Dad was brave enough to embarrass himself by sharing his top 5 travel mistakes and the lessons he has learned from them. Dad said it best, sometimes mistakes are the best way to learn a lesson and unveil a truth that can help us on our future journeys. I’m sure many readers can relate to some of the lessons he has learned and have also learned a truth or two while traveling.
In the spirit of traveling truths, Just Another Points Traveler and National Car Rental’s Emerald Club have teamed up to compile a list of the Top 10 Business Traveler Truths learned while being on the road.
As you might know, every year National Car Rental gives travelers the opportunity to earn free rentals with a program called ONE TWO FREE. When renters rent twice, they get a third rental free. It’s as easy as 1, 2, free! To celebrate the return of this popular promotion, National Car Rental is giving travelers a real chance to share their travel experience, and become part of the National brand forever.
We’re asking readers to share a ‘rule of the road’ for traveling on business, or otherwise. We will work together to select the best (1) truth, and the participant who submitted the chosen bit will win an awesome Traveler Truth Prize Pack.
SO what’s in the prize pack, you ask? It looks pretty spiffy to me, and it’s valued at $499.98. National Car Rental’s Traveler Truth Prize Pack contains:
- Swiss Army WT Wheeled Tote
- Swiss Army WT Deluxe Garment Sleeve
- One (1) $100 AMEX Gift Card
From there, the winning fact will be compiled into the greater Top 10 Business Traveler Truths, and will be featured on the National Facebook page to be shared far and wide to business travelers across the country.
ONE TWO FREE Promotion details:Â Register to start earning one Free Rental Day with every two qualifying rentals of two or more days between August 20, 2012 and January 31, 2013. Earn as many Free Days as you can and then use them anytime between September 10, 2012 and June 15, 2013.
In addition to the contest for the top traveling truth, all participants of the conversation who register for the ONE TWO FREE promotion and share it on Facebook or Twitter will automatically receive one free rental credit towards the promotion, essentially making the program: rent one, get one rental free.
If you’re not yet a member of Emerald Club (National’s loyalty program) you can join immediately, at no cost, to get the credit.
Here’s how you can ensure you get a free rental credit for participating:
- Post a comment below sharing one truth you’ve learned while traveling on the road
- Take a screengrab of your comment/Traveler Truth, and send that to OneTwoFree@ehi.com
- In the email, note that it was posted it on here on JAPT to ensure that you’ll be considered for the contest prize in addition to the free rental credit.
- Be sure to include your Emerald Club membership number in the email.
Let’s connect:Â 
Guess I will be the first to comment!
Number 1 rule for me is never forget my driver’s license and/or passport. I drove two hours to the airport once and when the gate agent asked for my ID, I realized that my driver’s license was two hours away. Thankfully I pleaded with the gate agent and showed every credit card, club cards, blockbuster cards, and business cards that I had, and they allowed me to get on the plane.
*ticket agent, not gate agent :-)
My #1 traveler truth is … be prepared!
In fact, I make a checklist for each trip ahead of time. It helps me not to have last minute stress.
Double check your reservations, what you are packing, what you are bringing in the way of technology (including chargers and adapters), plans to take care of what you are leaving at home (stop mail, care for animals, etc.).
By doing your “homework” before leaving your home, your trip will be much more enjoyable along the way.
Pack light and bring only what you absolutely need. Remember, you’re not relocating, just traveling! This travel truth has helped me many times to bring only a carry on with me on trips. Saves a lot of time not having to wait (and nowadays – pay) for a bag!
If you’re flight gets delayed, even just a bit, search for alternative backup flights, just in case the flight gets delayed even more, or cancelled. You’ll be ahead of the game when everyone starts scrambling to get on those flights.
#1 Truth- You never know where you might end up so back some food along!
My number one truth when travelling through Europe and the Middle East- ALWAYS CARRY TOILET PAPER!
You’ll always feel like you forgot something. Don’t stress yourself out about it! Most things can be taken care of at your destination anyway.
Don’t accidentally leave your homemade electronics project in your bag. Turns out, the TSA really doesn’t like that.
Join National Car Rental’s Emerald Club and book a reservation for an intermediate vehicle, then you can choose any car you want on the Aisle for the price of the reserved intermediate.
If something goes wrong, have a little patience with the agents you deal with (lost baggage, cancelled flight, whatever). Its not generally their fault, and they’ve been dealing with the issue for a while. Calm down, its not the end of the world. Prepare for a bit of a wait. You’ll eventually get where you need to go or they’ll find your luggage and deliver it to you in the middle of the night.
