Out of Office: Flying for Business? Silence is Golden
This post is part of a series in which LinkedIn Influencers and members share their business travel advice and stories from life on the road. Read all the posts here.
While a necessary part of our lives, flying on business comes with inconveniences, difficulties, and, as recent events have reminded us, even danger. I hope that all our flights will be safe and worthwhile. To that end, I join my fellow Influencers in sharing a few thoughts on staying comfortable, being respectful of others, and making business travel work for you.
Silence is golden. As a native Kansan, I appreciate the value of being friendly, including to strangers. But my conversation with seatmates on a flight doesn’t extend much at all beyond a nice “hello” when I take my seat and “have a good trip” when I’m getting ready to deplane. In my mind, it’s about respecting people’s space, particularly when you get seated next to someone prominent or well-known. Case in point: back when the O.J. Simpson trial was at its height, I found myself seated on a flight next to one of the principal characters in that sad tale. I could tell this person was just waiting, no doubt with dread, for me to start asking questions. I didn’t, and I could also sense the gratitude when we parted ways.
Avoid alcohol. My friends and family know that I enjoy unwinding with a glass of wine as much as the next person — but never on a plane, even on short flights. It’s dehydrating and also might lead you afoul of my first tip above.
Be well-supplied. I always keep protein-packed snacks in my bag. Almonds and protein bars are my favorite. Also, once I get through security, I make sure I buy a bottle of water. And, along these lines, I keep a toiletry bag at the ready in my carry-on too.
Use SeatGuru. Despite my disclaimer about apps, I can recommend this service, which helps you find the best seats, whatever class. Check it out: https://www.seatguru.com.
Stay loyal to one or two airlines. If airline mergers have accomplished anything, they’ve made it easier to stick to one carrier, which I think is a good idea. Also, hotels — I advise being loyal both within a brand and in a particular location (e.g., same hotel in New York City each time you visit). Once you hit elite status, the points rack up, and you can use them for pleasure as a reward for slogging through your biz travel.
Fly at night overseas. When I’m flying internationally, I always bring a good set of headphones, sleep mask, and slippers. This may require consulting your physician, but I find a sleep aid can be helpful on those long flights too.
How do you make the most of business travel? Share your tips in the comments, and safe travels to all.
Photos: creative commons licensed (BY-ND) flickr photo by Barbara Wells
Vice President - Recruitment Product @ Taggd | Industrial and Product Design
9 年Nice & interesting, Cindy. By the way i liked hearing about seatguru.com
Supply Chain Business Analyst | Process Improvement | Business Intelligence | ?? Business Analyst | Project Management | Data Analyst | Power BI | DAX | SQL | ?? Python | Excel
10 年Those who don't talk are not business people; they picked the wrong career.
These suggestions are rather general and mostly applicable. Certainly most frequent travelers apply them in some form. That said I think that realizing we are social creatures is important and that includes knowing when to interact and when not. Having a nice conversation can make in particular long flights very pleasant. You should be able to tell when a passenger or crew member wants and likes to interact. Indeed headphones or a book can be good indicators to leave someone alone or be left alone yourself. Being courteous and helpful includes sometimes taking your time listening to others as well. I have met some great people, apparently prominent and less so on these flights and if you take genuine interest most people respond well. In addition when traveling globally you not always have the choice of flying at night overseas (at least not in both directions, most direct flight and not with the same alliance)! As with everything, plan well, be prepared and make it enjoyable!
Technical Humanist
10 年The number one tip, which applies to a more broadly global audience, is to avoid any connections that involve the USA.
Digital Sales/SaaS/Inside Sales
10 年''Silence is golden''!!! I agree but in this case the writer of this article should have recommended this:- Bring a book with you especially for those taking ''Long Haul Flights''. Reading a book is the international sign of ''do not talk to me''. Personally, I do socialize with people sitting next to me when flying. Remember when the plane is going through turbulence you will need someone to share your worries and your fears with. Most of all ''keep calm and fly safe''.