Tag: The Business Traveler’s Journal

9 Travel Hacks That Will Save You Time and Money | Entrepreneur
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For even the most frequent traveler, tackling busy air travel can be an exercise in extreme patience and frustration. Having an arsenal of airport and airline flight hacks can be the difference between a smooth and turbulent journey.

So we spoke to Megan Gougeon, founder of the Portable Professional, a popular YouTube travel vlog with 102,000 subscribers. Gougeon has taken more than 300 flights and worked remotely from 50 countries, so she knows her way around airports and an airplane.

“My videos are all about helping travelers feel confident and capable so they can turn every aspect of their trip, from packing to airport navigation to the flight itself, into an enjoyable and stress-free experience,” she says.

Here are nine travel hacks to make your next trip cheaper and hassle-free.

Related: 6 Secret Tools for Flying First Class (Without Paying Full Price)

1. Turn left at the TSA line

Waiting in long lines to clear security can be a hassle. Some services allow for expedited airport security, such as TSA PreCheck or CLEAR, but they cost money and require you to complete a lengthy application beforehand. Savvy travelers know that another solution to avoid longer lines is to always turn left at the security checkpoint. Why?

“Most people are right-handed and tend to veer to the right naturally. This means the left line might be shorter and faster,” Gougeon explains.

2. