I’m currently in Milan, Italy, after spending over 24 hours combined in a couple of different planes. This is one of the only problems with living at the bottom of the world. Over the last 10 years I’ve clocked up more than 2 Million Miles in aeroplanes (airplanes depending on which country you come from), 1 Million in just the last 4 years, and over 400K in my busiest ever travel year, which wasn’t in the last 4 as I’m reducing travel year by year. Most in Economy, although I’ve been lucky to do quite a bit further to the front of the plane as well. If you include other types of transport, such as busses and trains, I’ve visited somewhere in the region of 560 cities in 50 countries. I have a few hours before dinner, so I thought this is a good opportunity to jot down some of the things I do to make travel as simple and easy as possible. Most of the tips will apply regardless of the class of travel.

1. Pack light. Pack the minimum you need to get through your intended travel. I’ve learned to pack only the essentials and this makes luggage a lot lighter and easier to get from point A to B. You probably don’t need multiple pairs of shoes, as an example.
   .
2. Carryon luggage only, unless there is no other option. Having liquids > 100ml has made this policy a little hard. Especially if you are transporting things for friends, such as Wine, Tuimato Sauce, or Vegemite. However, for business trips, most of the time you won’t need those extras, and if you follow tip number 1, you’ll be able to get through a week or 2 with only carry on luggage. This prevents lost luggage, which does still happen, or delayed luggage. The only times I’ve had lost or delayed luggage was when carrying liquid gifts for friends over seas. The tight connections at airports do make it a risk that luggage might not make it to the plane on time. But even without that risk having carryon only saves so much time getting through airports. Even with priority luggage tags you still have to wait a while to get your luggage.
   .
3. Aisle seating. If you are going to travel a lot being in an Aisle gives you much better access getting in and out. It’s also a little quieter. In the wide body planes a middle isle seat has less chance of disturbance, depending on how full the flight is, and is quieter. If you can get a seat with direct aisle access and no neighbors that want to step over you, even better. If you have status the airlines usually have an empty seat between you to reduce the disturbance.
   .
4. Get enough sleep. I think my super power is being able to sleep on planes, trains and automobiles, even when sitting up, and even on short flights. Especially when you have an early flight in the morning, this makes a big difference. Going long haul, especially with opposite time zones (Auckland to London as an example, or Singapore to New York), getting enough sleep, and sleep at the right time is critical.
   .
5. Live in the time zone you are going to as soon as you board the plane. This is one of the best tips for avoiding jet lag. As soon as you get on the plane, live as if you were already in the time zone you are going to. Set your watch when you are seated and then set your routine. This is easier with direct flights, a little tricker when you have multiple connections. Sleep is the most important aspect of this. If you find it difficult to sleep on planes, especially sitting up in economy, then look for solutions to that. Having enough sleep and at the right times, can make or break your transition to the new time zone, and therefore jet lag (Desynchronosis).
   .
6. Be ready before you get to security. There is nothing more frustrating or time consuming than people fumbling around at the security checkpoint delaying everyone else. Have your liquids and laptops out ready to go, and remove your belts and other things as necessary before you get to the machines. This will make it a lot faster getting through and much less likely to be delayed. I always have my phone, belt etc packed in my bag and my liquids and laptop out well before I get to the security scanners.
   .
7. Use frequent traveler programs. This isn’t just the airline frequent flyer programs, but also things like the UK Frequent Traveler, APEC Card, Nexus, Global Entry, TSA Pre, Clear etc. These allow you to get through the airports significantly faster. If you build status, then you can often get to go through the first/business/express lanes. Being able to use the electronic kiosks at airports also saves time. In the US you can do that with an ESTA and there is no need for form filling. In the UK, the Frequent Traveler Program. Many countries now offer electronic customs processing depending on your passport.
   .
8. Status with airlines does make a huge difference. If you have a high status, enough to get lounge access, it makes the process of traveling so much easier, more enjoyable, and less stressful. I try and keep status with a couple of airlines so I can usually access a lounge before take off and while in transit. I also have a PriorityPass card with one of my credit cards, just in case I’m traveling on an airline I don’t have status with. PriorityPass provides access to hundreds of lounges all over the world and if it comes with a credit card it’s free. With status you are much more likely to get a seat, not get bumped off a flight that is over booked, get re-routed if there is a problem, get upgraded, and generally have a much better travel experience.  One of my workmates has a good enough status with one particular airline that he’s in their invite only program and they recently picked him up in a S Class Merc at London Heathrow and transferred him to his connecting flight across the tarmac in a different terminal. You have to do a lot of flying for this kind of thing, so it’s something most of us (including myself) can only dream about. Some good airlines allow you to bank years at their top status levels, such as Air New Zealand, so if you travel less one year, you don’t lose out.
   .
9. Use airline points for upgrades as often as possible. If you are going to be flying and collecting airline points (which you should), then you should use them as often as possible to upgrade your seat. A little more room, being closer to the front of the plane, better food, work and entertainment options can make a big difference. The closer to the front of the plane you are the quicker you can get off and out to where you need to be. It is harder to get upgrades these days, but when you can do it, it’s worth it. If you want an upgrade, it might pay to ask the airline you are traveling with what the chances are of a points upgrade or otherwise when you’re booking.
   .
10. Have a good fluid intake. Especially drink water. That goes double if you are drinking other things as well, like alcohol. Lots of travel can really knock your body around. Having enough hydration on the plane can make a big difference to how you feel when you arrive, and if you can be instantly productive. The obvious consequence however is more frequent trips to the lavatories. So weight that up with tips 4 and 5 above. If you fly on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner the need to a high fluid intake is reduced due to the advances in this planes climate control systems. There is a reason they call it a Dreamliner.

Final Word

I could write a lot more tips I’m sure. Perhaps I’ll write about some travel things to avoid in another article. These 10 tips are what I think are the most important when I’m traveling a lot, and I want to be as productive as possible, and have the most enjoyable, simplest, and stress free travel experience. These tips are mostly applicable to business travel. When you’re traveling with kids (I have 5, ages 10 and under – my wife is a saint, and I’m thankful every day), it is stressful anyway, and you will have a lot more luggage to worry about. Hopefully your company travel policy allows you to keep the points you earn while traveling away form home so you can take your family on a holiday, to try and make up for all the time you are away. This helps with the massive sacrifice that frequent travelers have to make with their family and friends.

The fastest I’ve been able to exit an airport from an international flight landing is under 20 minutes. This was mostly due to luck. The plane docked at a gate close to customs, the lines were very short for the electronic kiosks, and I had carryon only, so I was able to get straight through quarantine without waiting for bags, I also had nothing to declare. I’ve been able to do this at both Auckland Airport and San Francisco.

My favourite planes are the Airbus A380 and the Boeing 787. The A380 due to the amount of space you get even in economy and because it’s so quiet, the 787 due to the quietness and also the climate control that doesn’t dry you out like other plans do.

Happy flying everyone!

This post first appeared on the Long White Virtual Clouds blog at longwhiteclouds.com. By Michael Webster +. Copyright © 2012 – 2018 – IT Solutions 2000 Ltd and Michael Webster +. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission.