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Beat the hassles of travel
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December 6, 2000: 12:20 p.m. ET
Become a savvy travel buyer and make your business trip more comfortable
By Jane Applegate
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Even in today's high-tech world, a face-to-face meeting is still the best way to begin a business relationship or close a major deal. But small business owners -- pressed for time, working without a travel department and on a budget -- find business travel especially treacherous around the holidays.
"Flying these days is really bad," says Wendy Perrin, consumer news editor at Conde Nast Traveler magazine. "Seats are smaller, storage is smaller, flight attendants and gate agents are meaner, and it's hard to get an empty seat next to you."
Adding to the aggravation this week, Delta Air Lines' (DAL: Research, Estimates) pilots are refusing to work overtime, forcing the airline to cancel hundreds of flights.
So what's a harried entrepreneur to do?
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Be proactive -- when you are renting a car, ask for the newest car on the lot. At hotels, ask the reservation agent for a good room -- one close to the elevators, or far from them, on a quiet floor or with a view. The reservation agents know what the better rooms are, and they're happy to give a bad room to the unsuspecting.
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Chris McGinnis
Travel Skills |
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"Become an aggressive travel buyer," advises Chris McGinnis, former CNN business-travel correspondent and head of Travel Skills, based in Atlanta. "Be proactive -- when you are renting a car, ask for the newest car on the lot. At hotels, ask the reservation agent for a good room -- one close to the elevators, or far from them, on a quiet floor or with a view. The reservation agents know what the better rooms are, and they're happy to give a bad room to the unsuspecting."
Cabin layout makes difference in comfort
When flying, check in really early, and ask for a seat in the emergency exit row to enjoy a few extra inches of legroom. Cabin layout makes a big difference, especially on long flights or when you have to work on your laptop en route. Wendy Perrin favors 767s, which have a two-three-two seating plan, meaning only one middle seat per row. Compare that to a 747, which is typically three-four-three, meaning four of the dreaded middle seats in every row. Ask the reservation agent, or visit www.frequentflyer.oag.com to check seating plans online before you fly.
Both Perrin and McGinnis recommend trying smaller, budget airlines for better service -- and better fares. "The other day I flew from JFK to Orlando, and back from Fort Lauderdale," says Perrin. "On the way down, I flew Delta Express, which I thought would be the same as Delta, but it's not ... it was a nightmare. When the person in front of you reclined their seat, they were in your lap. You had no choice but to recline -- and there wasn't even enough space to read."
On the way back, she flew JetBlue, a new, small discount airline. "It was so comfortable," she said. "There was no line at the check-in counter. The plane had all leather seats and 22 channels of live TV for each seat. We left on time and arrived on time. It was a real pleasure."
McGinnis reports most discount airlines often offer other perks. "You don't need to stay over a Saturday night, you don't need a round-trip ticket, and it costs $35 to change a ticket instead of $75," he said, suggesting that readers check out these lines: Southwest, AirTran, Vanguard, Sun Country, JetBlue and Spirit.
You may have noticed that last fall, many travel agents began charging a fee of $10 to $20 per ticket. "Agents once made a 12 percent commission on every ticket they sold. Now that's down to about 5 percent or less," says Justin Shaw, vice president and general manager of biztravel.com, a business-travel service based in Philadelphia. "They have to make it up somehow."
Think of travel agent as a consultant
But the added cost of a travel agent's fee may be worth it if your time is valuable and you tend to make a lot of changes. "Lots of changes are the nature of the beast," says McGinnis, who suggests thinking of a travel agent as another consultant for your business.
You also can book plane tickets online through most airlines' Web sites, or on travel sites like expedia.com and biztravel.com. Both of these sites offer tools that allow you to authorize another person (like an assistant) to buy tickets for you and to save frequently traveled routes for easier ordering.
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At this time of the year, I'm thinking about what I need to do to make elite status.
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Bruce Goldberg
about.com |
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Biztravel.com also has a great offer for frustrated flyers. The company says it will pay $100 for flights arriving 30 minutes late, $200 for flights arriving an hour late, and give complete refunds for canceled flights and flights arriving more than two hours late.
Although travelers often feel they're entitled to compensation from airlines when flights are delayed, most passenger rights are actually not protected by law. Department of Transportation rules apply only if you're bumped off a flight or if your bag is lost (up to $2,500 in value is covered). The government also requires airlines to provide nonsmoking flights.
"Other than that," says McGinnis, "You're not entitled to anything." With that said, most airlines will pay for a hotel room when flights are delayed for more than four hours at night, and many will make efforts to assist you when delays cause you to miss connections. When your bags don't arrive on time, they will often dish out a bit of cash for a new shirt or skirt.
Never put valuables in checked bags
Still, smart packing also can eliminate headaches. "Never check valuables or anything you'll need on the other end," McGinnis advises. "Only check clothing that can be replaced. Take everything else on the plane with you, including medicine, cameras and glasses."
Don't forget to consider taking advantage of your frequent-flyer benefits when booking flights. "Many inexperienced travelers don't think of consolidating travel on one airline," reports Bruce Goldberg, the on-site business travel expert at about.com. "At this time of the year, I'm thinking about what I need to do to make elite status."
Achieving elite status as a frequent flyer means more than free tickets. Elite flyers receive preferential treatment -- they are first in line for better seats, upgrades and new flights if there are cancellations.
When flying, book morning flights whenever possible to ensure on-time departures. Late afternoon and evenings are the worst, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Copies of recent reports listing arrival and departure records by carrier, airport and time of day, as well as statistics on complaints and lost luggage by airline are available at on the DOT Web site.
Try alternative airports. If you fly in or out of the New York area, avoid LaGuardia (which has the worst on-time record in the country, especially for arrivals). Try alternates like JFK and Newark, or drive to suburban airports in Islip, Long Island or White Plains in Westchester County. In California, Long Beach Airport has better service records than Los Angeles; and Oakland and San Jose airports both have better records than neighboring San Francisco.
Consider alternatives to flying. "Everybody always thinks of air" when they make travel plans, laments Bruce Goldberg, "but there are times, like when you are traveling in the Northeast, when it doesn't make sense to fly."
Rent a comfortable car for trips less than 200 miles. Use Amtrak in the Northeast, near Chicago and on the West Coast. These alternatives are usually cheaper, and almost always less stressful, than flying. 
Jane Applegate, a syndicated columnist and author of 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business, covers small business for CNNfn. "Succeeding in Small Business" appears on CNNfn.com on Wednesdays.
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