PTT: Talented Traveling Basics

Professional Tip Tuesday
I have returned! And I think it's safe to say my guest writer stole the show. He's good, isn't he? Britt is a sports guru and proud of it. I could not have picked a better person to fill you in on sports and office talk.

Scoping out the Atlantic City Boardwalk after my shifts.

Despite what Britt thought, I was not posted up at the casinos all week. I was working long hours at a client site and didn't even see the boardwalk until my last day in Atlantic City. I did bet $1 on the slots. And that money was gone in less than 10 seconds.

My trip was filled with PTT potentials. But for this week's Professional Tip Tuesday, I thought I would start off simply with:

Talented Traveling Basics.

Utilizing all of the rewards programs and making the most of your time while traveling is truly a talent. I cannot say I am there yet. But with the first trip under my belt, and a few tips from people that have been on many business trips, I wanted to share the travel basics that I have picked up thus far. As someone that will be doing quite a bit of travel for business, below are the three big tips I took away from my first big trip!

1. Reap the rewards.

• Almost all hotels, airlines, and rental car agencies have rewards programs. If you know you will be a frequent traveler, join them! It's free and easy to sign up. 
• You will probably notice upgrades in your reservations within your first couple of trips. I talked with someone that took a first-class trip to Hawaii with his wife for 10 days - all through rewards points that he gained during his business trips.

2. Pack light. 

• I would suggest carry-on whenever possible! The horror stories about lost luggage sound terrible and not worth it.
• Plus you will save yourself a lot of time by not checking a bag or having to wait at baggage claim after you get off your flight. 

3. There's an app for that. 

• Most airlines, rental cars, and hotels probably have some sort of an app for your smart phone. You can enter your rewards number (see tip #1) and all of your booked travel info will download to your phone.
• I downloaded the Delta app and was able to 'check-in' 24 hours before my flight and access my ticket straight from my phone. 

Those were the big three tips I picked up this time around! I hope to gather a lot more go-to travel tips in my future business adventures. How do you make the most of your business travel? Any pro tips to make it easier on yourself? Comment below!