Surviving Holiday Travel: Tips From HR Experts
Remember the 1987 classic comedy “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles,” featuring Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy? En route to Chicago for the Thanksgiving holidays, irritable businessman Neal Page (Martin), finds himself unable to escape Del Griffith, the obnoxious shower-ring salesmen (Candy).
The film portrays the ups and downs of holiday travel quite perfectly, as large crowds can lead to an increase in potential hiccups. And no one wants to get stranded in an airport for 12 hours next to a loud-mouthed slob.
If you’re in charge of monitoring your organization’s PTO and travel benefits, you can bet that your employees will love more insight on surviving holiday travel. Ensure smooth travels and share these tips.
Skip the Lines
Imagine a world where you can skip the security line, keep your shoes on, and leave your liquids and laptop in your bag. Sounds too good to be true, right?
Say hello to PreCheck and Global Entry, expedited security programs of the TSA and CPB, respectively.
Applying is relatively painless. All you need is a U.S. passport or permeant resident card, a clean custom and immigration slate, and $100. Should you get approved (most applicants do), you must schedule an interview at a location of your choice. Most international airports have Global Entry offices, and there are several non-airport locations as well. After a quick interview, your employees will receive their card to freedom. just make sure they’re aware they have to apply in advance.
Travel Intelligently
As we’ve mentioned previously, packing effectively and efficiently can help guarantee a stress-free flight. No matter how long you’re traveling for, it’s recommended to never check a bag. Traveling with a carry-on that fits in the overhead compartment not only reduces space—it eliminates the horrors associated with a lost bag.
Stay in the know by staying on top of your flight status. Signing up for flight alerts is not enough. Apps such as FlightStats or Flight+ provide immediate updates, often before your carrier contacts you.
Get Insured
If you’re traveling during the winter season, bad weather is a huge possibility. And in the worst storms, cancelation rates can climb to 5 percent. Being stranded comes with its own problems, including expensive (and often overbooked) hotel rooms, and overpriced replacement flights.
Buying travel insurance is one of the best ways to ensure you’re taking care of, no matter the conditions. Consider protecting your travels with trip-delay or cancellation coverage. Shop around for policies at websites like Insuremytrip or Squaremouth.
If your travelers are booking hotels during the holidays, cancellable rooms and discounted rates are their best friend. Engine enables you to offer corporate hotel rates to your employees—at no additional cost. And zero change fees and free cancellations at thousands of hotels offer your employees unmatched flexibility.
