5 Traveling Tips For Up In The Air Style Efficiency

While I do travel quite a bit, it pales in comparison to many of the frequent fliers I know. So when I watched the movie Up In The Air a couple months ago, I thought about my traveling techniques and modified a couple of things:

1. Ultra-light packing. I’ve always been a light packer, especially on business trips but for two day trips now, I usually just now pack a backpack. How do you do this? Sending items ahead that I won’t be bringing back has helped a ton. Finding comfortable shoes that can play the role of business formal and casual is another. A reliable, wool sports jacket. Ladies, you might be on your own on this but I have a friend who travels as light as I do. It can be done.
2. Good luggage. Even for the infrequent traveler, good luggage is a smart investment. When you do have to roll on or check, you want to maximize space and function while making sure everything gets there in one piece. On a budget? Instead of buying one of those huge luggage sets, buy them one piece at a time. Most of those sets are garbage anyway. That gigantic bag? It will be too heavy when you travel. The little bag? Seriously?
3. Snacks. I don’t know if you’ve flown in the last 20 years but they don’t serve Filet Mignon on flights anymore. I always pack snacks these: granola, fruit snacks, and peanuts. You may be thinking of eating at that connection in Dallas but if you get delayed and have a shortened layover, you might not want to run through the airport with a Big Mac in your mouth.
4. Travel wear. Wear your dress jacket to the airport but stay comfortable underneath it. Bring shoes that you can easily slip in and out of and wear some natural fibers (I have some Columbia Sportswear short-sleeve shirts that work perfect and look fine under a sport coat. Pack the stuff you need to pull out for security (toiletries, laptop, etc…) in an easily accessible location. And if you’re packing dress shirts, make sure to use a garment bag or fold them garment bag style so you don’t have to do too much ironing when you get to your location.
5. Patience If you are a frequent traveler, pack a dose of patience with you. Every time I see a guy stammering about being late and being impatient, I see a guy who didn’t give himself enough time and is now blaming others for the inconvenience. Here’s the deal: you plan ahead, you get to the airport early and you check flight statuses. It’s that simple. Don’t be a jerk. Frequent fliers who get it can’t afford to get stressed or they would have died when they were 40.

How do you prepare to travel for business (or pleasure)?

Pack light photo by Johnnyvulkan. Snacks photo by abooth202. Patience photo by joelgoodman. All licensed under CC.