If you are on a business trip, which is usually a short trip, you might want to travel light, and in this case, the hand luggage is the answer to your prayers. Indeed, carry-on bags give you a special kind of freedom when you are traveling. No checked luggage to slow you down, you don't have to wait at baggage carousels or having your bags head to another destination different from where you are headed.
Carry-on luggage gives you the freedom to walk straight off the plane, out of the airport and be on your way to your hotel, your first meeting or your first pre-dinner drink. Here are some tips to leave your checked luggage behind and pack like a pro.
First of all, when in comes to shirts, you need to invest in some non-iron or crease-resistant cotton business shirts from quality brands and retailers.
The best way to pack a shirt is to fold them with arms to the rear and then roll them from the bottom to the top.
Don't pack your suit jacket. Wear it onto the flight and have it hung in the wardrobe or gently folded and stowed in an overhead locker. If you are going to pack your jacket, fold one of the shoulders inside the other to avoid wrinkles.
As to the shoes, you are better off taking a pair of shoes that you can wear on the plane as well as to the meetings and dinners.
If there is space in your carry-on bag to pack your shoes, you can take advantage of the extra room inside of them to place loose items or even jewelry.
When you buy fragrances or lotions, ask if you can get samples which are perfect for traveling. Otherwise, you can get mini shampoos and lotions. Always make sure that the liquids you are traveling with comply with the guidelines for flight within each country.
Go for smaller version of noise-cancelling headphones (in photo by Bose). It makes no sense to travel with huge noise-cancelling cans.
If you are burdened by a bag-full of brochures or samples to hand out to clients, instead of taking those materials with you, you can have them sent directly from your office to the hotel via courier or parcel post.
As business travelers with frequent flyer status often enjoy priority boarding ahead of other passengers, you can make the most of it by making an early claim on overhead bin space directly above your seat.
Always be prepared, make sure you know if it's going to be busy. The more passengers there are, get ready to leave the lounge early and aim to be among the first on the plane to guarantee you get room for your bags.