Best Business Travel Tips for Your Next Work Trip

My first business trip at age 22 was a laughable disaster. 

To start things off, I didn’t leave the office in time so I barely made my flight. I also wore my dress shoes on the plane, so when we landed in Portland, I did an involuntary backflip on the icy sidewalk. 

But perhaps my no. 1 newbie mistake was eating lunch at Five Guys, which caused me to fall into a food coma so bad that I actually missed a meeting. 

Needless to say, my 11 years of business travel since then have taught me a lot — and I’m going to share those with you. 

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1. Get the Right Travel Credit Card (Possibly With Lounge Access) 

Ask any veteran business traveler for their best travel tip, and nine times out of 10 they’ll say “get the right card.” 

That’s because a good travel card will offer you a wild amount of benefits. 

The Chase Sapphire Preferred, for example, offers a welcome bonus worth $750+ in travel, 5x the points on travel purchased through Chase Travel^SM, seven forms of travel insurance, $50 off hotels each year, and more. 

The Capital One Venture X, meanwhile, has free access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide.  

COMPARE: Best Travel Credit Cards 

2. Use Your Own Card Instead of the Corporate Card (With Permission)

Being issued a corporate credit card for travel can feel pretty cool and validating. It’s also convenient since it allows you to keep your personal and business expenses separate. 

But the tradeoff to using the corporate card for travel is that you don’t get to keep the points, cashback, or miles. And if you travel every week for work, 3x on flights, gas, and hotels can add up quick. 

So if your employer issues you a corporate card for travel, consider asking if it’s acceptable to use your personal card instead and submit an expense report for reimbursement later. 

Many will shrug and say sure, in which case you’re off to Points City. 

READ MORE: Can You Put Personal Expenses on a Business Credit Card?

3. Learn Your Per Diem

Most employers have a set per diem, aka a daily budget for employees to use for lodging/meals/incidentals on the road. To give an example, the per diem for federal employees is $106 for lodging and $59 for meals/incidentals. 

For whatever reason, companies aren’t always forthcoming about their per diems — so it’s best to ask. 

You may find that it’s higher than expected (yay, steak time!) or, alternatively, that you should dial back your spending before you’re flagged by accounting. 

4. Leave the Airport Before Calling Uber/Lyft

It’s no secret that Lyfting to/from the airport is expensive. Sometimes it can even cost twice as much as a normal ride, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

But if you leave the airport first and head to a hotel or other landmark — via train or airport shuttle — the price comes tumbling down. 

I’ve had friends question the ethics of taking a free airport hotel shuttle when I’m not actually staying at said hotel, but I figured that if the shuttle is making the rounds with or without me (and I tip the driver), it’s a win all around. 

@erikakullberg

3 things I won’t fly without doing #lawyer #travel #money

♬ original sound – Money Lawyer Erika

5. Pre-Download Google Maps for Offline Navigation

You know that dreaded feeling when you’re trying to GPS somewhere and your navigation app just spins its wheels, clawing for 5G that just isn’t there? 

Not only could it lead to you missing your next meeting, but  it could leave you stuck somewhere with poor cell service, which is definitely not good for a litany of reasons. 

Thankfully, Google Maps’ underrated “Offline Maps” feature allows you to pull up directions even when you have zero cell service. 

To use it, open Google Maps and tap your profile icon in the top right > Offline Maps > Select Your Own Map, and then move the box over the area(s) you want to download. 

6. Photograph Every Receipt

In my 20s, my Google Photos were 99% selfies, pictures of food, and blurry snapshots of passing McLarens. 

In my 30s, every third photo is just a receipt. 

When I learned that the IRS began accepting high-quality images of receipts back in 1997, I developed a habit of photographing every receipt I got and then jump-shotting it (Kobe-style) into the nearest trash bin. 

Then, when you go to submit an expense report or file your taxes, you can simply download your receipts from the cloud. 

7. Apply for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, NEXUS, and/or CLEAR Plus

If you travel more than a few times per year, you’ll probably benefit from having at least one of the four “fast lane” memberships that help you get through airport security faster. 

