Ready for take-off

Remember flights with free drinks and snacks, a full hot meal, a deck of playing cards, legroom, and friendly flight crews? Probably not, because those days of flying are long gone. Now you pay for everything, are lucky to get a cold meal, have seats that don’t lean back, and flight crews whose main job is following rules and focusing on your safety, not service.

Business travel has changed immensely. The terms business travelers use are appropriate: “road warrior,” “travel-weary,” “burned out.” But not all of business travel is negative: You get to go to interesting destinations and meet people from all over the world, you’re not stuck at a desk every day, and business travel is often a reward for employees who perform well and are in line for promotions. If you like to be mobile, then business travel might be for you. On the other hand … it might not. For many, business travel might involve traveling between locations close to your home base, which is not so bad. For others it can mean interstate and international travel. Yes, it sure can be exciting, but it is not without its downsides.