Comments on: 10 Things I like about business travel

By: Debbie Sare

Debbie Sare — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:34:40 +0000

We stayed for a weekend at the Alias Kandinsky hotel and we had a fantastic time. We have previously stayed at other hotels in the Alias chain and we like the relaxed contemporary environment. The Kandinsky was not disappointing.

We had a lovely room – it was large (a king), beautifully furnished and had a great bathroom. The bed was extremely comfortable, as were the chairs in the room.

We enjoyed drinks in the hotel bar and then had dinner in the hotel restaurant. The restaurant was fine – above average for hotel dining. Afterwards we went for a few drinks in the downstairs bar and sampled the cocktails.

http://www.aliashotels.com

By: DG, New York, NY

DG, New York, NY — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:47:40 +0000

- who doesn’t like to act more important than they really are…until the meeting starts and I’m thrust back into the reality of my banal existence.

- I like being able to act the part of someone else – the stuffed shirt, the airhead son of the boss, the uber-alpha-male domineering I know everything you know nothing kinda guy…since no one really knows who I am, and it won’t matter if they find out because I’ll be gone anyway.

- lobster and beef wellington on the host’s dime or the expense account sure beats my standard Beefaroni or, on special days, Kraft Dinner (with white cheese, if you please).

- coming in the side door so Lumbergh won’t see me.

By: Pete, St. Louis MO

Pete, St. Louis MO — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:17:41 +0000

The seedier side of life is always a bonus on a business trip. Where else can you go incongnito, change persona and explore the darker fantasies of sensuality. I seem to stumble upon the “china” towns and more .. “less” inhibited streets and entertainment venues. My expense account doesn’t permit the Spritzer class of service so I dine out.

By: Larry, Utica NY

Larry, Utica NY — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:10:15 +0000

I’m an avid fly fisherman and always travel w/ a rod. I love the challenge of finding a great little stream or lake that I can dart away to and squeeze in an hour or so of fishing while in a new locale. So even if the meetings or conference sucks, I can rejoice in the opportunity to catch a few fish and enjoy the scenery in a place that I otherwise might never have visited. And I can consume nearly the entire day before my travel surfing the web to find a place to fish. So I have to get back to it – I’m traveling to Colorado tomorrow!!

By: Bing

Bing — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:56:02 +0000

Ivan, you need serious attention of some sort, perhaps medical, perhaps mental. That said, I publish your comment in the same spirit in which it was offered, silently and deadly.

By: Ivan, Washington, DC

Ivan, Washington, DC — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:46:06 +0000

1). passing gas.

2). passing gas silently.

3). passing deadly gas silently.

4). passing deadly gas silently with 200 of my closest friends.

5). passing deadly gas silently with 200 of my closest friends in a hermetically sealed tube.

6). chatting with you while I am passing deadly gas silently with 200 of my closest friends in a hermetically sealed tube.

7). chatting with you while I am passing deadly gas silently with 200 of my closest friends in a hermetically sealed tube speeding along at 600 mph.

8). knowing that you are wondering why I am chatting with you while I am passing deadly gas silently with 200 of my closest friends in a hermetically sealed tube speeding along at 600 mph.

9). knowing that you are wondering why I am chatting with you while I am passing deadly gas silently with 200 of my closest friends in a hermetically sealed tube speeding along at 600 mph for the next 6 hours.

10). knowing that you are wondering why I am chatting with you while I am passing deadly gas silently with 200 of my closest friends in a hermetically sealed tube speeding along at 600 mph for the next 6 hours and knowing that you paid good money for this odious and odoriferous privilege.

By: Aaron, White Plains, NY

Aaron, White Plains, NY — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 13:21:53 +0000

Hmmm… standing in front of a terminal window, tarmac stretched in front of me, sun coming up, and Nanci Griffith’s ‘Late Nite Grande Hotel’ in my iPod’s earbuds… look up or listen to the first few lines and you’ll know what I mean.

By: humphrmi, Chicago, IL

humphrmi, Chicago, IL — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 06:46:35 +0000

After an international business trip, I used to love going through US Passport Control – because the Immigration agents would always say “Welcome home” or even “Welcome back to America”. That’s always nice to hear when you’ve been a road warrior in some pretty strange places for the last month. For some reason, they don’t say it any more.

Oh yeah, I guess this only applies to some folks, but seeing your kids face when you walk in the door after a business trip. Priceless.

By: AC Portland Oregon

AC Portland Oregon — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:27:14 +0000

if in hotel land – not having to make the bed, take the dog for a walk, take out the garbage,load the dishwasher…also driving a car you’ve considered buying..driving that car like ‘It’s a rental”…in general being irresponsible for a few days in payment for being away 24*7 from the things you really care about.

By: Michael, Las Vegas, NV

Michael, Las Vegas, NV — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:18:37 +0000

I enjoy the ability to find new restaurants in cities I am only visiting for a day or two. If I have the energy and the time, it makes me feel like an explorer.

By: Jeff, Beaverton OR

Jeff, Beaverton OR — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:08:13 +0000

Hot nuts!

By: Jessica, St. Cloud MN

Jessica, St. Cloud MN — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:28:53 +0000

Number 3 is sweet.

By: Rebecca, Philadelphia, PA

Rebecca, Philadelphia, PA — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:24:58 +0000

I’ve never gotten to fly for business travel, but my last job involved a shit-ton of driving, and it had its perks:

1. Knowing where to find every gas station in a two-hour radius of your home.
2 Knowing where to find every free wireless hookup in a two-hour radius of your home.
3. Knowing all the shortcuts and back roads (VITAL in eastern PA, as anyone who’s ever lived here can attest)
4. Being able to work “8 hours” by including 4 hours of driving (which would have been 2 hours if it weren’t for traffic, but your boss pays you so HE doesn’t have to go on the road, right?).
5. Tired of being on the road? Be in the office for several days. (Make sure to say hi to everyone, and they’ll all think you’re so conscientious and such a great communicator.)
6. Tired of being in the office? Go on the road for several days. (Be in strictly minimal contact with everyone, and they’ll all think you work so much harder than they do.)
7. Being up on all the latest music, all the news, all sports, and the weather for the next three days (which, for some reason, makes people assume you’re really smart, rather than making them assume you listen to the radio for days on end)
8. Being able to guilt your whining desk jockey friends (of course, now I’m a whining desk jockey)

… I mean, there’s a lot of things that suck about business travel, but you find things to like.

By: Tim, Minneapolis, MN

Tim, Minneapolis, MN — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 16:20:32 +0000

A couple to add:

- The cabin door closes and there is still an empty seat next to you. In first class, no less.
- You fly into Kalamazoo at night for a 7:00 breakfast meeting, check in, take out the old Blackberry and guess what – your meeting is off and you can sleep in ’till 9:30! Then you’re wide awake, rested and ready to find out who should be exterminated for not telling you this BEFORE you got on the plane.
- Having a chance to quietly sort through and discard all that “gotta read someday” stuff that accumulates in my in-box when I’m on the road. Apologies to the flight attendents who get stuck throwing out everything (non-proprietary) that I leave behind in the seat pockets.
- Now and again being able to ladle out my oldest stories and lessons and see experience being mistakenly received as wisdom by some bright young person who has stumbled into an upgrade on the flight.