Top 10 Must Have Business Travel Essentials
Travel is part and parcel of many jobs these days and even though there’s not much fun in spending your time in meetings, airports, on the move (usually against the clock!) but at least if you have everything you need to make your journey hassle-free, it’s half the battle.
This week, we take a look at business travel and the must-have items you should really invest in to cover all eventualities. We also look at how to make the most of your trip in terms of where to stay and which hotels offer frequent traveller rewards as well as business lounge memberships. You don’t really want to sit next to an excited family who are heading on a beach holiday when you’re trying to read up on notes or prepare for that all-important meeting with your next client.
Top Ten Business Travel Essentials
Portable Charger
Nobody wants to get caught with low battery life on their devices, especially if you’re waiting on an important call or need to make contact with someone when you arrive at your destination. Always travel with a fully charged battery pack or portable charger.
Good Business Travel Luggage
Some great products from Bluesmart – a choice of carry-on or hold baggage that are trackable so you’ll always know where it is. These bags also tell you their weight so you’ll never need to worry about getting stung for overweight charges at the check-in desk! Impressive piece of kit.
Or for a great carry-on case with lots of handy compartments and features, this one from Bizhop is worth a second glance. The zipper (YKK) lets you open the case when it’s standing upright, and the really clever thing is it has two fully enclosed and well sized compartments meaning nothing falls out – genius! There’s an easy to access laptop pocket making it ideal for business travellers.
But here’s the icing on the cake… Bizhop’s founder, Iain Begg, has invented a handle that folds out into a coat hanger – the Hanger Handle. So simple yet so effective and next time you find yourself in warmer climes, simply remove your jacket in the airport as usual but instead of carrying it over your arm, you can hang it on the Hanger Handle – the case glides easily and it’ll keep your jacket in perfect condition.
This is a superb carry-on case for business travel with a top quality zip, spinner wheels, TSA lock and it has the unique Hanger Handle. All round it’s a premium quality product at a less than premium price (£189 RRP).
If you’re looking for business luggage then find out more about the perfect carry-on case from Bizhop Luggage.
Mobile Hotspot
Constantly need wi-fi? Talk to your mobile network provider and make sure you have a personal hotspot set up on your phone so that you can always access your files, internet, or anything else you might need to check on the go.
Noise-cancelling earphones/ear-buds
After a long hard day, the last thing you want is to listen to endless chatter of fellow passengers. Treat yourself to some noise cancelling earphones so that you can wind down on your journey by listening to your favourite music.
USB wall charger
Again, safe-guard your trip and never get caught out with no charge on your devices with a versatile wall charger. Check out this one which has interchangeable power plugs that allow you to charge your devices anywhere in the world. Handy!
Priority/ Business Lounge membership
This has to be one of our top tips. When you are in ‘business mode’ the last thing you want to do is hang around the busy departure lounge with holidaymakers. Get yourself a membership to one of the priority business lounges in the airports you frequently travel to and from and you’ll really feel much better equipped to tackle the journey and the day ahead if you avoid the bedlam.
Check out some of these talkholiday travel partner deals on airport lounges and parking:
International luggage tracker (Trakdot/Lugloc)
If you don’t have smart luggage, you can still track your bags with this handy device from Trakdot. You’ll know where your bags are before the airline does!
Interpreter Services
Travelling overseas but don’t speak the lingo? We’ve got the covered too.
You could simply download the cool voice to voice interpreter app on iTunes. Or, look at buying these Bluetooth translator headphones via amazon.com.
All talkholiday members have access to discounted interpreter services from interpreter.com– connect to a live interpreter by phone at your convenience.
Hotel Reward Schemes
As a business traveller, you might find yourself in the same hotel over and over again – or at the very least, the same chain of hotels around the world. If you’ve not already done so, sign up their reward schemes. Some offer better rates and in some cases you might be lucky enough to bag yourself a nice upgrade. If you do have to be away from home, it’s nice to spend it in a decent room. Take a look at some of our hotel partners’ current rewards schemes.
tripsology tripsafe
Our free tripsafe feature provides a safe and secure place to keep essential travel information, just in case. Travel nightmares such as a sudden illness, accidents or lost or stolen passports or mobile phones are not what you need on any trip but least of all when you’re working overseas. Our unique tripsafe allows you to upload and access your travel insurance policy details, passport numbers, bank card contact numbers and even your mobile phone’s IMEI number. All of which can then accessed on any internet enabled device or be shared with a family member or even your HR department.