It seemed like a good idea at the time

This is one of those situations where you are going to say, “What were you thinking?” and “If this guy did something this stupid, why would he think his advice is worth anything?” 

Having said that, I am going to tell you what I did today anyway.


I booked a 1:30 PM flight to Austin about a week ago. I have a client down there who wants me to meet with her after business hours, so a 2:30 PM arrival seemed just about right. My trusty car of 15 years finally gave up the ghost, so we are down by one car. Not a problem since my wife does not work....until this week when she landed a new job which started today.  My son graciously offered to run me over to the airport in his car before he headed to class. It would get me to the airport several hours early, but I had no other good options, short of paying $30 for a share ride shuttle. I would rather sit in the Admiral's Club for an extra couple of hours and get some work done. Airfare and rental car are being covered by the client, but no other travel expenses.


As things happen, when dealing with early morning routines, we got out of the house just a few minutes late. With capricious road construction in the area, time was quickly running out and my son started worrying about making it to class on time.  The last thing I want to do is to show my freshman son that the world will not come to an end if he is late to class. Fortunately, I'd sized up the situation early and had put a change of clothes in my carry-on and wore “sensible” shoes. As we got closer to the airport, and the clock ticked past the time he needed to turn the car around and head up to Denton, I asked him to drop me off at the gas station just north of the airport. I calculated that a 30 minute walk would take me to the North Remote Parking where I could catch the shuttle to my terminal.


Ah...the best laid plans....

James Snider is an global marketing professional with 16 years experience in the semiconductor and high-tech industry. He is currently working as a consultant.

www.linkedIn.com/in/jamessnider

It seemed like a good idea at the time...part 2

Everything was going along pretty well except for the fact that my carry-on was a little heavier than I really wanted to carry for 30 minutes. I saw the road to the airport making a large curve and it seemed to me that I could shave off a few minutes if I simply cut across the open field (the shortest distance between two points).  That became problematic as the weeds were about a foot high and the ground was fairly soft; making for tough hiking. Still, huffing and puffing, I was getting closer.


I heard a shout off to my left, but paid little attention. There is construction in the area. Some distant shouting is to be expected. But I heard it again...and then again. I turned and saw a very large airport policeman working his way across the soft field in my direction. I decided that there was little to be gained by not meeting him halfway, so I headed in his direction. He, of course, stopped and waited for me...so on I went with my carry-on getting heavier all the time.


Once I reached him, he informed me that there had been a call about a suspicious person walking close to the runway. I confirmed that I was the only suspicious person I'd seen but had gone no closer to the runway that where I was when he stopped me. I then gave him the short version of my story.


He asked for ID, called it in, wanted my flight information and then wanted a quick look at the contents of my carry-on. A second airport policeman (actually a woman...but police person sounds too PC) showed up and they both looked at me very sternly. I remained affable (although I consider airport police to be a small step up from a security guard, I am sure they have the authority to cause me a lot of trouble, particularly in the current elevated state of security). I chatted a bit while the second officer did something with my ID but the first officer was not particularly interested in small talk. He wanted me to understand that no one ever walks to the airport. They always “arrive in some sort of vehicle.” That is always going to raise some suspicion; walking to the airport. I could have ameliorated the situation a bit if I'd simply stuck to the road. Walking across the field in the general direction of the runway was not a good idea. He understood my basic algebra about the shortest distance...he still recommended that I stick to the road if I ever decided to walk to the airport in the future.

But the fun part was still to come.

James Snider is an global marketing professional with 16 years experience in the semiconductor and high-tech industry. He is currently working as a consultant.

www.linkedIn.com/in/jamessnider

It seemed like a good idea at the time...part 3

Once he satisfied himself that I was guilty of nothing more than foolishness,  he offered to give me a ride to the North Remote Parking “or you can continue walking.” Now, it was only a block and a half to remote parking....but why would I not take the ride? I had broken a decent sweat and my arms were feeling tight from carrying the carry-on. I was having no fun walking so I accepted the ride. That is when I found out why I might have preferred to have walked the rest of the way. 

This officer showed his police training by describing to me exactly what was going to happen before he did anything. It really seems like a tedious exercise, “Sir, please put your bag down behind the car and step back. I am now going to open the trunk of the cruiser from inside the cab. Leave your bag on the ground. Now I am going to put your bag in the trunk....”

