After 40 years of nonstop business travel, including a recent nine-flight sprint across three continents, I’ve learned one thing the hard way: if you don’t have a system, travel will destroy your performance. I currently run a micro global business and my home base is: Australia. Travel hasn’t only been a part of my life but become part of my DNA.
This past trip involved 9 flights that had me hopping my way from Australia through the USA to Europe and back again. I stepped off planes straight into meetings, attended a major conference and my body had no idea what time zone I was in.
During all these trips I’ve developed several hacks that make a founder’s life so much easier. Feel free to add any of your own in the comments below.
- Only take carry-on luggage.
Nothing ruins a trip more than if your airline loses your luggage. Everything comes down to minimizing weight and planning, ensuring you have access to laundry before you run out of clean clothes (or at least a hotel sink).
I know that some of you will say that it’s impossible to travel only with carry-on but you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to travel without having to wait at the carousel. You can speed right through the airport to the front of the taxi rank while everyone else is standing around. I’ve left colleagues at the airport who checked their bags in, gone to the hotel, had a shower and were ready for meetings by the time they arrived.
- Sleep on the plane.
Leave watching movies for the trip home and take advantage of every second where you can sleep. I’ve trained myself so that I can sleep anywhere. Economy or business class, often I’m asleep before the plane leaves the ground. If you have difficulty sleeping, then close your eyes and just rest. When you’re hopping through time zones, becoming sleep deprived is a huge impediment for being alert in all those crucial meetings. - Noise cancelling headphones.
One of the biggest stresses on your body is the huge noise of the aircraft. I tried a heap of different headphones, and I’ve settled on in-ear noise cancelling headphones from either Apple or Bose. The first thing I do when I get to my seat is put my AirPods on with some slow orchestral music that I can relax to. I find that words with music become distracting as the plane is my place for recuperating from the day’s meetings. - Planes don’t get cleaned properly
I used to get sick after every international trip but since becoming a germaphobe it’s rare I feel ill even on the most hectic of schedules. Planes are rarely cleaned properly so assume that everything you touch has some terrible disease. The tray table has got to be the worst bacteria infested petri dish in the world! The only thing that should touch what you put in your mouth is a utensil and whatever you do, don’t touch your face with your filthy hands. - Only drink from bottled water
Ok, on this one I may sound a little paranoid but water that doesn’t come from a bottle may come from the onboard aircraft tanks. The last time some planes have had their tanks cleaned was when they were rolled out of the factory. So don’t drink water that’s offered out of a jug unless the steward says it comes from a bottle. Likewise, at altitude, water boils at a lower temperature so don’t have tea and coffee as it’s almost guaranteed to have a few nasty surprises added.
And when traveling in second or third world countries do be paranoid of the water. Be cautious with raw foods like salads or cut fruit, as they’re often washed in local water. When in doubt, stick to cooked meals or fruit you can peel yourself, and stay away from fruits or vegetables that retain a lot of water like watermelons.
- High speed immigration
Depending upon your country, frequent business travellers can often get a pre-clearance card that will speed you through immigration. For me, I have an APEC card that allows me to go in the crew or ambassadors line. It’s a bit of a pain to apply for but an absolute necessity to avoid the huge queues that are often a part of travel.
In the U.S. Global Entry is a must. In Canada, Nexus. Also, many customs now offer a way to fast track by preregistering on an app. Immigration and security lines are productivity killers.
Lastly, my friend was traveling to Singapore from Miami and when transferring through Hong Kong was blocked from traveling to the conference because his passport was set to expire in 5 months. Some countries require that passports must have more than 6 months remaining to travel to those countries.
- Split up your credit cards and cash
Don’t store all your credit cards and cash in your wallet. If it’s stolen, then you’re going to be in a real bind, so I’ll always split mine up between my different bags. And make certain you used a credit card that doesn’t charge extra fees on travel. It’s also a good idea to contact the credit card company before you go so they can put notes on the account of which countries you are traveling to. - Buy what you really need
Remember that ultimately all you need to travel is your passport and a credit card so don’t panic if the place you are going to is cold, if you really must just buy a coat. I always travel with a cashmere sweater that is light, warm for the plane and can be scrunched up into a ball and yet looks fine when I wear it. Let’s face it, for most business trips you’ll be indoors so don’t pack a heavy coat just because you’re heading to Toronto in winter.
- Protect your passport
I always carry a printed copy of my passport and keep a scanned version securely in the cloud. If you lose your passport, this can help authorities verify your identity. A fellow traveller I know takes it even further and travels with an expired passport, which some countries return when you renew. He also uses a passport holder with AirTags for himself and his kids. Call him paranoid, but he claims it works.
Most importantly, always store your passport in the same place every time. When you’re dealing with jet lag and exhaustion, routine is what keeps you from losing it.
- Prepare your itinerary
Add all your hotels, flights, and ground transportation to your calendar, and keep a printed copy with your passport. Have your hotel addresses ready for immigration forms, and note your flight terminals, as taxis and rideshares don’t always know where each airline departs. - International power plugs
I used to have a grab bag of power adaptors, chargers etc. but to minimize weight I’ve now streamlined everything down to a single power adapter and an internationally powered USB hub. I’ve also managed to standardise all my USB needs into USB A with adaptors (I hate Apple constantly changing their plugs!). This meant that for my recent trip all I needed were power adapters for the US, UK and Europe for my MS Surface and just the USB hub. - Hotel room/parking lot numbers
Changing hotels from one day to the next also changes the room number for your room. I sometimes think that it’s a real win if I can remember the hotel I’m staying at, let alone the room number. I now take a photo of my room number in the folder with the key as this often has both the name of the hotel and the room number on it. The number of times I’ve tried to use my key on the wrong door and been so grateful for that photo is a little embarrassing!
Also, if you did park your car at the airport, be sure to snap a photo of the location of the car. Nothing can be worse than spending hours looking for a car after 12 hours of flight. It didn’t happen to me, but it’s happened a number of times to friends of mine.
- Hotel rooms
I’ve seen some people explode into hotel rooms and end up repacking their entire suitcase for one night. I’m an absolute creature of habit and that can help on the road. My computer goes in essentially the same spot and so does my charging station. My case sits in the same place as the last hotel room, and everything is kept tidy. This means I’m less likely to lose things and I don’t have to waste time putting my case back together for my 5am flight the next day. - Meticulously plan your travel.
If possible, ensure that you arrive in the city the night before your meetings the next day and get a hotel nearby. This eliminates the risk of being stuck in traffic and arriving flustered or late to your appointment. Work out when you should splash out on a hotel that will have room service or an Airbnb that has a washer and dryer. I like to put watches well in advance of the trip on potential air fares so that you can pick up the cheaper one and get the seat that you want. - Upgrades!
Booking upgradeable tickets works if you have points to spend and they make the journey much easier on both the budget and the body. The trick is to work out if you can get the upgrade. The secret is to work out when there is demand for flights. For example, depending which airport you’re leaving from you’ll be unlikely to get an upgrade on either a Sunday/Monday (people are leaving) or a Friday (people are returning) but there is a greater chance on Tuesdays.
Also join as many airline clubs as you can. If you are not a member it’s unlikely you will ever snag an upgrade for cheap.
If you don’t get an upgrade in advance you can try to get one at the gate. I’ve snagged a few upgrades for as little as $20 just because I asked. And even if you don’t get the upgrade, you may be able to get a better seat. On this last trip I secured an exit row seat for no extra cost.
These are the systems I’ve built over decades on the road to make travel predictable, efficient, and far less stressful. When you remove the friction of travel, you free up the energy to focus on what matters, performing at your best when it counts.
