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Pilot Pat's Top Travel TipsApr 01 '03 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line A few of my top tips I’ve learned in my personal and business travel around the country and around the world… A few of my top tips I’ve learned in my personal and business travel around the country and around the world… PACK SMARTLY Check out www.menswearhouse.com for some great packing tips. If you bring a roll-aboard as a carry on bag, don’t overstuff it. That way, you’ll be sure that it will fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat. Don’t check anything you can’t live without – medication, a change of underwear/socks, essential toiletries, and the presentation for the next morning should be in your carry-on. DRESS FOR SUCCESS Dress for success – when I was a kid, Mom and Dad made us dress up for air travel. Nowadays, you see a lot of jeans and t-shirts (if that). You’ll get treated better if you’re dressed nicely. Dressing nicely can’t make up for a terrible mood or nasty personality, but dressing poorly can ruin an otherwise good impression. - Dress safely - Natural fibers are more comfortable, breathe better, and are safer in an emergency (of course, you could travel in a flame-resistant aramid suit, but you might get a few strange looks). In the unlikely event of a fire, nylon and polyester will melt and adhere to skin. Avoid billowing dresses, shirts, etc. that could snag easily during an emergency evacuation. - Dress smartly – with the emphasis on security these days, your red leather “Thriller” jacket you bought in 1982 with 72 metal zippers is best left at home, along with the belt buckle you won at amateur night at the rodeo, the huge silver bolo tie, and the twelve strands of “hey, Babe” gold chains you normally wear ‘round your neck (including the oversized Austin Powers “male” medallion attached to one of them). You’ll just tie up the line at the security checkpoint. Put that stuff in your luggage – it will be fresher for that night at the hotel lounge. If you travel in shoes with metal shanks, toes, or eyelets, untie them before stepping into line and tuck the laces into your shoes. That way, you’ll be able to slip them off quickly as you approach the checkpoint and put them on the X-Ray BEFORE you go through the detectors. - My interpretation of these three rules - I usually travel in a set of nice cotton slacks or chinos, a heavyweight oxford, tie, sportscoat, cotton or wool dress socks, and a set of comfortable “walking” dress shoes (Ecco or Rockport). I’ll carry my jacket, or put it in my carry on. If the coat and tie won’t be appropriate where I’m going (few places), I’ll dress down to slacks and a polo shirt. For women, I would go with my travel-wise Mom’s instructions to my wife: “Go to Talbot’s.” You will find precious little there that is inappropriate for travel. TRAVEL HAPPY AND BE PLEASANT Not only will you find that you get better service in return (whether it’s a move to a suddenly vacant first/business-class seat, a tip on a place to visit during your stay, or simply good conversation), but you will arrive at your destination more refreshed than if you treat every person you meet as an adversary. - Greet each person you meet warmly, be they a ticket agent, flight attendant, TSA screener, or fellow traveler. And remember the manners you learned as a kid? They’re still important today - “Please,” “thank you,” “excuse me,” and “I’m sorry” go a long way [the absence of these courtesies are the pet peeve of more than just corpgent]. - Start with a honest smile, and don’t be sheepish with using their name if it’s on a nametag or desk plate (being a bit old fashioned for my age, I believe it most appropriate to use their last name if it is displayed, but that is usually not the case anymore except on security badges). - Next time you are confronted with a rude gate agent, try this line before your request to get that reclining emergency exit aisle seat - “I’m sure you’ve had a stressful day with all this weather, and I don’t wish to make it worse, but...” - Help the single mom traveling with two kids and a car seat get onto the aircraft, or the elderly person who can’t lift his/her carry on into the overhead. Volunteer to move seats to allow the newlyweds who, this being their first trip didn’t know that they should have reserved seats, to sit together. - Being polite doesn’t mean you have to be passive. It’s polite to introduce yourself and converse with your seatmate, but it’s equally polite to keep him from becoming an irritant by saying, “I apologize, but although I really enjoy talking with you, I … [am exhausted and need to take a nap, need to finish this project, am dying to see what happens in the next chapter of this book, etc.]” - Greet people