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Travel Budgets May Not Match Growing Travel Expenses
October 31, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Travel prices have increased for business, yet budgets for these trips may not have caught up yet. In fact, according to a recent CFO Magazine article, travel budgets may need to rise 4.5 percent in order to keep up with the price of business trips. With the pressure to fit more expensive business excursions into tighter budgets, business travelers may need to become a little savvier and keep an eye out for bargains.
Airfare
Bargains in airfare can be a little hard to come by, especially considering high fuel surcharges and a decreased number of flights. However, sites like CheapTickets and SkyAuctions can offer affordable alternatives. When looking at travel discount sites, be sure you're comparing apples to apples. If one includes tax, be sure to calculate tax on the others and add that in. Only then can you really look at and compare all the options and choose the most cost-effective one.
Accommodations
Online travel sites can have some good deals, but the individual hotel chain websites are getting in the act too with savings offered by going directly to the hotel website. Looking at the websites of brands you recognize and like can get you a good deal and piece of mind for your stay. Plus, many hotels have loyalty programs that can pay off for frequent travelers.
Transportation
Public transportation for one person is usually a good option. However, being in a new area on a tight schedule is not always the best time to learn a bus or subway route. Taxis can be expensive, but can get you where you need to go. If you're headed to a city, find out if the taxis charge by zone. This can affect when you want to spring for a taxi. If the trip is to a more rural area, get the name of a local taxi company or consider renting a car.
So keep an eye out for where you can get travel deals to make up for shrinking travel budgets.
Skype for Business Travelers
October 30, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
How often do you call home while on the road? Are you limited by the cost of calls from the hotel or by limited cell phone minutes? With time traveling growing for many business people, staying connected with family members is more of an effort. And while your company will pay for calls back to the office, they may not always foot the bill for you to talk with your loved ones.
There is a solution. With many hotels, including Extended Stay Hotels, offering cheap and reliable broadband and wireless Internet connections, you can Skype. So in addition to using the Internet to text or email, you can talk to people back at home for free, around the world.
You can make Skype calls computer to computer for free or from your computer to a phone for a small fee. The sound quality is remarkably good, so you won't miss any part of the conversation by going this route. Just be sure to remember to pack a good microphone for your computer.
Unlike other VoIP solutions such as Vonage, Skype can be done from any computer with broadband and does not need set-up. And instead of a monthly charge, all calls from computer to computer are absolutely free. All you need is to sign up and get a screen name.
How else can business travelers stay connected to home? Well you can keep a blog that can be as public or as private as you'd like. Then you can update it on the road and keep a number of people updated and more connected. You can send e-cards in the evening to show up in a friend's mailbox the next day, just because. Your days might be filled with meetings and appointments, but with Internet in your hotel room, you can take some time in the evening to keep in touch while you’re away.
Flight Bumps
October 17, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The next time someone mentions they had a bumpy flight they may not be referring to the turbulence. Those who have a few flights under their belts will recognize a bump as when an airline overbooks and moves some passengers to a later flight going to the same destination. With airlines cutting costs by reducing the number of flights, it makes sense that these are getting more and more crowded, to the point of being overbooked.
A recent Washington Post piece discusses the ins and outs of flight bumping. The good news is that most of the bumps are done by asking for volunteers and if you have time to spare, you could make out like a bandit. For an hour or two being stuck in an airport, you could get free tickets for future use. The bad news is that this can mean waiting for a volunteer to step forward. It also means that if they don't get a volunteer, the last traveler to get to the airport may be the first in line to wait for another plane. However, even if the extra wait is not voluntary, you may still be entitled to some of the perks or reimbursements for your time.
Although overbooking is annoying, the airlines are within their rights to do so as long as those who don't get on the purchased flight are compensated. And the compensation may be more than worth your while, making it a true windfall. Although, check with your company to see if you can still claim the perks of waiting if they bought your ticket. If you do not have the time to spare, be sure to arrive at the airport early so that you can confirm your seat.
Travel DVD Players
October 16, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Movies can make time spent waiting go by faster, and wasted time can add up for the business traveler. When waiting in an airport, lobby, or train, you can be enjoying that time instead. Whether it’s an old favorite or a new release, a movie on your portable DVD player can make all the difference. If you're staying at an extended stay hotel for a while, you can get mail to that room and even get your Netflix movies delivered. Some hotels will even have a DVD player in the room, so you can watch your movie collection on a large screen without the hassle of figuring out connection cords.
So what do you want to look for in a travel DVD player? Well, About.com has a good buying guide for portable DVD players. Decide what matters to you as far as screen size, price, functionality, and weight and then make your decision based on your needs and priorities. The Philips PET 1002 has a long battery life and some great features. Check out a C/Net review on the device.
And if while on the road you want to burn your own DVD, check out this Engadget review of a travel DVD burner.
Verizon LG Chocolate Review
October 16, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The commercials and ads are everywhere, plastered on your favorite websites and popping up on during breaks in TV shows. This little phone promises to be ipod and cell phone in one and as irresistible as its namesake. So is the Chocolate worth all the hype and do you need to run out and get one today to make those business trips seem oh so much shorter with all your music along for the ride?
There's no doubt that it’s sleek, hip, and cuts down on electronic gadget clutter. Why take two devices when you can pack one? However, upon further inspection this phone may not be the end-all-be-all answer that it claims to be. Due to the majority of the design space going to the mp3 player look, the phone keys are small and cramped. One finger misstep can lead to calling the wrong person, which happens more frequently than the number of apologies that will be readily accepted by colleagues, clients, and friends when they keep getting unintended calls. Also, life can get tricky when a particularly confidential text gets accidentally sent astray. And with keys that need to be pushed fairly hard to get a response, bringing up screens can be an unwelcome workout when also juggling a laptop and luggage.
When it comes right down to it, whether or not the Verizon Chocolate is worth getting depends on what you need. If you want an mp3 player that can be used as a phone occasionally, then you're all set. However, if you want a phone that can play music too, you may be better off looking elsewhere. And if you need email capabilities on top of that, keep moving. This phone makes a lot of sense for a younger audience, but for a business traveler that heavily relies on a cell phone for communication, it seems impractical.
