!
2) Boot season is upon us and while they look great, knee-high boots can take up an entire suitcase. If boots are part of your wardrobe, wear them on the plane to save space.
3) Try wearing items that you have packed a few times during the same trip. A scarf or tie can really transform an outfit, and nobody will even notice that you had worn it the previous day.
4) If you plan to use the hotel gym, invest in a good workout outfit that is made of nylon. This material gets really small when folded and you can even roll the items and store them inside your workout shoes.
5) If you buy your cosmetics from a mall department store, do so when you can get a promotional gift. The bags that come with these gifts are often the perfect size for travel and the samples are usually travel sized.

Overall, I’ve learned that even with the stressful pre-boarding line, carry-on luggage is the best option for plane travel. Especially if you have an established packing routine with usable tips and tricks.

Looking for more helpful tips on business travel packing? Check out our other blog posts:

Christopherson Business Travel is a corporate travel management company. We’ve worked passionately for more than 60 years to bring travel solutions to busy businesses. Learn more about our specialty travel technology or consultative services that save our clients time and money.

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Business Travel Travel Technology Travel Tips

Five Products For Easier Business Travel

aviiqSavvy travelers, especially those who travel for business, seem to be very focused on making every aspect of their trip as quick, convenient, and painless as possible. To learn some of their tricks, here are five products that will help you stay organized and efficient on your next trip.

1) The Cordito by This is Ground is a small leather cord roll that is made in the USA. Fitting two plugs and three small cords, it is the perfect way to store all those phone cords and adapters.

2) A smartphone wallet case will allow you to keep your phone and wallet together, maximizing space in your carry-on bag. These can be found by a variety of different makers at a range of prices.

3) A jewelry roll will keep all of your accessories organized and minimize the time you spend untangling them while on the road.

4) A Sky Roll Garment Bag rolls clothing into a cylinder so your dress clothes never have crease marks. This minimizes the amount of ironing you will need to do upon arriving at your hotel.

5) A portable charger is always useful, but a charging station like the one from AViiQ can take your efficiency to the next level.

What products would you recommend to enhance the business travel experience?