For months people have been talking about a return to travel, and indeed willingness is strong and steady. In a recent poll from GBTA, seven in ten (72%) travel buyers felt their employees were ‘willing’ or ‘very willing’ to travel for business in the current environment.
So we’re back to some annoying things about traveling by air and how to mitigate them. Now that we’re back to traveling to new places and connecting to old friends and colleagues, we would never have guessed we’d miss them that much.
Long lines: Stretch
Waiting lines at the airport a nuisance? With social distancing measures in place you can create your own little space to relax and work out. Practise lunges while waiting, or do some yoga warrior poses. You will step onto the plane feeling fresh and revived. You can also listen to your favorite funny podcast. It will put a smile on your face. See how many people return it. You could even use the time to listen to CWT’s On the Fly podcast about all things travel related.
Delays: Catch up on work
A flight delay can be the ideal time to catch up on work without being disturbed by colleagues walking into your office. Your colleagues know you are en route so you will probably not be bothered by lots of phone calls. Try to get in an airport lounge for a comfortable workspace and to enjoy the snacks and drinks while you are at it. Not so bad at all! You can also use the time for a mindful meditation or yoga session. Some airports have special meditation rooms or other silent sanctuaries available.
Unappealing food: Bring your own
Not a fan of inflight dinners? Remember most airlines give you the opportunity to pre-order your preferred meal. If you are still not keen on the chicken curry or roast beef sandwich then cancel your meal. You can easily bring your own food and snacks with you like dried fruit, protein bars, quinoa or chickpea salad. Check out these healthy and tasty plane snacks for long flights.
Lack of legroom: Exercise your limbs
When you are 5.5 feet tall or less you will have no troubles squeezing yourself into a seat. There will still be enough space to wiggle your legs and feet. When you are taller you will need to be a bit more creative to keep your blood flowing. But don’t worry there are plenty of exercises you can do while remaining seated and without looking weird: neck rolls, shoulder rolls, and even doing squats in the restroom.
Talkative passengers: Try engaging
Don’t immediately look away when seating yourself next to a fellow passenger wants to engage in small talk. You might be lucky, have a lively and interesting conversation while meeting a friend or an interesting prospect for your business. And if it doesn’t work out… you can always use last minute business prep as an excuse to open your laptop.