Then he informed me that he needed to check me for weapons before he allowed me to enter the cruiser. He asked me if I had any weapons. Then he informed me that he was going to give me a pat-down. Standing beside a busy road headed into the airport, I had to assume the position and get a pat-down. He only showed a slight sign of humor when I stated, about halfway through the pat-down, that this would probably not be the only time I got patted-down that day.


He then took me through the step-by-step instructions on how he was going to open the back door of the cruiser and that I should get in and would be required to put on the seat belt. I guess I should have seen that coming. I was going to be behind the Plexiglas in the backseat like a vagrant or public drunk or something. The pat-down was not pleasant and was a little bit embarrassing....but embarrassment was building. 


The seats were very high up and made of some sort of formed plastic like a cheap... I don't know what. I have never seen anything like it. I asked the officer about the seat when he finally got into the front seat (the passenger side was full of all sorts of electronics...so I guess it was nothing against me, there was simply no room for me in the passenger seat up front). He responded (with some humor) that they were not built for comfort but he said nothing more about it.

Now he engaged me in small talk. He asked why I was traveling and what my line of work is...maybe still looking for inconsistencies that might cause me to spend a few hours in a cell being crossed examined, but I took it as a friendly gesture. When we arrived at North Remote Parking, he had to let me out of the back seat where I was met with the curious and appraising scrutiny of the crowd waiting for the shuttle. They were expecting a vagrant or public drunk. A look of slight suspicion lingered on their faces despite the fact that the officer was letting me out of the backseat and pulled my luggage out of the trunk for me. I was being treated with respect....but still....they were wondering.


So what I did learn from this? I think that is pretty obvious....


Humility is an important lesson to learn but not a lesson I want to repeat often.

James Snider is an global marketing professional with 16 years experience in the semiconductor and high-tech industry. He is currently working as a consultant.

www.linkedIn.com/in/jamessnider

When in Rome, Shanghai, Tokyo...

In keeping with my last blog, here are some more tips on "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."  

I try to fit in whenever I travel.  Obviously, when I am in Japan, I can never look Japanese, but I can look like I know the ropes.  Learn some words in Japanese. Prepare for taxi drivers who do not speak English.  Moderate your speaking style to be more consistent  with those with whom you are talking. Walk on the correct side of the sidewalk (not always on the right.) Look both ways when crossing the street...that is something your mother always told you, but when you are in another country, it is particularly important because driving styles and rules of engagement are very different in other places.  

I recall one time when I was crossing the street in Shanghai.  The "Walk" light was indicating it was safe to cross.  I was almost to the other side when the light changed to "Don't Walk."  I'd seen a bus in the distance, but by my calculations, I would be out of the intersection before it would even get close to me.  I heard the sound of heavy and rapid footsteps behind me, only to be passed by my business associate who was only two steps behind me.  He was in a dead gallop and grabbed my shirt as he passed by.  The bus, which had been nearly a half block away, was traveling at an outrageous speed and was timing it to hit the intersection just as soon as the light turned green...leaving no margin for error.  Any slow pedestrian was going to be a fatality.  I was expecting the bus driver to show some caution, similar to bus drivers in the USA.  Not this guy.  He was focused on speed, not safety and it was up to anyone in the street to stay out of his way.

Another example comes to mind which deals more with business etiquette than with safety.  I had a boss one time who tended to wear sunglasses every time he stepped outside.  This is not the norm in the USA, but not totally unusual.  When he traveled to Japan, he noticed that the Japanese salesmen were suppressing laughter each time he put on his sunglasses.  After a few incidents, he asked the most "American" of the Japanese salesmen about it.  He was told that in Japan, no one wears sunglasses on the street.  They only wear sunglasses under certain conditions, such as when they go to the beach.  Each time he put on his sunglasses on city streets, the Japanese found it to be hilarious.  This was all good clean fun until they approached the office building where they were to meet with an important customer.  At this point, one of the Japanese salesmen turned to by boss and said, "Larry-san, please remove the sunglasses...it makes you a stranger."

If he'd been thinking about it, he would have realized that anything that made him standout as different should have been minimized when doing business in another culture.  Keep your eyes open and follow the lead of those who live in the culture you are visiting. 

James Snider is an global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the semiconductor and high-tech industry. He is currently working as a consultant while looking for the next great thing and earning inbound marketing certification.

www.linkedIn.com/in/jamessnider

The "mileage run"

I have a friend who is a big time international salesman.  He normally carries a balance of over a million frequent flier miles.  Yesterday, he send me an email from Frankfurt telling me about something he'd never encountered.  While at the Admiral's Club in Frankfurt, he ran into five people from Dallas who were doing a "mileage run."  These five people flew into Frankfurt from Dallas, did an over night at a hotel near the airport and flew back the next day.  The goal was simply to rack up frequent flier miles so they could reach Executive Platinum status sooner.  This group was willing to spend $450 to make an unnecessary trip in coach simply to increase their frequent flier status. 


A few years ago, when I needed one more trip at the end of the year to maintain my Executive Platinum status, I considered doing something similar myself.  However, good sense kicked in.  The group I am talking about is flying on their own money in mid-January!  And, according to my friend, they will do it several more times...and he thinks it is a GREAT idea!


According to the thinking, for around $4500, a person can rack up 100,000 miles quickly and then reap the benefits of this advanced status for the remainder of the year. They will get several system wide upgrades which means they can fly in Business Class with the price of a coach ticket.  They will get more frequent flier miles for every trip plus priority service.  They will be automatically upgraded to first class on domestic flights and gain some additional access to airport clubs.


Still, they are flying around 10 trips that they are paying for themselves...in coach...and not lingering long enough to really enjoy the benefit of being there.


I still do not get it.  It must be the thrill of the adventure...doing a crazy thing with your buddies, all jam packed in coach, hitting a hotel, drinking a few German beers, crashing and flying back home for a day then repeating.  Like running a marathon or something.  Then, when it is time to take a serious business trip, you have all the advantages of your status to smooth the trip for you.

How to Dress for an International Flight

Back in the old days, people would dress up for a flight. Traveling by air was novel and expensive. With the entry of Southwest Airlines (the Greyhound of the Sky), all that went out the window. Today, walking through the airport, you see all manner of super casual attire.

I recall, on my first international business trip, I ran into one of our engineers at the airport. He and I were flying to Tokyo to attend the same meeting. I was dressed in Dockers with a button-down shirt (trying to look like an international marketing guy). He, on the other hand, was dressed in nylon shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt. He looked as if he were about to run a marathon, so I asked him if he was headed someplace to workout. I was assuming that he was a big international traveler and knew the ropes...as in, maybe there was a gym at the airport that I knew nothing about. He responded (with a hint of defensiveness) that he was about to take a long flight and wanted to be comfortable. "Comfortable?" I thought. "You are almost naked. We are flying in business class. We are going to spend the next 12 hours in a BarcaLounger. How comfortable do you have to be?"


Once we got on the plane, my greatest problem was staying warm. My Dockers and loose cotton shirt where plenty comfortable enough. Of course, I still see Japanese businessmen in a full suit; never even loosening their tie during the 12 hour trip. I guess it is what you are used to. If I am comfortable enough to wear something for 9 hours in the office, then I am comfortable enough on a 10 - 12 flight. You do not have to go to extremes.


Here is my advice, "Don't worry about it." Wear something you would not mind wearing around the house all day. If it is uncomfortable to wear at home, do not wear it on the plane. If you are inclined to get a little cold, bring a sweater and wear long sleeves. Keep your shoes on if you can. Your feet are going to swell and your shoes are going to be hard to get back on at the end of the flight. However, if your feet start to hurt, take your shoes off. Don't suffer the whole flight with aching feet. Just leave yourself a little time to shove your fat feet in your shoes before the plane starts to empty out.


One more comment concerning your shoes. Since 2001 when Richard Reid tried to blow up an American Airlines flight with a shoe bomb, passengers have been required to remove their shoes and have them X-rayed when passing through security. I have seen various road warriors scoff at passengers who wear shoes that must be tied when going through security. The thinking is you are going to have to untie your shoes, run them through the scanner then put them back on your feet and retie them. These road warriors feel like this inconvenience can be avoided by wearing loafers. That is fine if you are not traveling for business, but I need real shoes to wear with my suit. As far as I am concerned, you go through a little bit of inconvenience at the airport by wearing lace-up shoes, but then you have the shoes you really need for the rest of the trip. I think the whole shoe issue is a pretty minor inconvenience compared to all the other things I have to do (put my liquids in a quart bag, pull my notebook computer out of the bag, leave my pocket knife and scissors at home, have my bag re-X-rayed if I fail to empty out other assorted electronics that capture the attention of the screener, etc.) Besides, on an international flight, I find that lace-up shoes are easier to stuff my fat feet into when I arrive at my destination.


