That many passengers adds up to a lot of flying. It's also a lot of sitting around. With each one-way domestic flight absorbing about four hours to pack, get to the airport, wait to check in and fly (if all goes well), the process of getting from point A to B and back to A can take up an enormous amount of productive time.
So, to minimise the pain of business travel, here are six tips, which I have gathered over the innumerable air miles I've clocked up.
1. Get with the gadgets: Staying connected when away from the office is vital and I'm never far from my MacBook Pro and iPhone. It means I can stay productive as much as possible. It also means that, when I'm wearing my earphones, I can ignore chatty individuals who like to make friends on planes. Before you leave on your trip, however, make it a ritual to back up your data and also carry a full back-up with you on a portable hard drive.
2. Stay with the pack: Checking in as early as possible may afford you the much-desired window or aisle seat, but it can also give dishonest airport staff lots of time to help themselves to your possessions. Rather stay with the pack and check in closer to boarding time or secure your luggage with the airport's luggage-wrap services if you absolutely have to check in much earlier. Either way never travel with valuables in your checked-in luggage. Ever.
3. Travel lightly: There are new regulations for the size of hand luggage on domestic flights, and are more strictly enforced. Read them. Passengers can have one laptop bag or briefcase, and one carry-on bag. If it's too big or too heavy, you'll be required to either pay for the extra weight or (worse) have to part with it to be loaded into the hold of the aircraft. Which could be troublesome (see point 2 above). The main reason, however, is that the biggest pain in the arse for frequent flyers is the lack of overhead space caused by people stowing their wooden giraffe, shopping bags and five Pep tog bags in the space allocated for 12 other passengers' items...
4. Don't be 'penny wise and pound foolish': Opting to pay a little extra on your ticket may buy you valuable flexibility with your flight. Unforeseen circumstances such as a traffic jam or that business pitch that has to be extended to a second day usually occur when you can ill afford it. A non- transferable ticket in these circumstances results in more hassle and expense than the amount initially saved. Make sure your ticket is changeable. Treat the added extra as insurance - a little bit extra really does go a long way.
5. Go for gold: Do everything you can to get into British Airways' luxurious 'slow' lounges. Their services include an on-site chef, barista, a great bar, a library, a Nintendo games room, private meeting spaces, business facilities and an on-site spa. They've taken airport lounges to a whole new dimension. Now waiting for your boarding call needn't be time wasted!
6. Create a packing routine: Nothing is more frustrating than arriving at your hotel and unpacking your bags to find you've left your razor or lucky underpants at home. Get into the habit of refining a list of travel essentials that you constantly evaluate. Buy a complete second set of toiletries and keep them in your travel bag. Only pack essentials and ensure your shirts, pants and shoes are as mix-and-matchable as possible. I'm anal about what I pack, but it means I'm prepared when I'm away, and that means I can focus on my work - which is what it's all about, really.
