How to use business travel and layovers wisely
The modern executive racks up some serious frequent flyer miles and I’m no exception. In fact, I work between my home office in Australia and our company’s main office in Switzerland, which makes for some interesting travel and some unusual layovers that I’ve gotten used to over the years.
If I were to, however, succumb to the time-wasting that long travel routes like mine incur, I’d more than likely be missing at least four days of work every month or so. As a part of the management team of a complex multinational, that’s unacceptable. So how do I make good use of that time and make sure I’m ready to get right back to work when I land on the other end of the world?
Health and activity
Maintaining rest, eating and activity patterns has become paramount during and in between my many regular flights from Australia to Europe and back. This is not an easy task when flight routes and layover times are constantly changing. But there are a few things that I’ve found keep me in check.
First, frequent flyers need to keep in mind that being carried across long distances at such altitudes is not a natural state for the human body. Your hydration levels are the first casualty in this unnatural situation. Studies have shown that the average male loses approximately two litres of water and women around 1.6 litres during a 10-hour flight. For an average flight from Australia to Europe, this translates into a loss of about 4 litres of fluid or 8% of the water in my body. Drinking plenty of water before, during and after a flight is essential.
The lack of activity that comes with sitting for several hours straight is the second danger our bodies are faced with on long flights. The human body was made to move, not sit still for hours at a time at high altitudes. The exhaustion that some feel after a day spent on aircrafts isn’t the result of being overworked or physically tired, but rather drained, first quite literally by lack of hydration, then by lack of physical activity.
The lack of physical activity at these altitudes can be particularly dangerous for people with heart or vein conditions. To prevent some very disconcerting side-effects and dangers to your general health, be sure to move a lot and at regular intervals. Always request an aisle seat and use that as an opportunity to get up and take a stroll on the airplane every few hours or do a set of leg exercises every once a while. As an alternative to settling into the first business class lounge during your entire layover, instead take a nice long walk through the airport or for longer layovers, see if you can spend some of your time as a tourist in whichever city you happen to be.
Staying on top of work
If you’re flying business or first class, then top tier lounge access will be included with your ticket. If not, top tier lounges at most airports are accessible at very decent daily pass rates, and well worth it.
Depending on how long your layover is, a lounge is a great place to get some rest, but also an excellent place to use as an office for a few hours, to catch up on work-related stuff and arrive prepared and well-rested at your destination.
The quality and amenities of lounges across the world vary though, so you should check what’s being offered ahead of time. In most lounges, there’s plenty of space to not just work but take on a few business calls as well and never miss a beat. Look for private work areas and many lounges offer business centres and meeting rooms which can be used for productive work time.
If you’d rather use your layover for downtime and to skype or facetime with your family back home, most airports and airlines now offer free or paid wifi. Airport lounges also usually offer included wifi and it is always worth asking if there is a restricted “business” or ‘first class’ connection available which will usually be faster. Before purchasing in-flight airline wifi, however, you may want to check what others say about the particular airline and service, as quality, cost and experience vary.
I have had mixed experiences with in-air wifi, and usually I restrict the use of this to sending and receiving short, important emails only. Surfing the Web, mid flight is rarely practical. It is also worthwhile checking whether you can write the cost of wifi off as a travel expense.
Though airlines seem to be trying to accomodate the 21st century business traveller with modern technology as quickly as possible, it can all still get quite expensive for frequent flyers. Personally, I find the spend a justified one and prefer to do most of my work in flight, to have as much time to walk, rest or even work out during a layover.
Personal time
I’m a family man and an executive business traveller. The two can mix very well, as long as we plan things right. Letting my family and my colleagues know my exact flight itinerary and when I will and won’t be available immediately solves a lot of issues.
Being away from home a lot doesn’t mean I can’t share in special family moments and our everyday events either. A lot of the “drainage” that I mentioned earlier and that we feel after long trips also comes from an emotional disconnect during travel, from our family, friends and the places we’re familiar with.
Thankfully, we now have standard technology available to circumvent much of that detachment, at least while we’re travelling and away on business. While I’m away, I usually have set times when I speak to family and friends back home, just as I have set times when I communicate with our Swiss headquarters when I’m home.
But keeping a set schedule, again, can be an issue during travel and layovers. First things first — once those closest to you know your travel plans ahead of time, make sure to check in with them as soon as you land, whether using the wifi on the plane or right after connecting to wifi at the airport. Being able to stay in touch has made a world of difference and has also made travel and layovers somehow move along faster for me.