Once you are in the airport, take the stairs if you can instead of using the escalator. It will help to move the blood out of your feet and back into the rest of your body.



But here is my best tip. If you are traveling on business, have a clean shirt and a sports coat handy. Brush your teeth, shave, and put on a fresh shirt about an hour before you land. Then wear the sports coat through customs. If you indicate on your emigration form that you were overseas on business, the customs agent will tend to leave you alone. Especially if you look like an experienced business traveler. Customs will usually wave you on and not waste time digging through you bags. Of course, having about a dozen pages stamped in your passport further convinces the customs agent that you are an international business traveler.


However, if you are traveling with family, I have no advice for you other than to get your paperwork in order, be efficient and alert, and maintain a reserved but friendly and polite attitude. Chances are you will make it through with no issues.

James Snider is an international marketing professional with 15 years experience in the semiconductor and high-tech industry. He was the industry lead for global FireWire marketing at Texas Instruments, Philips Semiconductor (now NXP) and the 1394 Trade Association.
Snider is actively searching for the next great thing to market into a worldwide success.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider 

How to Pack

I am sorry. I can not advise you on how to pack efficiently. I tend to carry too much stuff with me, never sure how much time I may have to read, work, or catch up on things while I am on the road. I normally have very little time for anything other than customer meetings and keeping current on email.

I also normally take too many clothes. I was scheduled to travel to California on September 12, 2001...the day after 9/11. A week later, I was on a nearly empty flight to California after talking to a couple of guys who'd been stuck in some distant location, unable to get home. Since that time, I have made it a personal policy to take an extra change of clothes, just in case I end up staying an extra day or two. It is not a bad policy anyway. Chances are, you will eventually miss a flight or get caught in a rain storm and need the extra clothes.

As for me, I can not criticize anyone who fails to pack light. I am as bad as anyone. This is a problem since I hate to check bags. I hate to wait for 30 minutes at a carrousel with nothing coming off of it and I hate to see my $400 suitcase get torn to bits by baggage handlers who seem to go out of their way to destroy them.

I am a bad example to follow when it comes to packing.

James Snider is an international marketing professional with 15 years experience in the semiconductor and high-tech industry. He was the industry lead for global FireWire marketing at Texas Instruments, Philips Semiconductor (now NXP) and the 1394 Trade Association.
Snider is actively searching for the next great thing to market into a worldwide success.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider

What to eat

I was told by a TI sales rep in Korea that I have a "marketing stomach." I actually like kimchi, eel, and tofu. I have eaten octopus so fresh it was still moving (I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me), a fudgesicle made out of red beans (I thought it did not have much chocolate flavor), sea cucumber (squishy and tasteless), and Taiwan's national dish "stinking tofu" (and it tastes pretty much the way it smells.)

What do you do if you are not an adventurous eater? You are going to have problems. If you are staying at an American brand name hotel, there will be American food there but it will probably not be to your liking and will cost a small fortune. They simply do not know how to make American food the same way it is made in America. All the same, if it is a choice between a $12 hamburger that tastes a bit off or sushi, you are probably better off with the hamburger.

Most hotels have a breakfast buffet which will have something you can eat but if your eggs must be dry and your bacon must be crisp, you may have problems. If you can not face eating cucumbers for breakfast or a lunch meat sandwich, then eat rice in Asia and bread in Europe.

I shared a taxi from Chang Kai-shek airport in Taiwan with a guy from Israel. He was terrified because he was a very delicate eater. I invited him to eat dinner with me since it was his first trip to Taipei. We went to a seafood restaurant recommended by the concierge at the Sheraton but when we arrived, the floors were bare concrete and all the fish were in aquariums. We had to select our own and my new Israeli friend was backing out the door with eyes as big as saucers. I decided it was time to hop in a taxi and go across town to Hollywood Underground in the basement of the shopping center next to the Far Eastern Hotel. There, the food is decidedly Euro-American.

