Fly high, spend low — 5 thrifty business travel tips
Whether you’re a momtrepreneur or a footloose female business maverick, travel might become crucial to your sustained success.
While tech wonders mean remote contacts and colleagues are closer than ever, face-to-face networking and negotiating are still some of the best ways to grab leads and seal deals.
However, if you don’t quite have the travel budget of Sheryl Sandberg or Arianna Huffington, you might not be able to splash cash on each trip.
With that in mind, here are five thrifty travel tips for enterprising women who want to fly high but spend low.
- Flights
Shop around to save cash on business flights — by picking the first one you find, you’re probably missing out on a bargain.
Browse flight comparison site vayama.com for excellent deals on departures from New York City, Miami and more. And don’t balk at traveling economy class — when the big bucks start rolling in, you can upgrade appropriately.
- Food coupons
Airport food’s notoriously expensive and if you don’t want to pre-pack enough snacks to keep you satisfied until takeoff, you might take off with your belly rumbling louder than a 747 engine.
So grabbing a deal on groupon.com for a restaurant in or near your departure airport ensures you can treat yourself to something tasty without maxing out your credit card. And if you’re traveling solo, a quality pre-flight meal does wonders to settle any nerves.
- Airport parking
If you’re an independent corporate chick, the chances are that you’ll want to cruise to the airport in the comfort of your own ride — it’s often more convenient than public transport.
But book cheap airport parking at Looking4.com to save the Benjamins — they’ve got valet and park and fly facilities from Orlando to LA and everywhere in between. When you drop your vehicle off at the terminal, you’ll feel perfectly prepped for the mission ahead.
- Airport lounge
The hustle and bustle of a busy airport concourse isn’t conducive to checking business emails, arranging last-minute meetings and drafting reports before departure.
But when you join an airport lounge membership scheme like Priority Pass, you’ll unlock savings on access to luxe lounges worldwide which include facilities like showers, conference rooms, fine food and refreshments. It beats balancing your laptop on your knees while searching for a power point.
- Discount hotels
Five-star accommodation isn’t a must for a business trip, but you’ll want to stay in a hotel that’s clean, comfortable and has good amenities — there’s nothing worse than making a pitch to high-powered potential clients when you feel like you’ve slept on a bed of nails.
Find low hotel rates at Scout by Room Key and you might find that a little luxury is surprisingly affordable — or at the very least, you’ll sleep tight without experiencing the bed bugs bite.
Follow these five thrifty travel tips for a business trip that’s empowering, productive and doesn’t break the bank.
How do you save cash traveling? Share your tips in the comments section.