Always have a car phone charger so you always have access to maps, emails, and in case of emergencies.
Have a portable USB charger for your phone or tablet in case of an emergency.
use common sense. many rules can be found by simple common sense
Always be polite!
Traveler Truth: Always have a backup suit in the carry on. You never know when your baggage will be lost.
Traveler Truth: You can’t always rely on the courtesy wake up call. Set a backup alarm too!
For habitual travelers, sleep is the most valuable commodity, and you shouldn’t risk losing it because of the cabin environment.
I have a three pronged approach that will let you sleep next to a crying baby:
1- first put in earplugs. Green Max-lites are really comfortable.
2- then cover them with noise cancelling headphones.
3- finally, plug your headphones into a white noise app on your PDA. Won’t get interrupted by flight announcements, and won’t wake you up when your favorite song comes on (like if you use your ipod).
Traveler truth: A smile and compliment changes everything. :)
At the counter, we’ve had bag fees waived and great seats assigned…just by starting off with a smile, good morning and we’re so glad you’re here to help us! This was on Alaska airlines!
On the plane, a smile and a compliment to a crew member scored us two tall bottles of red and white wine. And this was on United!
On the road while walking back from a long trek, we smiled and waved at a local farmer and his kids as they drove by on a tractor in the backroads of Laos. They offered us a free ride into town in the back of their tractor trailer.
Have you ever gotten a discount on your room at check-in? We did in Bali, at the guesthouse we stayed at. 25% off and free breakfast…because we smiled at the owner and said “Beautiful place and lovely family you have sir. We’d love to stay here, but…”. And he finished our sentence, “would you like me to lower the price?”
A smile…it breaks down barriers, opens up possibilities, and nearly always will save you some of your hard-earned money!
And that’s the truth !!! :-)
Always have a backup plan. Things run late, traffic, left/lost articles, etc. I try to have some idea of what could go wrong and be prepared for it.
Make sure you have the right credit card on file. Some car rental agencies will allow multiple credit cards on file, so ensure the right one is registered; or else you may be stuck with a hefty charge on your personal card.
Also bring your own GPS. I find having something I’m used to using is much better than learning a new one. Plus you can pre-program your destinations so it’s “quicker” once you’re in the rental.
Don’t upset the customer service agent.
one thing I’ve learned is to save all receipts and invoices! I’ve had to submit for missing points credit too many times (especially car rentals and Amtrak) and without the documentation you won’t get proper credit.
Ask & you shall receive – as long as you are determined & polite!
I use kayak’s packing list section of their app. Make sure i dont forget anything important.
I always bring my own gps and in-car charger.
Always have a positive attitude, and always know the closest place to get a cup of coffee (travelling is fun, but it can be tiring)!
What I recently learned was to reconfirm your confirmation. We had made arrangements to stay at a bed and breakfast in Switzerland. We made the arrangements months before our trip. We received an email confirmation. When we showed up, they weren’t there. We went to dinner and when we came back, they were just pulling in. They said they had no one booked. Luckily we keep a travel notebook with us and pulled out their confirmation. They then wanted to know if we had reconfirmed the confirmation. Oops, never thought of it but we do now particularly if we book months out.
Keep a sense of humor when you travel. It makes it easier to smile when dealing with travel employees, and helps keep your spirits up when things do not go as planned.
I always wear a shirt with a pocket on a plane. I can use the pocket to put my eyeglasses if I need to take a nap during the flight.
Always pack a bathing suit. You never know when it might come in handy!
Be ready to go with the flow. Delays and cancellations happen. When they do, be proactive, but also be patient.
For the frequent traveller with a regular schedule (i.e. travelling to the same cities each week), bring an extra duffel bag that you can leave at the hotel filled with a set of daily essentials & toiletries. Fill it with anything you like to bring each week, but would be a hassle due to TSA restrictions such as toiletries greater than 3 ounces. I like to leave a pair of gym shoes too.
A little kindness goes a long way when dealing with overworked agents.
In 35 years of business travel, the most important lesson I’ve learned is to not be “the jerk”. “The jerk” is the person who blows up at an airline counter agent who is only doing their job. “The jerk” is the person sitting in the front cabin who can’t undersand why the flight attendants aren’t paying more attention to him. “The jerk” is the passenger who won’t switch seats to accommodate a family…or help someone stow their bag overhead…or who slams his seat back into deep recline without regard for the valuable computer on the tray table behind him.
