Top 5 Best Business Travel Tips

Business travellers are a special breed. Practically living in the sky, these road warriors blaze the trail for the rest of us weekenders. Business travellers know where the best restaurants are, the best VIP lounges, and which airports have free wi-fi.

So we've rounded up the best tips from business travellers here:

Pack light - Be ruthless when you pack. If you're smart, you can go on a six-week trip with nothing bigger than carry-on (even you, ladies). If you stick to one colour scheme and add a few accessories, you'd be surprised how far a few outfits can go. Heels are almost never necessary, really. Flat shoes can be just as formal and take up much less space in your suitcase. Not checking a bag can be the difference in catching or missing your flight, and mean you sail right to the door while the rest of the plane crowds around baggage claim.

Spend smart - Budgeting when you travel is all about knowing how to save money, but also about knowing when it pays to spend. Coach is fine on a one-hour hop from Chicago to Minneapolis, but a 20-hour haul to Australia might call for that $150 upgrade for extra leg room. That said, look for discounts. If you don't find them, then ask... what's the worst that can happen? Look for deals with freebies like breakfast or wi-fi to save money. Paying with your credit card helps maximise exchange rates as well.

Use your gadgets - Nearly every traveller has a smartphone now, so get the most from it. Use the camera to take pictures of your hotel or where your car is parked so you don't need to remember. Use Google maps and GPS to find your way around unfamiliar cities. Download iPhone travel apps (or Blackberry travel apps) to help you predict the weather, calculate currency exchange, keep track of your flight, and even translate signs for you. Load your iPod or iPad with movies and books, or look for that wi-fi connection to kill time on layovers.

Be loyal - It pays to join loyalty programmes. Accumulating miles can not only gain you free flights in the future, but come with perks like priority seating, discounts on hotels and rental cars, free wi-fi, and you'll be the first in line to get upgraded. Many travellers report that they simply get treated better as part of the hotel or airline's loyalty programme.

Smile - It should go without saying, but alas it doesn't nowadays. Be nice to people. Yes you're tired, but probably so are they. I've said it before, but being polite to check-in agents and TSA screeners will get you much further than snapping or shouting will. It goes further than that though: offering a sympathetic smile to a struggling parent will do more than glaring at them when they're trying to calm their child. Being chatty with taxi drivers will help them get to know you and share their insider knowledge of the city (or just not screw you over). Being friendly opens you up to a world of new and unique experiences when travelling.

Top 5 Ways to Avoid Jetlag

Jet lag is the bane of every holiday. You spend a lot of money on your vacation, get very excited about it... and then spend the first three days in Thailand in a tired haze. There are ways to avoid jet lag though, and they aren't as expensive or complicated as you think. Here are our top 5 ways to avoid jet lag:

Sleep smart - Is your flight getting in first thing in the morning? Then get all the sleep you can on the plane. Arriving in time for dinner? Force yourself to stay awake to get a good first night's rest in your destination. Think about your arrival time and plan accordingly... it's worth it. Don't give in to the temptation to nap when you get there as well; stay up until 11pm to force your body into its new rhythm or you'll be fighting it your whole vacation.

Stay hydrated - Dehydration messes with your internal clock in a big way, and airplanes are like extra-cold deserts; the altitude quickly sucks moisture out of food and skin, so you need to work extra-hard to stay hydrated. Drink at least two glasses of water per hour, and consider bringing your own fresh fruit along (but eat it before you disembark). Keep a plane-friendly tube of moisturiser as well. Another big no-no? Alcohol and soft drinks.

Stay active - Whether its on the plane or the three-hour layover, keep your blood pumping by getting a little activity in. Get up and walk around a few times on long flights, and explore the airport instead of just camping out at your gate. If you're at an airport with the facilities, a quick shower will also help rejuvinate a tired body. Light exercise really helps to combat fatigue (and its accompanying grumpiness), but try not to exercise close to bedtime.

Set your watch - Once you're on the plane, you don't need to know what time it is back home. Immediately set your watch to your destination's time zone so that your body adjusts quicker. If you're taking medication, adjust the schedule as soon as possible as well.