• TSA PreCheck offers access to a dedicated security screening line in over 200 U.S. airports (though it doesn’t always move more quickly than the standard line). It costs $85 for five years. 
• Global Entry offers expedited entry through U.S. customs and includes TSA PreCheck. It costs $120 for five years. 
• NEXUS offers expedited entry to/from the U.S. and Canada, and includes Global Entry and TSA PreCheck. It costs the same as Global Entry. 
• CLEAR Plus is a private company that scans your boarding pass and biometrics, and then escorts you to the front of the TSA security line. It costs $199 per year. 

If you’re debating whether you travel enough to justify the fee, keep in mind that many of the best travel rewards cards will reimburse you up to $100 after applying to one of the above programs. 

READ MORE: TSA PreCheck® vs. Global Entry: Which Is Better?

8. Sign Up for Every Rewards Program

As you start traveling for business, you’ll undoubtedly start giving lots of money (yours or your company’s) to various airlines, hotel chains, rental car agencies, restaurants, and even gas stations. 

Most of these companies will have their own loyalty rewards program, and it’s worth signing up for all of them. 

Sure, you may see a temporary uptick in marketing emails, but those are easy enough to unsubscribe from. And as you travel and rack up loyalty points, you’ll start earning everything from surprise seat upgrades to free Jersey Mike’s. 

READ MORE: How To Get the Most Out of Credit Card Points

9. Try to Stay Loyal to One Airline, Hotel, and Rental Car Agency

While Delta doesn’t care if you have a United account and Hertz won’t slash your tires if they catch you driving an Avis car, companies do tend to reward some degree of loyalty. 

To illustrate, if you split your time between Hilton and Marriott properties, you may reach Silver-equivalent status in both and enjoy minor benefits like late checkout and free wifi.

But if you dedicate yourself to Marriott, you may reach Platinum Elite status and score free upgrades, welcome gifts, and 50% more points on bookings. 

COMPARE:

• Best Hotel Credit Cards
• Best Airline Credit Cards

10. Skip the Booking Sites and Book Directly 

If you’re booking your own travel arrangements, be wary of using sites like Expedia, Booking.com, or KAYAK. Though convenient and sometimes cheaper, booking like this comes with several hidden drawbacks: 

• You typically won’t get points from the hotel/airline/rental agency.
• Your loyalty status won’t apply, so you won’t receive benefits like free breakfast/wi-fi/upgrades. 
• Your ability to make changes, cancellations, and/or seek refunds may be limited since you didn’t book directly. 

All three were worth stomaching when the booking sites offered lower prices, but now that more and more travel companies offer best-price guarantees, it’s best to just book directly. 

Personally, I like to use KAYAK to find the best deal, then head directly to the hotel/airline/agency’s website to book it. 

@erikakullberg

Do you do all 3? #travel #lawyer #erikataughtme

♬ Lazy Sunday – Official Sound Studio

11. Don’t Forget Your Mental Health

Traveling for work can be mentally draining and physically exhausting — especially if you’re doing it frequently.

Here are some of my favorite travel tricks that make business travel a happier and healthier experience:

• Invest in a good pair of noise-canceling earbuds. They’ll take up minimal space in your bag while still providing active noise-canceling on the go. 
• Bring a fork and an HDMI cord. The TSA allows kitchen utensils as carry-ons (except sharp knives), and trust me, using a real fork instead of a flimsy plastic airport spork is a game-changer. The HDMI cord, meanwhile, allows you to connect your laptop to the hotel TV and watch whatever you want. 
• Remember to MESH. Traveling for business can warp your sense of time and place, causing you to forgo healthy habits that you normally practice at home. That’s why I always remember to meditate, exercise, sleep, and hydrate (MESH) on the road.

FAQs

How can I make my business trip less boring?

Instead of sitting in the hotel and scrolling through social media, I like to ask the locals on Reddit (e.g., r/Reno, r/Sacramento) for fun ways to spend an evening. 

What bag should I take on a business trip? 

For one- or two-night trips, I’m a massive fan of travel backpacks. Avoid checking bags at all costs, since they can slow you down and get lost. 

Are business trips tax deductible?

Some expenses are. The IRS has a full list. 

Wrapping up 

While the phrase “business travel” can evoke images of black suits, red eyes, and dry hotels, traveling for work can actually be a fun and immensely rewarding experience. 

By using these business travel tricks, you’ll save time, stress, and money — while maximizing the miles, points, and rewards you can use on your personal time. 

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