Maximize accommodation

Maximize accommodation

Choose accommodation based on location and price. Always check the address of the hotel you are browsing and make sure it is centrally-located so you have access to public transportation or easy access to wherever your daily activity will take place. Check the amenities of the hotel and make sure there is internet access, fitness centers, and a coffee shop in the hotel. Internet is important for your work, exercise is paramount to control stress levels and in terms of health, and as to the coffee shop, you might want to wake up to a nice cup of coffee.

Consider staying a a hotel that has a running program through the city; this way you can avoid the restrictions of a hotel fitness centre while getting to see the city you are visiting for a limited period of time.

If the front desk isn't busy, you want want to ask for hotel upgrades. Front desk clerks usually are willing to upgrade customers when business is slow, but make sure you ask when there are many people around.

One of the biggest setbacks of some hotels is that they are not complimentary and they are not even fast enough. While internet is important for every traveler to find communicate with others or research their destination, internet is part of business travelers' jobs. If you want to avoid the extra expense for a connection that doesn't even suit you at your regular business hotels, join a Rewards Club for Internet which is fast and free. This rewards club memberships such as IHG Rewards Club offer fast, reliable internet at any of the 4,900 IHG hotels in the world.

While signing up for the rewards club for internet perks, don't forget to create a free IHG Business Advantage account at the same time - this is a free, easy to use and secure travel management system allowing you to manage, control and organize your company's accommodation bookings and expenditure. Having one hotel business account facilitates the booking, payment and expenses process of accommodation.

If you are a veteran staying at hotels, one way to get rewards and save on accommodation is to sign up for an account on hotels.com. This website allows you to earn points, get discounts and complimentary nights at hotels once you book through it. The more you use it, the money rewards you accumulate. Besides, the website is very helpful in other ways as it also guides you as to your destination. There you can find an assortment of articles per neighborhood on the most visited cities around the world. That way you can check which hotel suits you best in terms of location, if it is near where you are attending the meeting, or in terms of transport, meals or touristic sites, in case you have time to take a stroll around. The articles also offer a city guide to make the most of your stay at the destination, a food guide so you can find the restaurant the best suits your needs which also also be a restaurant to discuss business with your clients; the articles also guide you in terms of shopping in case you have to make a last minute purchase, you'll know where to find what you are looking for.

Another way to score a free night is with a co-branded hotel credit card which commonly offer bonuses in the way of free nights every year or free elite status.

Smart routines for Business Travelers

Smart routines for Business Travelers

You don't have to be in Thailand to bargain. If rental agencies won't upgrade for free, you can try and negotiate. Premium cars can be very useful to get around in a city with long distances but without a reasonable public transport. Regardless of how useful they can be, premium cars can be very expensive. One way to avoid this paying too much for a car is to try and negotiate. Counter reps will negotiate much lower proces if they are available when you pick up your car. Ask at check-in if you can upgrade to a higher category and if they quote you a price, just try to bring the price down since they won't start at their best price.

Charge everything the night before you travel. Make sure you leave your phone, iPad, powerpod and laptop charging overnight and leave them next to your bag to make sure you pack it in your carry-on before leaving. You might find plugs by the airport or even use your powerpod, but it's best to have everything fully charged before you leave so you can avoid the hassle of staying in one place and charging it.

As airplanes are full of germs, make sure you carry a hand sanitizer and a tube of Bacitracin. Sanitize your hands and then out a dab of Bacitracin on your finger tip and use it to coat the inside of one nostril and then the other to ward off any virus encapsulated in the comprised air of aircraft.

Get some ear soft foam disposable earplugs which are cheaper, less bulky, easier to replace than the expensive, noise-canceling, bulky headphones. They also allow you to sleep comfortably.

If you have to eat at the airport, look for where the airline personnel are eating and follow their lead. Then choose protein over carbs as it takes longer to digest and burn, and therefore lasts longer. Also choose bottled water as your preferred beverage since soda might give you a bad stomach while flying.

The folding tray table is rarely, if ever, cleaned. Therefore, it is recommended to take some antibacterial wipes and wipe the try before using.

Get a wireless broadband USB modem, such as those made by Sierra Wireless. The wireless USB modem uses any cell signal so you can use it anywhere and you pay one monthly fee.

If you have a claim to a premier status, get in premier line. Get in any queue with more male solo business traveler. Men have fewer accessories to discard and are in a rush through to get through security. Avoid queues with families, married couples and leisure travelers.

Even if it is not on your itinerary, include working out in your routine. This will keep you healthy, it will battle stress and it will give your more control over your trip as it clears your mind. It will also help you battle jet lag and tiredness.

Finally, buy a local paper. This will make you look more like a local and less likely to be targeted by any unpleasant character that may be around. Besides, you might even learn something from this paper, so bonus.

How to maximize Frequent flyer points

How to maximize Frequent flyer points

From using your credit card for everyday spending through to paying your tax bill with points-earning plastic, there are many ways to maximise your frequent flyer points.

A frequent-flyer program is a loyalty program offered by an airline. These programs are designed to encourage airline customers enrolled in the program to accumulate points which may then be redeemed for air travel other goods or services or for increased benefits such as travel class upgrades, airport lounge access or priority bookings.