Once you learn to spot “the jerk” you can actually use him to your advantage. After he’s spouted off at the gate agent, be the next person in line…and when you get to the podium all you need to say is “Boy was he a jerk!”. You’ll be amazed at how much more often those magic upgrades appear.
Lesson #1: Don’t be “the jerk”!
Always carry a camera (or a camera phone). You never know who or what you’ll see while traveling!
Once I decide to take a trip the first thing I do is grab a large envelope and label the outside with the trip name and date. Next I print a calendar of the time that I’ll be gone and secure it to the outside of the envelope. I use this as a quick visual when I am making my air, hotel and car rental plans. Write your plans in pencil, and if things change, just erase. The envelope also comes in handy to store copies of your reservations, hold your passports, and any other travel related things pertaining to that trip. Also, on the back side of the envelope secure a list of things that you need to do before you leave and a list of things that you need to bring. This allows for everything to be in one handy location! I have three trips that I am working on now and when I want to do something for a particular trip I just grab the envelope and everything is right there!
If you travel to and from smaller airports frequently, build a good rapport with the staff at airlines and car rental agencies there. If you are able to get a local number for the stations, the staff are generally more than accommodating in helping you if you run into issues while traveling – even if not to and from their location. They are also usually less busy than main reservations lines, customers service lines so if you run into delays or cancellations, they can get you on your way faster, whether it be by plane or car.
Always be very polite
I always pack an aux cable to use in rental car.
Traveling Truth I learned from Mom: When you are traveling to a third world country, pack heavy and leave light. Bring clothes that you would love to leave behind to those who need them. It’s likely you won’t miss them as much as someone else appreciates them. Plus, you won’t have to worry about baggage weight on the way back, your suitcases might be empty but your heart will be filled with joy.
Also prepare for emergencies!
Always leave more time than you think necessary. This is even more important now that we are traveling with a baby.
Know the time limits! I once had to scramble from my small regional airport to O’Hare because I missed the cutoff for bag check in! I was frantic the whole way there, but luckily I had a long layover and was able to make it in time for my flight to London.
When traveling in a non-English speaking country, try to learn a few basic words/ phrases. Hello, thank you etc.- the people will appreciate (and get a good laugh out of you butchering the words) the effort you are making.
I’m always prepared for our trips I carry a manilla folder with all our info. But, we went to Vegas in June and I had a reward ticket that I needed to use that I had changed a year previously. Well we live right by Lafayette, LA airport and so we just get to the airport about 20 mins early. I never looked at my ticket. I just got married 3 years ago. So I guess when I booked that reward ticket the year before I hadn’t updated my drivers license and used my Maiden name. So as I’m going through TSA my ticket has my maiden name on it. With 10 mins before the flight leaves. I had to call my son at 5 am to get in the safe and bring me my Passport. We made it and they held the plane for me. There’s a first for everything. Thanks United. It was a great trip. I now make sure my tickets and id match.
Bring your gps – it helps in a strange city
Keep passport and credit card info easily accessible and/or photocopied in case you lose your wallet.
When traveling always always check the beds at the hotels. You don’t want to bring back any unwanted Pest
Always carry paper copies of all of your tickets and reservations. In an electronic world, batteries die, computers crash, and reservation systems go haywire. Better safe than sorry!
Always pack a change of clothes, socks, t-shirt etc and Meds in your carry on. You never know when you and your luggage will become separated.
Always pack your carry-on with extra clothes and some snacks just in case your flight gets cancelled or you miss your connection
A sincere smile goes a long way no matter where you are.
Remember YOU are the foreigner. Treat others like it is their country, not your own. Your trip will go a lot smoother that way.
Traveled together with an old friend to SIN. He has an earlier flight back to LA while I leave a few days later. He called from the airport, discovered he has my ticket back to the US while I have his. He managed to convince agent at counter to let him thru while I rush to the airport with his ticket and retrieve mine. :)
Always double check you have your ticket!
Bring a small flashlight that fits on your keychain. Comes in handy to check the bedding. It also came in handy when a storm knocked the power out in our hotel.
Never check your bags. Always carry them on.
Always carry some walking money on you.
be polite and understanding
Keep expectations low.
Don t forget to call your credit card companies to inform them of any international trips.This will avoid any surprises.
Always put contact info INSIDE checked bags in case outer info falls off. A business card or pre-printed address label you add your phone number and email address to work well. I also put one in carry on bags as well.
