Love it or hate it, same-day business travel is a regular and unavoidable part of the job for hundreds of people.
On the upside it can help organisations maximise their travel budget and with the right planning (and a bit of luck!) travellers can be back home at a reasonable hour to see family and sleep in their own bed.
Here are Stage and Screen's top tips for making your business trip as productive and stress-free as possible.
Fly the day before
We know, we know… this is an article about same-day business trips, but if you’re travelling to a city that is known to have weather affected delays at certain times of year (such as winter morning fog in Canberra or summer storms in South East Queensland), arriving the night before can relieve a lot of stress.
Fly early
Make the most of your airport lounge membership and arrive for your flight early, have breakfast, get your coffee fix and hit your seat on the plane firing on all cylinders. Use the flight time to fine-tune your meeting objectives and shoot off a few emails.
Pack carry on only
This is a no brainer for regular business travellers. When that door opens upon landing you can grab your bag and head straight for the airport exit.
Pre-book a transfer
Certain airports are notorious for long transport queues. So don’t loose time cooling your heels on the footpath, book a private transfer or ride to whisk you straight to your first appointment.
Arrive fully charged
Have all of your devices fully charged before you leave home. Nothing slows you down more than a low battery, so power up all your devices and also pack chargers and a power bank as backup.
Cluster meetings
Organise your day to minimise time-consuming travel by clustering your meetings according to location. Spend your morning attending meetings in the same area of town, before using the lunch break to travel to other locations.
Invite people to come to you
A highly productive option, designed to maximise your time on the ground, is to book a meeting room in a centralised location and to have colleagues or clients travel to you.
Set out your agenda
Have meeting agendas planned and distributed to all attendees well in advance. When everyone knows the topics to be covered meetings run smoother and are more likely to start and finish on time.
Maintain your energy levels
After starting your day very early, the chances are you are going to hit the wall in the afternoon as your energy levels dip. To stay alert throughout the day drink plenty of water and have regular small, healthy snacks on hand to boost energy.
Unplug from the office
If you are in town on business for one day only, focus exclusive on the task at hand. Regular office emails and dramas can usually wait until tomorrow. But if you absolutely do have to be contactable, catch up on calls and emails while travelling between meetings.
Kill two birds at once
Multitask by holding a meeting over lunch whether at the office, a local restaurant or a private dining room. You can network, connect with clients on a more informal level and refuel for the afternoon. Just abstain from energy zapping heavy meals and alcohol, which can slow you down and interfere with your concentration in the afternoon.
Take a walk
After lunch is the perfect time to have a walking meeting with colleagues. You’ll benefit from the fresh air and exercise, be more alert and often get a new perspective on an issue when you are thinking more clearly. It will also set you up fresher for a full afternoon of meetings.
Stay up to date with Apps
Use the latest traveller apps to ensure you are aware of flight delays, board gate changes, traffic conditions and weather reports.
Prebook your return airport transfer
With your airport transfer already booked, you can relax and work right up to the last minute knowing your ride is waiting for you.
Stay flexible
If the clock is ticking down towards your departing flight time and you’re still knee-deep in negotiations, you are going to want to see it through. Or maybe your ride to the airport is at a standstill in peak hour traffic. By investing in a fully flexible fare for same-day travel you can easily change to a later flight without penalty.
