Travel hacks and advice

[Foggy_Goggles]

The full La Guardia experience needs to be completed with the M60 bus to 125th station in the rain at night. Now you are living.

It is actually faster the get to mid town with the AirTrain and the E or A

Travel Tips - what works for me

Airports - be comfortable, take your own food, https://flightaware.com/ If you need to rebook, any gate agent with your airline can help - you don't need to wait in line at your gate

Entertaining - if you are in sales and you have to entertain so be it. That said, casual hanging out...fuck that. Every industry in and situation is different but generally, there is no benefit to going to every lunch, happy hour and dinner has no benefit.

Health - stretching/yoga, going on walks, good food, moderated booze, sleep etc. It is really easy to let this get away from you.

Beginning/end of trips - try to leave with shit in order and have something to do when you get home. For example, if you get home Friday night, do what ever is needed to make Saturday your day to forget about work. Not sleeping in, hangover, laundry bullshit.

[mall walker]

The full La Guardia experience needs to be completed with the M60 bus to 125th station in the rain at night. Now you are living.

When I lived in Astoria I took that bus to the airport when flying, but I also took it every day to 125th street to the Metro North. I've seen some of the funniest things in my life on that bus. Not recommended sober.

[Foggy_Goggles]

While the M60 does have it's charm, I have to give props to the 15 Limited in Denver.

[cravenmorhead]

Regarding rebooking, if your flight is cancelled, it's often worth calling the main airline booking line, especially if you have any status. Then you're talking to someone with the same rebooking powers as the overwhelmed gate agent who might have time to work out more creative solutions to your problems. The only catch is that sometimes food vouchers need to be printed by someone in the airport if you're staying overnight.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Regarding rebooking, if your flight is cancelled, it's often worth calling the main airline booking line, especially if you have any status. Then you're talking to someone with the same rebooking powers as the overwhelmed gate agent who might have time to work out more creative solutions to your problems. The only catch is that sometimes food vouchers need to be printed by someone in the airport if you're staying overnight.

Or the website. Or the agent two doors down doing her nails. Be creative. Standing in the end of the line at the gate where the flight was just canceled never works.

[Art Shirk]

The flightaware app was a great call in this thread. It will help you track where the hell your flight is. I was in NY a few months ago during the storms and they kept pushing my flight back by an hour at a time at the gate. Got on the app and noticed that the plane I was taking had just taken off from the west coast so I knew it would be more like half a day before I would get moving, rather than sitting at the gate while they squeaked out minor delays for 5 hours. Also good to check the app before even leaving for the airport.

Parvo, this will help strategize booze intake. And its time's like these that we need the wisdom of Bmills. I bet that guy has some awesome stories about travelling and whisky.

[plugboots]

flightradar24 as well

[huckbucket]

Dulles does blow. There's literally nothing good about it. Plus they still have those retarded people mover bus things that were built for temporary use in the early '60s, you have to be shitting me with those things.

Isn't LaGuardia in the middle of like a $10bn remodel/reconstruction? has there been any improvement?

In a word, no. It's a fucking disaster.

[SkiBall]

And not a word about compression socks? You all are gonna die.

[mall walker]

In a word, no. It's a fucking disaster.

lol

[Danno]

A year ago, I flew into LGA to attend a wedding. We had to rent a car. It took 2 shuttle buses to get to the car rental place (as in, get on a rental car shuttle which takes you somewhere, and then wait for another shuttle bus to actually take you to your car rental company). When we got there, the line went out the door, took 2+ hours in line to get our car. LGA is an abomination.

[Tye 1on]

Regarding rebooking, if your flight is cancelled, it's often worth calling the main airline booking line, especially if you have any status. Then you're talking to someone with the same rebooking powers as the overwhelmed gate agent who might have time to work out more creative solutions to your problems. The only catch is that sometimes food vouchers need to be printed by someone in the airport if you're staying overnight.

That can cut both ways [granted i'm status-less]. I was heading to San Diego, JH-SLC-LA-SAN, and in SLC i noticed a direct flight to SAN that would save me a couple hours and another connection. Grabbed the courtesy phone, was told I didn't have enough miles to change my flight to that one. I saw a lone agent at a gate, stopped by with a big smile, explained what I'd been told. She shook her head, said a curse word or two, and asked if an exit window was ok on the direct flight...

[plugboots]

That can cut both ways [granted i'm status-less]. I was heading to San Diego, JH-SLC-LA-SAN, and in SLC i noticed a direct flight to SAN that would save me a couple hours and another connection. Grabbed the courtesy phone, was told I didn't have enough miles to change my flight to that one. I saw a lone agent at a gate, stopped by with a big smile, explained what I'd been told. She shook her head, said a curse word or two, and asked if an exit window was ok on the direct flight...

This goes back to my post about the person behind the desk. Also, when it really gets shitty, and it will, have stamina, and don't give up. Don't settle for the 3 connections and a red eye. Call again, ask again to someone else. Even nicer this time, etc.

[booner]

There's really nothing better than flying out of Vegas at 6am still high on coke and laying over in Laguardia with kids practically crawling on you, screaming in your ear in Spanish while you contemplate hanging yourself in the bathroom

[mall walker]

https://nypost.com/2018/08/07/dead-b...ardia-airport/

[wicked_sick]

Never trust a fart in Mexico

[St. Jerry]

could just shorten that to never take a flight out of LGA. That place sucks (but I realize it is sometimes unavoidable).

