Quick Travel Business Tips

Business travelers are a hardy bunch and are always full of tips and tricks to simplify their airline commute.

1. Get a NEXUS card for faster security checks and shorter lines. You wont need to remove your laptops, belt, shoes or little shampoo bottles.

2. Choose traditional security lines with an eye to avoid families, old people or those that look like they have never traveled before. They will slow the line down as they will wear a belt, shoes, not remove laptops and shampoos and be confused when asked questions.

3. Bring a carry on and pack more in less space. I like to use pack it cubes by Eagle Creek. It also keeps everything in its place.

4. Get cash in small bills for tips. The USA does not have loonies and toonies.

5. Carry a small medicine cabinet with OTC pain medication, Rolaids, Immodium, sleep aids and some bandages. A small tube of an antibiotic ointment will be useful as well.

6. CHECK CHECK CHECK your flight connection times between flights. Assume at least an hour if possible because if you have a 30 minute window at O'Hare you will miss a flight. A 10 minute delay landing and a traverse from one terminal to another adds another 15 mins and you just missed your plane. This is why a carry on is handier and faster as opposed to checked luggage or Gate Checked.

7. Gate Checked Luggage can slow you down and may result in the Air Canada toss where they drop your bag 30 feet to test its wheel strength, zippers and prizes fro baggage handlers if they destroy anything inside. Multiply your score for cracked tablets, cameras or hidden duty free alcohol bottles.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/air-canada-to-fire-workers-after-video-showed-baggage-tossing/article18075563/

Check out Seat Guru for carry on sizes and most CRJ planes have smaller dimensions so be aware.

8. Take photos of all important and emergency documents and store it in a cloud app like Evernote

9. Be nice to airline staff, they travel all day and can be just as harried and stressed as you are having to deal with some of the worst passengers ever. "I would like a low sodium tomato juice with a slice of lemon and 1 medium sized ice cube as well as a not too hot coffee with one milk and one cream and 1.5 sugars but don't stir it"

10. Having trouble with the weight limit imposed by airlines today so they can gouge you for more $$$. Invest in a carry-on jacket with lots of pockets and carry heavy stuff in those pockets. Do not laugh I saw a guy wearing this and he was all smiles.

11. Carry a small kit that includes 12 feet of paracord (think clothesline), some duck tape wrapped around a 35mm film canister, some paper clips, a bull clip, needle and thread, and sonme extra batteries for your electronics.