you see on the street with a smile and the appropriate greeting (keeping within cultural norms). Once in a busy market in South America, I stopped to greet an elderly woman. She called me over and explained that I was being cased by a pickpocket (who suddenly turned and left) and that I ought to stow my watch in a safer spot. Had I not made eye and verbal contact with her, I might have never received the warning. TRAVEL AWARE If you’re going to a foreign country, check out what’s going on there so that you can be aware of any threats to avoid. Good sources include the State Department’s website, and the online version of a local/national newspaper. - Be aware of local customs and courtesies, and don’t wear clothing or carry articles with logos or slogans that could be offensive. - In many places, it is advisable to use an inside-the-waistband wallet, or front-pocket at the least. As I learned in that South American market, another good idea is to wear a cheap watch when out on the town, keeping your good watch stowed safely. - Carry a copy of your passport with you at all times - leave the original in a hotel safe. - Carry a list of important emergency phone numbers (outside of your wallet), such as your hotel, US Embassy, calling card (and local access number – get this from your LD company before you leave). - Talk to your local contacts or hotel concierge about places to avoid before setting out on your own. If you get a look of concern or advice not to do something, consider it carefully – they’re the locals. LEARN THE LANGUAGE It shows respect, and more importantly, it is respectful. Most of my trips for work are relatively last minute and short. I am blessed in that these last minute trips usually include a driver/interpreter. If I have more advance notice, or extend my stay, I always attempt to learn more of the language (in Thailand, some wonderful women that ran a café in the office building took it upon themselves to teach me one new word or phrase a day, and after the first week wouldn’t accept my order in English). Since I rarely have opportunities to learn significant communication skills, I’ve come up with this list of mandatory “survival” language skills. With a bit of help from the locals, you should be able to get these into your melon within a few days. - Hello, goodbye, or other appropriate greetings - I’m sorry, excuse me - Sir/Ma’am/Miss - Please, Thankyou - Yes, No - How much? - Counting 1 to 100 (1000 in some cultures, depending on monetary system) - “Where is…?” - “I would like…” - Police Obviously, this is just bare bones communication, but armed with little more than these words, a big smile, and polite gestures, you’d be amazed at what you can communicate! In addition to being extremely impolite, refusing to learn the language will only tend to confine you to your hotel and typical tourist activities. GET OUT OF YOUR HOTEL! Get off the path – be smart about it (see the comments above), but if all you do is follow somebody else’s tourist map, all you’ll get is somebody else’s experiences. My favorite place to experience the culture is the markets – not the supercenter in the new downtown, but the weekend market where the locals hawk their wares. DON'T FORGET... - Ear protection for the flight – if you’ve got $200-300, the Bose Active Noise Reduction headsets are priceless (complimentary in many 1st Class International Cabins). There are adequate versions for as little as $50 from Maxell and others. Good substitute – 20 cent foam earplugs. The bonus on these is that they use no batteries and you can block out background noise when you sleep. Don’t use solid rubber earplugs in flight – the change in pressure on descent can suck them into the ear canal and make them very difficult to remove! Don't forget to remove one when conversing so as not to yell. - A basic 1st Aid and medication set. I recommend a few day’s worth of anti-squirt, Motrin or other pain reducer, and a combo symptom (like Theraflu tablets) medication. There’s nothing quite as “fun” as trying to describe what medicines you want in a Lithuanian pharmacy where all the meds are labeled in Russian, when you have a nasty cold with a splitting headache and neither you nor the shopkeeper speak each other’s language (spoken from experience). Pack the kit in your carry-on, but put any sharp objects in your check-in. - A separate credit card and wad of traveler’s cheques/cash that you can leave in your room safe with your passport. If you are pickpocketed or otherwise lose your wallet, you’ll be able to cancel all your cards and still be able to operate. - Your sense of humor and wonder of God’s creation. It’s just so much more pleasant to travel next to you when you bring these items! See you on the road!  |
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