9AM or earlier you're fine

[Dshack89]

Lots of great stuff in this thread. I'm sitting at 120K flown miles on Delta this year...gotta figure out how to get 5k more to hit Diamond.

Don't think I've seen this mentioned yet, but many airlines / companies offer some sort of status challenge. Basically it is a condensed period for earning status (fly X miles/segments in Y months and you earn Z status). This strategy got me Delta Platinum last year when I was just getting back on the road. Use the challenge wisely though, you want to keep it for a stretch when you will be traveling a lot.

I'll also add that at least on Delta, the fare class you book is pretty important (e.g. H, B, Y, etc.). The higher the fare class, the better your upgrade priority and flexibility to same day confirm a change. I used to book my flights early, but have recently been a bit slower to book so I end up with a higher fare class.

One other thing....I'm a huge fan of keeping a pair of jeans and a flannel in the top of my suitcase. Assuming I've got a few extra minutes, I'll do a quick change so I don't have to fly in my work clothes. Definitely more comfortable, but also a nice mental refresh.



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[booner]

My buddy that used to be my boss changes into pajamas on flights overseas.

Then he pops pills and drinks whiskey

I'm a pen/gummy guy. No thanks on the pills and I never have more than 1 or 2 drinks on planes

[hutash]

And not a word about compression socks? You all are gonna die.

Maybe in the " things I learned when I got old thread"? I'm old and at an age when flying can lead to stocks and death. I now wear compression socks. My FIL, stroked years ago after a flight, not a pretty sight.

[huckbucket]

That can cut both ways [granted i'm status-less]. Grabbed the courtesy phone, was told I didn't have enough miles to change my flight to that one.

White or red phone? Makes a BIG difference.

[Bruce Springskiin]

Caution against hotels.com. Their prices usually average 10% over the hotels base rate for the room. You cooperate guys probably don’t notice or care, but in my own small business I now go to the hotel directly and ask for the AAA, or government rate. At the hotel it is usually 10% off their base rate which at times of markups is a really nice discount. All the while using the hotel’s points system. I have a Marriott and Hilton rewards number, which I can usually find one or the other, and count on a good nights sleep.

Edited, to make sense

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[riser4]

I learnt something in this thread. I thought all corporations had travel portals, lengthy travel policies, lists of contracted carriers, hotels, etc, and made you use a corporate credit card. I guess I was wrong. I am working with a very small sample size. For a while I was traveling 2-4 times a year. Now once every couple of years. Only once internationally.

[iceman]

thanks for sharing

[Captain Awesome]

I'm just catching up on this thread as I sit in a lounge in CPH, and have to agree with a lot of what's been said already. I travel internationally a bunch for work, generally long-ish trips (10-15 days) with lots of stops along the way. This is a shorter trip, Monday - Tuesday (8 days), and I'm in 4 countries, with a weekend to cool my heels in between. Unfortunately, we're still in market entry mode, which means I'm chasing low fares and cheap hotels a lot of the time, so I don't always get to consolidate miles/nights. I've got points/miles scattered across a few different programs, but I have just managed to qualify for gold status with United (I fly from Dulles, so they're a hub, even if they suck), and things have already improved considerably.

My biggest challenge is carry-on luggage that will let me pack for a week of meetings of "professional dress", plus evenings/weekends of leisure time. I'll check out the recommendations in this thread (Osprey, SkyRoll, and Victorinox are the ones I noticed), because that could make things better.

The Amex Platinum is my card of choice, even though it's not cheap. You get $200 of statement credits for non-ticket expenses on an airline of your choosing every year, which includes in-flight purchases, luggage fees, and I think upgrades. Then, it covers Global Entry (which includes PreCheck), once every 5 years. Add in the lounge access (Priority Pass), and I think the annual fee is covered, and then some (compared to spending time/money in an airport bar waiting for flights, for instance). There are other perks, like accelerated Amex Membership Rewards point accruals, etc, and I've made good use of the points program, including the purchase of my Bose earphones, but really the travel improvements alone are worth it.

I use the Bose earbud-style noise-cancelling earphones (QC20), and love that they are super low-profile, and pack light and tiny. I can also almost fall asleep with them in, since they don't get in the way of my head resting on anything. Even better, since they're wired, even if the battery dies, I can still use them as headphones, unless the wireless ones.

Speaking of sleeping, I've come to the conclusion that, barring lots of space (empty seats next to me, economy plus or better), I'm just not going to sleep on a flight, so I tend to not try to sleep. I don't fight it, but I also don't force it either. When I get to my destination and check into my hotel, I generally take a quick 30-45 minute power nap, then go for a walk, and try to stay up until "normal" bedtime in the new time zone. I get a good night's sleep and I'm pretty much good to go.

If I have to connect somewhere, headed east, I try to fly as far as possible before connecting. So, changing planes in Frankfurt is far better than London, since, on the off-chance I do fall asleep eventually, at least I can sleep longer before waking up. It's possible to go too far with this strategy, though. I tried Turkish Airlines a few trips back, and the flight to Istanbul was LOOOOONG, and getting into Munich at 9:30 PM on the day after I left home was a bit ridiculous. Getting home back through IST was just plan stupid. Again, chasing the low fares on short notice forces some tough decisions.

Wherever I can, I try to schedule meetings on either side of a weekend in a place that seems interesting, so I can spend my weekend someplace I don't hate.