On our way out, I picked up a matchbook and handed it to him, "In case you want to return," I said. Four days later, as I was checking out of my hotel, he came up to me to thank me. He'd eaten dinner there every night. You have to do what you have to do.

Personally, after about 10 days in Asia, my system starts to complain. It needs something familiar. Having traveled a lot, I normally keep my eyes open for an American chain restaurant close to the hotel. When home, I normally do not eat under the golden arches, but during a long trip, even Mickey Ds starts to taste pretty good.

And finally, when traveling in Europe, it is easy to gain three or four pounds. The food there is great. In Asia, I expect to lose about five pounds. It is not so much that I do not like Asian food. It is more the fact that they tend to eat less fat in their diet than Americans do. If I am in Asia for two weeks, it is an adjustment to get used to the fat content in American fast food upon my return. Everything tastes like it is coated in Crisco. We should probably be a little concerned about that.

James Snider is an global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the semiconductor and high-tech industry. He is currently working as a consultant while looking for the next great thing and earning inbound marketing certification.
www.linkedIn.com/in/jamessnider

Oh...my ears!

One thing that still tends to bother me when I fly is the pressure on my ear drum. Even after 3 million frequent flier miles, I still have problems. I have tried nasal spray, decongestants, and antihistamines, but the one thing that helps the most is sucking on hard candy. Pick up a package before getting on the plane and keep them handy.

They also come in handy if a parent and child are sitting close to you and the child is experiencing pain. Hand the parent about five pieces of candy in case the plane has a lengthy descent or has to circle a few times.

If all else fails, I do something that I always saw my father do. I hold my nose shut and swallow hard. It is a little frightening. I am never sure if I may be damaging something, but when nothing else helps, this opens the Eustachian tube and lets the pressure equalize.

If I get off the plan and my ears are still blocked, I bend over with my head between my knees, hold my nose, and swallow hard. It looks silly, but when you are in serious pain, looks are the least of your worries.

How to get over jet lag

OK, you finally arrived and you have meetings first thing in the morning. How do you get over jet lag?

This varies from person to person. Most people say that flying east (from the USA to London) causes worse jet lag than flying west (USA to Tokyo). However, I have not found this to be significant in my case. The more significant factor is how worn down I am before making the trip. Some people go to bed an hour progressively earlier or an hour progressively later each night a week before the flight to get their bodies adjusted to the time zone in their destination but my life is always too full to do that. I just try to get 7 - 8 hours of sleep a couple of nights before the flight.

Assuming you did things right on the way over:
* got some sleep on the way over
* drank water (it is good to buy a bottle of water at the airport since you will probably not be served much to drink in coach)
* avoided alcohol (a universal suggestion in everything I have read)
* walked around and stretched every few hours on the flight over
I am going to suggest what you should do once you get to your destination. If you did not do the things I just listed, you are probably out of luck. Drink lots of coffee!

1) Stay awake until bedtime. That is not so hard if you change planes in Tokyo and arrive in Taipei at 9:00 PM but if you fly to London and arrive at 6:30 AM, this is a miserable experience. I had a pilot tell me that he goes straight to the hotel, sleeps 3 hours in a pitch black room then forces himself to get up and stay up until bedtime. I do not have that discipline, so I just stay up.

2) Break a sweat. Get on the treadmill in the gym or take a hard walk around the area. Exert yourself. You are not walking for pleasure. You have to get the blood pumping and really start sweating those accumulated toxins out of your system. Wear yourself out.

3) Eat something familiar for dinner. Maybe this is just me, but my body is all messed up after a 14 hour flight. Now is not the time to try a meal of sushi for the first time in my life. I need a hamburger and fries. If you are staying in an American brand name hotel, you are good. Room service will have a hamburger. If not, there is probably American fast food around the corner. Hunt it down and do not be adventurous this first night.

4) Go to bed a little bit early. If you normally go to bed at 11:00 PM, make it 10:00 this first night. Do NOT go to bed a 8:00 PM. You are going to wake up 2 - 20 times that first night anyway. Get your body adjusted to the new time zone. Going to bed too early is not going to help you.

Do those four things (especially the hard walk) and you will be as good as you can be the next morning. If you wake up at 5:30 AM and just can not go to sleep. Take another walk. Do not go out before people are on the street, however. It is risky to be out alone in a strange city.