Always make sure to keep your electronics on top of the bag
Dont take valuables, you’re bound to lose them! thismomwins@gmail.com
Remember that every cloud has a silver lining.
I have found that being nice, even when things are going wrong, and smiling usually helps. People are much more inclined to help a nice person than a nasty one (sounds trite, but is really true).
Never book follow on travel within days of returning from deployment from Afghanistan! Never fails, I always get extended when I do.
This is the #1 Truth! PATIENCE! Anyone who has traveled knows that patience goes a long way, especially if things go awry (and they do!) So take a deep breath (or ten), take a look at your back up plan, and enjoy the ride!
Don’t stress the small things and things you can’t control. You’re traveling and should enjoy it. Plus stress makes you sick.
If you can help it, try not to book the last flight of the day; if it’s cancelled (or delayed, if you’re making a connection), you’re in trouble.
My travel truth is taking the time to research the basic customs, traditions and ways of the place I am visiting. It is important to respect the culture that you are visiting and one way to do this is to incorporate a few important do’s and don’ts in my trip. For example, removing shoes when entering someone’s home in Japan shows that you understand their custom of not bringing the outside in. Another example is to be careful with hand signals. While a thumb’s up in the US is a positive expression, in the Middle East and parts of South America it is extremely offensive. It boils down to showing sincere respect and interest usually results in receiving the same.
Always Always carry spare change/cold hard cash! Yes it is great that credit cards are now widely accepted almost everywhere. When I was in Hong Kong and Taiwan earlier last month, I found that when you are trying to bargain/haggle, it is much easier to do so with cold hard cash. I was able to get 2 tea sets (2 tea pots & 8 tea cups) for $250HKD ($32USD) instead of $380HKD ($49USD) each! I saved nearly $510HKD ($65USD).
Try to have 1 unscheduled day during a foreign vacation. Use it to just sit around, people watch, eat/drink. Do nothing but be a local! Over-scheduled trips are hectic and you’ll come home feeling exhausted.
Make sure you notify your credit card companies about your international travel. There was a time when I flew to Canada and my card was declined because it was suspected fraud. The resolution took 30 minutes and 3 service reps.
My Travel Truth is…travelling with children forces you to see/do things you normally wouldn’t do. Ie..the French Fry Museum in Brugge(who knew one could be SO extensive!) and off road Segwaying and dune bugging
in Croatia. Kids force out the “fun” in a vacation!
Always travel with a fold-up/compressible nylon duffle bag. You never know when you need just a little more carry-on space (laptop + sweater, for example. Or, in a pinch, it can become another checked luggage.
Chill out! Vacation is supposed to be fun, don’t let the little things get your upset.
Pay attention to when daylight savings time begins/ends as not all clocks automatically update and if you catch yourself traveling that Sunday, you might discover yourself off schedulue at the last minute!
Don’t let someone else’s bad day bring your day down. When traveling you will encounter many people who are miserable! Try to bring them up instead of letting them bring you down.
Colleen’s Law of Flight Connections, and a corollary:
The likelihood of Flight A being delayed is inversely proportional to the time allocated to your layover for Flight B.
Therefore, be sure to allow plenty of connection time if you don’t want to travel with your stomach in knots.
Don’t get so worried with travel details that you forget to enjoy the travel!
Traveling with kids can be rough. You will focus all of your energy into making it stress-free. Just remember your trip is not done after the plane lands….you’ll need to have the address of where you’re going!
Always have a printout of those critical items that you can’t get elsewhere should you lose your phone (itinerary, conf. #’s, backup copies of passports).
Once in a while, plan on not planning! You might enjoy the most amazing trip by just landing in a new place and “exploring!”
Leave plenty of time to get to the airports in new cities. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cut it close because I misjudged how long it would take to get to the airport.
Keep your phone charged as much as possible – flight delays and cancellations are always challenging and you’ll never know when you’ve got to get on the phone or internet to make alternate plans.
Only one crisis per day; everything else is just life.
Is there a way to confirm the free rental credit? I have not heard anything from National.
I guess your promotions are like Jetsetter and Wyndham’s :(
Hi Panda, I have reached out to the sponsor asking how long the free rental credit will take to post. As soon as I hear back I’ll post the update/send an email your way. Thanks for bringing this to my attention & I am sorry for the inconvenience! :)
Business Traveler Truth: a nice rental car is your most important expense if you’re taking a client to lunch.
Choose a nice restaurant too, of course.