Business Travel

Business travel can be a grind whether you're a road warrior or just an occasional traveler. This section offers advice on getting the best fares, dealing with the inevitable hassles, and getting the most out of the trips you take.

Chronology of Coverage

Oct. 27, 2015

Rise offers subscription memberships for $1,650 to $2,650 a month that allow unlimited private jet travel between four Texas cities; organization leases Beechcraft planes from charter companies. MORE

Oct. 13, 2015

Airports are opening on-site hotels in effort to be more competitive and lure both tourists and business travelers; several major airports including Kennedy International are building new hotels; such hotels previously served stranded air travelers and rotating flight crews. MORE

Wheels column; rental car companies that offer car-sharing, or very short-term rentals, are proliferating, seeking to serve growing number of young business travelers who find service both flexible and affordable. MORE

Recommendations for business travelers hoping to beat jet lag include adjusting sleep schedules and short-term use of medications, but research reveals that there is no cure for all ills associated with crossing time zones. MORE

Travel experts say that extended-stay hotels are becoming increasingly more attractive to business travelers; extended-stay hotels offer atmosphere more akin to home, and have gained popularity due to lower prices for longer stays and complimentary breakfasts; chains are now capitalizing on popularity and moving into urban areas. MORE

More hotels are charging fees for Wi-Fi service to their customers, particularly high-end hotels, where fees will only be waived if customers sign up for loyalty programs or book rooms directly with hotel; many business travelers have become reluctant to pay fee for what is now considered essential service and have found numerous ways to avoid paying. MORE

Business travelers must operate within guidelines of corporate travel policies set forth by their companies, which can impede their ability to make use of mobile apps like Uber, Airbnb and other tech tools that have transformed leisure travel; good news for business travelers is that situation is changing as companies embrace digitally empowering their traveling employees. MORE

Airports worldwide are discarding notion of merely being transportation hubs, and instead are adorning facilities with luxury amenities, for both pleasure and business travelers, that rival resort hotel industry; while United States airports have improved significantly, they still lag behind modernization of top foreign terminals. MORE

International hotel chains are ramping up efforts to lure Chinese recreational and business travelers in response to surge in global travel from China; Chinese business travelers in particular are prime target given the scarcity of globally established high-end Chinese hotel chains. MORE

Los Angeles is often regarded as being a city of cars and gridlocked traffic, but business travelers may not be aware that the city has network of nearly 200 bus lines and six rail lines, as well as an extensive regional commuter rail system that can make it easy, and even free, to get to some of city's biggest convention venues. MORE

Cultural experience of visiting geishas in traditional Japanese teahouses, which was once secretive environment restricted to regular customers, is becoming more open as an option for entertaining foreign business travelers; geishas act as hostesses, preparing and serving food and beverages and performing traditional dances and songs. MORE

Business travelers and others who rack up frequent-flier miles should be aware that while terms and conditions of most airlines prohibit transfer of frequent-flier miles, even in case of death or divorce, heirs are often able to persuade airlines to waive their rules. MORE

Website Hotelwifitest.com ranks hotels in more than 4,000 cities based on their Internet connection speeds, helping business travelers avoid hotels with unreliable Wi-Fi that could impede their ability to access vital data for an important business meeting. MORE

Hotels that overlook airport runways are popular with aviation enthusiasts and business travelers who enjoy watching takeoffs and landings; website plane-spotting-hotels.com attracts 15,000 visitors monthly; several good plane-spotting hotels noted. MORE

Tips for business travelers who wish to explore opportunities that may develop from diplomacy thaw between United States and Cuba highlighted. MORE

Industry experts say growing business travel is keeping most passenger flights at full capacity, leaving little incentive for airlines to translate falling oil prices into lower airfares. MORE

Many airports are installing more electric outlets for travelers, particularly those on business trips, who are desperate to charge the myriad mobile devices they so heavily depend on. MORE

Frequent business airline travelers say requests to change seats have assumed new stridency and anxiety in crowded cabins; contend there is certain etiquette involved that infrequent travelers frequently violate. MORE

Joe Sharkey On the Road column looks back on 16 years of writing column in his final post; offers advice to airline travelers to pay attention to safety instructions. MORE

Frequent Flier column; National Association of Realtors member Bill Malkasian discusses his flying experiences. MORE

Many business travelers are moving away from traditional car services and taxis to ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber; companies, after resisting shift, are adapting to change; almost one-third of rides business travelers expense for are ride-hailing services, up from 10 percent year ago. MORE

Joe Sharkey On the Road column says proposal is being considered that would allow La Guardia Airport to add domestic long-haul and coast-to-coast flights, making it more attractive to business travelers; points out regional flights could be cut, however. MORE