How a $2 Beach Ball Can Improve Your Flight

In my last blog, I talked about using the "1st Class Sleeper" to improve your comfort on long flights, spare your aching back, and improve your chances of sleeping. The downside is the $30 price tag for something that will last you about 10 trips.

As a cheap alternative, I have tried using a cheap beach ball partially inflated. You can find those in spring and early summer at Wal-Mart and drug stores for $2. If your travel plans are in Fall and Winter, you may have trouble finding one.

I simply place the beach ball between the small of my back and the seat and it works pretty well. The major down side is the lack of a "fuzzy" surface on the beach ball (similar to the surface on the 1st Class Sleeper) which "wicks"perspiration. If you've ever sat on a plastic surface for a lengthy period of time, you know what I am talking about. I wear a light cotton jacket on international flights which helps prevent the build-up of perspiration.

Another thing you can do with the cheap beach ball is to inflate it almost full and put it on the floor to give you something to put your feet on. I find that the lower half of my body starts screaming out in pain after about 6 hours in a coach seat. Having something to put my feet on helps a lot. You can also use the ball to exert slight pressure with your feet to get the blood going in your veins and reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

And finally, I find that sleeping on my back is fine for most of the flight, but sometimes I just have to lean forward. Having done everything I can think of (stretching, walking around the cabin, doing deep knee bends by the exits), my lower body still is hurting. Leaning forward helps by moving the pressure off my lower body and partially distributing it to my upper body. Problem is, how? If you have just enough space between your seat and the seat in front of you to get your head down on the pull-down tray, you are not very comfortable. If you can put something between yourself and the tray (to get your head up to a higher, more comfortable position), you can get some relief. Inflating a second beach ball (you do not want to use the one you had your feet on) and covering it with a t-shirt works pretty well.

James Snider is a global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the high tech industry. He is currently looking for his next great job. www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider

First Class Sleeper for under $30

Some of you may have seen the "1st Class Sleeper" sold for around $30 and wondered if they were worth it. I tried one and it was excellent. The basic premise is simple. The device is similar to a small, narrow air mattress which is small on the top and fat on the bottom. You inflated it partially (so it does not take a lot of effort to inflate). This gives you a little more cushion on your coach seat, but the real magic comes from the tendency of the air to redistribute from an area of high pressure (your upper back) to fill in areas of low pressure (such as the gap between your lower back and the seat). This permits you to slump in your seat in a more reclined position with lower back support. This supports your whole back making it much more comfortable to sleep.

Is it worth $30? I guess that depends on how valuable $30 is to you and how often you will be flying long distances in coach. I used one for a year about once a month and it held up just fine for about 9 months. After that, it developed a slow leak which meant I had to re-inflate it about halfway through the flight. I thought that was worth the money.

Next time, the things you can do with a cheap beach ball.

James Snider is a global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the high tech industry. He is currently looking for his next great job. www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider

Ouch! My aching back!

I am sure that some of you suffer from back pain when you take long flights. I have two recommendations. Get a blanket and roll it up for lumbar support. I am leery of the airline blankets and would rather have it behind my back than under my chin. Bring a sweater for warmth...I stay away from the blankets.

The second thing is a bit more novel. Bring a small cardboard box like the one books come in from Amazon. Have it collapsed and in your carry-on. Also bring a small cheap roll of tape. When your flight is in the air, pull out the collapsed box, folding it into a box again and run the tape around it a few times to keep it "box shaped". Now you have something to put your feet on; either flat or on one end depending on which feels better. That is the one thing I hate about coach. I can take the narrow seats, lack of leg room, and meager food. But I must get my feet up off the floor during the flight or everything starts to hurt or go to sleep. The box idea helps a lot.

When you are ready to leave the plane, you can break the box down and take it with you for the return flight or leave it on the plane. I would suggest you break it down before you leave it. You do not want security called to investigate a suspicious package left on the plane. Airlines have plenty of security issues to deal with without our carelessness increasing the work load.

James Snider is a global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the high tech industry. He is currently looking for his next great job. www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider

Get a pillow

I have heard hard core travelers scoff at the inflatable horse-shoe shaped pillows you see for sale in airports. If you can sleep at all on a flight, I would recommend them highly. I do not know what others are scoffing about. These pillows are great!

