Module 94 - Business travel tips for beginners

How not to lose your carryon and other tips for frequent business travelers

I am sure you are probably thinking: “How is it possible to lose your carryon?” Well, guess what, it is possible, because, I’ve done it, even though I though the same – that it is not possible to lose your carryon since it’s technically with you when you board the plane. Well, not so fast, as my assumption was totally proven false.

So, how is it possible to lose your carryon?

If you are a frequent business traveler or if you travel frequently in general, you have probably had a connection in a very small airport, where large plane is 35 seats or less. If you have gone through such airport you are most likely familiar with a valet bag check process. For those who are not familiar, this is where due to the small size of the plane, even though your carryon gets checked through valet check in process at the gate before your board a plane. Also, it is not an optional process, but mandatory. So, when you thought that your carryon was coming with you on the plane, well, you’ll be disappointed, because, you must leave it at the gate with gate agents and hope that it makes it safely to your destination.

Valet gate check process and ‘not so fun’ bag search process

How the rest of the valet bag check in process works is, after arriving at your destination, as you are leaving the plane, you pick up your carryon bag at the end of the bridge before you enter the terminal. However, as with any process, there may be situations where things don’t go as planned. That is what happened with me one time on my trip to a business meeting in another city. My carryon luggage got valet gate-checked with my name and address written on a small luggage tag. To my big surprise, upon arrival at my destination and getting ready to pick up my bag at the end of the bridge, the only carryon bag that wasn’t there, well, you guessed it, it was mine. Oh, and I forgot to mention that all my business clothes, dress shoes, toiletries, and pretty much all other essentials were in that bag, with business meeting coming up next day. So, after spending few minutes in disbelief and confusion, I begun the process of search of my luggage, which as you’ve guessed it, wasn’t very fun. If you have ever lost your bag with any airline, you know what I mean when I say that it was not ‘fun’.

Unplanned expenses when you are not ready for them with very tight deadline

In addition to finding my carryon, I had even bigger dilemma – what do I do about clothes for my upcoming business meeting. Thankfully, I was in a large city in California, where there were plenty of options for stores selling clothes, and they were in close proximity to my hotel. So, I had to go and purchase one-day worth of business clothes and shoes for my meeting. After my involuntary shopping trip, I was prepared for the next day. Problem solved. The funny thing is, that as soon as I arrived back to my hotel after the meeting the following day, my carryon was found and delivered to the hotel. Unfortunately, this proves the point that even carryon can be lost.

So, how do you prepare for the unexpected? What can you learn from my lesson?

First, make sure to wear one pair of casual business clothes and shoes, appropriate for the meeting in question when flying to the meeting destination. I know it is not the most comfortable trip, but at least you are prepared for the unexpected in the event that your carryon or checked in bags get lost. Additionally, you could avoid having to spend money on buying new clothes at the stores that you may not necessarily like or shop at normally.

Second, make sure that you have a tag with your name, address, and contact information, attached to your bags, so that if your carryon gest lost, once found , you could be contacted.

Lastly, keep a pair of business clothes, dress shoes, and necessities (ex. tooth brush, toiletries, etc.) in your checked in luggage and your carryon. This is in the event it your luggage or carryon gets lost.

In summary…

Following these few simple steps can help you avoid frustration, stress, and spending money on new clothes simply because you need them, not because you want new clothes and/or shoes. In most cases your bag(s) will be found, however, it may be well after the very important meeting you had to attend, and it’s best to be safe than sorry.

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I hope you enjoyed reading this module and found it to be very useful for you or someone else that you may know. Please feel free to share this post if you know someone who may benefit from reading it same way you did

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