Points may be based on fare, distance flown or the amount paid. However, there are other ways to earn points and one way that has become popular in the latter years is by using co-branded credit and debit cards than air travel. Another way to earn points is by spending money at associated retail outlets, car hire companies, hotels or other associated businesses.

FFP can be seen as a type of virtual currency where money only flows one way to earn points but not exchange back into money, just rewards.

One of the best places to collect points is actually outside the airport - it's at the grocery store. The best way to earn points is by shopping with travel rewards cards. Just use your card for everyday spending and when you travel. Make sure you use a card that waives foreign transaction fees as they can amount to much and could surprise you when they appear on your statement.

Consolidate your travel into one or two airlines only. Try to keep them in the same airline family like OneWorld (American), SkyTeam (Delta) or Star Alliance (United Continental). Thereafter, check international airlines to ensure your primary airline will gain the miles from flights on international carriers. Many of the perks afforded on your primary carrier will transfer over to these international carriers. Most of the time, international carriers will even treat you better domestic airlines in terms of free baggage, upgrade or access to lounge.

Buy money order. Reconciling a bank statement paid off for one man who noticed that Bank of America was awarding frequent flyer points for some purchases made via EFTPOS, not just credit purchases. For instance, debit purchases at Walmart - a supermarket - were contributing to his points balance, so he tested what would happen if he bought money orders from Walmart. As foreseen, the bank applied frequent flyer points to his account. Things didn't turn out well for him as his bank accounts got frozen once Bank of America became aware of what he was doing.

Many airlines have programs that give you extra miles if you dine out at their preferred list of restaurants in your area. What you have do is to register for the dining program online and link one of your credit cards to the account. Every time you use that card, you'll earn more points.

Earn points while shopping. There's not point to purchase some random products just to get points, but many airlines have deals with stores you may already shop at. Nearly all airlines and hotel programs offer a shopping portal.

Opening credit cards is the fastest and most lucrative way to accumulate miles. Sign up for credit cards that provide a good mileage bonus. The more credit cards you own, the more bonus you get and you can always close them.

If you have some extra money saved at a bank earning little or no interest, you might consider banking it in a new account as many financial companies offer points to your money into their systems. You can close your account once you get the rewards.

If you have the time to answer some surveys, some websites will give you miles in exchange for answering questionnaries (these include e-rewards.com and emiles.com). The sites deposit the miles into your account every few months, and you can use multiple email addresses to get rewards with more than one partner.

Signing up to Netflix can also get you a bunch of points. If you already have an account, you can cancel it and open it again just for the points. If you just watch television, you might consider the perks Netflix offers you.

You can earn lines for test driving a crazy promotion. Just hop into a car and give it a test drive, or test headphones, or visit a clinic for a hair loss consultation. Deals come and go, so just keep your eyes open for this one.

Social media also allows you to score some points. Many airlines and hotels are willing to reward you with a bunch of points in exchange for a ‘like' of their Facebook page or on one of their posts.

A few chain hotels allow you to transfer hotel points to partner airlines, and some even let you choose airline miles instead of hotel points when you stay. Some of them might allow you to get both benefits.

Practical items to carry while traveling

Practical items to carry while traveling

A worldwide adapter is a very practical object while traveling overseas. It may save you from overpaying for an adaptor at the airport or a souvenir shop in the city centre and from buying a new one each time you visit a new region. It also saves you time from looking for this adaptor while overseas so you can charge your phone, laptop and focus on your business matters instead. This way you can rest assured your essential electronics will stay charged throughout your trip which is essential for business travelers. A good international adapter will work in around 150 countries. If you arrive at the hotel without an adapter, your best bet is to make your way to the front desk and be your charming self with the receptionist - often they will have drawers bursting with international adapters that other travelers have forgotten in the room and left behind.

As electronic - specially the all-powerful smartphone - are so important in this day and age, carry a charged powerpad on you. Even if you carry a travel adaptor on you, you never know where you'll find a plug or if you will have time to do so. You wouldn't want to find yourself in a new country or in the middle of nowhere with no energy.

Even though laptops have always been the must-have tool in the arsenal of the business traveler, when it comes to navigating on the plane, tablets or ‘hybrid' services are fast becoming the preferred tool to carry aboard. As it is thin, light, easy to move around, it is perfect to view videos or to read. Some people have switched to Microsoft's Surface Pro 3, which is one of the ‘best of both worlds' devices. It rolls together a 12-inch screen, Microsoft and Office sorftware, USB and microSD sockets, a digital pen and a slim but responsive keyboard to deliver what the first two Surface releases failed to do.

However, some business travelers prefer to carry both tablet and lapton. Some would say that it is easier to work on the laptop while the tablets are better for viewing.

Apple's macbook - either pro or air - remain as the preferred device by business travelers. One is most powerful but the other is lighter and thus easier to carry out, while both boast long-lasting batteries, so they can use it for a long time everywhere. However, some aircrafts allow you to charge your devices as long as they have a usb port so don't forget to take a usb adapter.

And of course, you can never forget your smartphone. This small devices allow you to stay communicated, to get easily get online, to use the apps to make your flight and stay at the airport easier and stress-free. It will also allow you to easily reach a destination on Google Maps. Even if you don't use Internet, you can still download a destination onto Google Maps and use it offline with the app or use another app like maps.me which allows you to navigate, access a city guide and a map offline.