Most airlines no longer provide pillows even on the longest flights. Besides, how clean can they really be? I have seen people sit on them, use them for lumbar support, cough or sneeze into them, drop them on the floor, and step on them. I would prefer to have my own pillow. Besides, the horse-shoe shape really works. It keeps your head from falling way over to one side, which would be nearly impossible to sleep through and would give you a pain in the neck.

For me, the pillow is well worth the $10.

James Snider is a global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the high tech industry. He is currently looking for his next great job. www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider

Business Class...this is as good as it gets

If you can swing a seat in Business Class on an international flight, go for it. It does not get any better than that.

First Class on domestic flights is only slightly better than coach. You do get a meal which is small but decent. The alcohol is free in First Class on domestic flights, but I would join others in advising you to not drink on a flight. I makes jet lag much worse. The seats are better, wider, with more leg room but those are about the only advantages. Free upgrade, yes! Pay for the upgrade, no.

On two rare occasions, I was lucky enough to get bumped into First Class on international flights. The food was better than business class, but not THAT much better. The wine selection was broader (see my comments on drinking alcohol on long flights). They served caviar, which I can take or leave. The seats were a little bit better and the movie selection was broader. You get to leave the place before the people in the back of the plane do. Those are about all the advantages I saw.

Business Class on an international flight is about as good as it gets and about the best a business traveler can dream about. Today, most companies will not pay for business class, but a true road warrior has an upgrade or two he can use from time to time. You can also upgrade with miles if you have an over abundance of them. Business Class is comfortable. It is like flying in a recliner instead of a cramped car seat (as I would characterize coach travel). The food is very good. The movie selection is normally pretty good unless you travel all the time. There have been periods of time when I flew so much I'd seen all the movies. You are able to get up and walk around easily even if you have a window seat.

Flying in Business Class is wonderful. However, most of my travel has been in coach, so I would like to help those of you less seasoned travelers with your coach travel.

James Snider is a global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the high tech industry. He is currently looking for his next great job. www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider

I Love to Travel

As a child, my parents took me on a fair number of trips. My father went to seminars in San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Mexico City and New York and other locations that have faded over the years. Sometimes we flew, some times we drove. On the trip to San Francisco, my parents decided that we should take the train while there was still a passenger train to take...what an excellent decision. On the trip to New York, we drove in my father's brand new double cab pick-up...which was a source of embarrassment for me once we reached the Big Apple. On the trip to Mexico City, we drove in my father's brand new VW beetle...way too crowded for a party of four. For the December trip to Chicago, we flew on Southwest...about 6 stops between Texas and the coldest weather I'd ever experienced. All of these trips were done on a budget, which prepared me well for my future life as a business traveler.

In college, I went to Israel on a 6 week archaeological dig where I had afternoons and weekends to myself to explore a foreign country with a couple of my buddies from church. This also prepared me for my future life as a business traveler. There were no adults around to help me find my way into Tel Aviv or back again. There was no one there to keep me from getting conned or to get me out of trouble if I did something stupid. Just a group of three pretty good college boys figuring things out as we went along.

When I got married, my father sent my wife and me on a cruise of the Mediterranean. I discovered three things: traveling with my wife was a lot of fun, I would rather tour on my own than on a bus with a lot of tourist, striking out on my own (as my wife and I did once the tour reached Jerusalem) gives me a rush like nothing else. From that moment forward, she and I were hooked on travel. Not the safe "looking out the bus window" travel but the "getting lost down tiny winding streets where no one speaks English" kind of travel.

It was very fortunate that I discovered this early in life. When leaving a meeting with a Chinese Technical Park official with just enough time to make a meeting with a large PC maker on the other side of Shenzhen, I was in my element when the taxi driver could not speak English or read the English address of my next meeting. With my few words of Chinese, I was able to get the taxi driver to flag down a couple of college kids who interpreted for us and we were on our way.

What follows are some quick tips on surviving travel when you do not have the luxury of going first class. Keep in mind, you can see the same stuff on TV. Why travel 18 hours to get there if you are not going to get out and experience it? In many ways, traveling on the cheap is better. Embrace it.

James Snider is a global marketing professional with 15 years experience in the high tech industry. He is currently looking for his next great job. www.linkedin.com/in/jamessnider