Avoid pills - While sleeping pills are a tempting aid to getting some shut-eye on the flight, they can actually make jet lag worse by pulling your internal clock in yet another direction. The ensuing grogginess that comes when you take sleeping pills isn't a great state to arrive in a foreign country in, anyway. Melatonin is also touted as a miracle cure for jet lag, but be wary as it can make things worse if you time the dosage incorrectly.

Travel Movie: The Terminal

I've been writing a lot about airports lately, so much so that I'm dreaming about them. Is it possible to get jet lag or travel fatigue without going anywhere?

This is a movie I can definitely relate to. Most frequent travellers have had that nightmare hours-long layover, or found themselves stranded in an airport overnight due to bad weather or a missed connection. Can you imagine being stuck there for months on end though?

It happened to one Viktor Navorski, played with gusto by Tom Hanks in the 2004 movie The Terminal. Navorski's fictional home country of Krakozhia was embroiled in a civil war while he was in the air, and by the time he arrived in New York his visa and passport were useless. The film was loosely inspired by the experience of Mehran Karimi Nasser, who lived in Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport from 1988 until 2006.

The airport depicted in the film sadly does not exist, but nonetheless it's fun to get a peek into the inner workings of these massive buildings. The film is full of just enough warm-fuzzies and gentle laughs to leave you with a benevolent attitude toward airport staff.

Verdict: Rent it

5 Airport Etiquette Tips

First-time travellers or veteran frequent flyer, we're all guilty at one point or another of being rude and contributing the the hell that is airport travel. Here are our top 5 tips for airport etiquette, in the hopes that everyone will just behave themselves and make it a bit more pleasant for everyone!

Be nice to the staff - Yes, you're tired. Yes, your flight has been delayed. Yes, you've been standing in a queue for an hour too long. But that's no excuse to yell at someone who is genuinely trying to help you. Airport staff, especially people at ticketing counters and security, see the very worst in people every day. Why not show a little compassion and smile at them, or thank them for their help? You never know, it may even get you an upgrade.

Be prepared for security - Chances are, you've been through security. You know what's about to happen. You know that your laptop, coat and shoes need to go through the x-ray, along anything metal you might be carrying. So why would you wear huge lace-up boots and stuff your laptop deep into your bag so you have to rummage around for it while everyone rolls their eyes at you? With a little foresight and consideration, you can zip through in under a minute. And don't whine about your water bottle. No one wants to hear that.

Control your kids - It can be tough wrangling passports, boarding passes, diaper bags, and hyperactive two-year-olds. Nobody is denying that. But if you're flying with kids it's your job to make sure they're entertained enough not to run screaming down the concourse throwing wads of gum at people (true story!). Have games, snacks and other diversions ready to go, or take turns walking around. Many airports have play areas or family rooms, so take advantage of them.

Don't make inapropriate jokes - Let's get one thing straight: you're not funny. Jokes about bombs in your carry-on, hijacking the plane, or anything else that even hints at threatening the safety of the people around you are totally inappropriate and will be taken seriously by staff. One smart remark about anthrax or cocaine will get you bounced off your flight and explaining yourself to the local police faster than you can say 'cavity search'!

Don't hog the baggage carousel - Your flight has landed, you're off the plane, and all you want to do is be on your way. Problem is, that's what everyone else wants too. So what do we all do? We jam up to the baggage carousel with our trolleys and 20 family members squeezed as close to that little door as we possibly can. The secret is, if you move around to the other side, you'll have plenty of room and not be delayed by more than 30 seconds. While you're at it, please wait behind the yellow line so people around you can see and grab their bags. And seriously, keep your kids off the conveyor belt. It's not that kind of carousel.

Strange People You Meet at Airports

It's a well-documented phenomenon that we're not at our best at airports. We're tired, hungry, irritated and disoriented. When I'm on marathon flights I have trouble remembering what country I'm in!

With all this in mind, it's no wonder most of us don't look our best. It's easy to spot someone on a long-haul trip like the poor woman above, but it still looks strange. I once sat for an hour in Paris CDG with my head nodding like a crazy person because I was travelling alone and desperate trying to stay awake.

And really, who takes the time to dress their best? Yes I'm out in public, but I'm not ashamed to wear my yoga pants and a hooded sweatshirt if it means I'm warm and comfortable.

Nothing but sympathy.