Life on the road is pretty nasty these days, and you know the litany of woe: packed planes, rising prices, bad service, aging rental cars, and a schedule that makes even the most chipper travelers wince in pain.
But there is good news too. You can travel better and more comfortably if you follow some practical advice to improve your lot. Best of all, you don't even need to rely on the kindness of the travel industry for these improvements. You can do it all yourself.
Buy Lighter Luggage
I haven't purchased a piece of luggage in years because I own several remarkably handsome and durable leather and nylon bags produced by Myron and Kari Glaser, who handcraft each piece in their San Francisco atelier. And I refuse to own a "wheelie bag" because I won't pack it if I can't carry it. But I am swimming against the business-travel tide. Our world increasingly belongs to featherweight plastic and aluminum cases turned out by firms such Rimowa and Heys and eagerly aped by mass-market baggage behemoths like Samsonite. Lighter in weight than even soft-sided cases, ABS and polycarbonate bags also offer better protection for your possessions. Their "spinner" wheels allow them to maneuver crowded airport concourses with surprising aplomb. And if you hate pawing through a mountain of black bags at the baggage carousel, you'll be delighted by the range of colors and designs offered by the plastic cases. But resist the siren call of the bag makers, who'd have you believe that spending many hundreds or even thousands of dollars on luggage is a lifestyle choice. Start with something cheap and cheery from your local big-box retailer and see if you're ready for a plastic packing paradise.
Get a Smaller Laptop
I was traveling with a 3-pound laptop in 1998, when personal computer makers logically assumed portable computers should be designed for people who needed portability. Thirteen years later, however, laptops are considered "desktop replacements" and often weigh in at 7 or 8 pounds. And they are too frequently encumbered by widescreen 17-inch monitors that make them cumbersome to carry and difficult to fit in your carry-on bag. Remember: Every ounce you put in your carry-on comes back to haunt you on a road trip. So go back to the future and pick up a thin and light laptop for the road. The Toshiba Portege R8350 Series weighs just 3.2 pounds and offers a compelling price-performance story. Apple users who are also business travelers are better served by the MacBook Air than the heavier, bulkier MacBook Pro. And there are some travelers who can make do with a tablet or a netbook (almost all of them offer bigger screens and better keyboards than two years ago) instead of a traditional transportable computer.
Get Into the Cloud
Isn't it time to admit that you don't need about 90 percent of the crap you carry around with you on the road? There's very little you need to tote in hard copy. Send your data up to the cloud and then pull down a digital copy wherever you need it. Yes, I suppose there is a chance that your hotel's Internet access will be down or the airport lounge's WiFi will be on the fritz. But it's not worth carrying a briefcase full of briefs on the off chance you'll be out of Internet contact. And if you're reluctant to go full cloud now, consider a backup with a service such as LogMeIn. For just a few bucks a month (and there's a respectable free product too), you can virtually link and sync your office and home computers with your laptop.
Lose the Laces
I come from a shoe family, so I admit that I have something of a footwear fetish. But, really, what is it that keeps you wearing lace-up shoes or sneakers to the security checkpoint? Want to travel with your running shoes? Fine, throw them in your carry-on or checked bag. Want to make a fashion statement on the road with your Doc Martens? Great, see the above. Same for your favorite brogues or your snappiest Steve Maddens. But there simply is no justification for wearing lace-up footwear when you know you need to take your shoes off to pass through the security checkpoint. You don't need the constant tying and untying of laces. Get yourself a good pair of "airport slip-ons" (I'm partial to penny loafers myself) and you'll save precious minutes and streamline the most stressful portion of your travel experience immensely.
Get Status Where It Matters
Business travelers obsess over "elite" status in airline frequent-flyer programs. It's valuable, of course, but probably not as useful as elite status in a hotel frequent-guest program sponsored by one of the major hotel families. Although benefits vary by chain, elite lodging status will almost always get you expedited check-in and checkout; early check-in and checkout; room upgrades; and sometimes free in-room Internet access and breakfast. You can even score elite status when you don't stay frequently at a particular chain. Several credit cards aimed at affluent business travelers bundle elite status in a hotel program with their other benefits. And it goes without saying that you should concentrate your hotel stays with as few hotel brand families as possible. That maximizes your chance of becoming elite.
Don't Leave Home Without Them
I once knew a very savvy business traveler who always packed 100-watt light bulbs in his luggage. His theory? Hoteliers keep their energy costs down by placing low-watt light bulbs in the bedside reading lamps. Wherever he checked in, he swapped out the bulbs. I can't bring myself to carry breakables on the road, but I never leave for a road trip without making sure that I have a tube of super glue and a selection of plastic zip-top bags stashed in the corner of my briefcase. Zip-top bags serve a multitude of purposes: you can store soiled clothes in the larger ones and store coins, keys, and mobile phones in the smaller ones. The super glue? In a pinch, it'll repair the hinge on a broken laptop or flip phone, help you jury-rig an emergency hem on a skirt or a pair or slacks, and even be the workaround of last resort should you lose a screw in your eyeglasses. It'll even seal a superficial wound in an emergency situation.
The Fine Print…
I'm surprised how frequently car-rental executives tell me this: Always use the camera on your mobile phone to snap pictures of your rental car before you leave the lot. The car firms have become very aggressive in billing renters for even small dings and scrapes. You need to document the condition of your vehicle for your own financial protection.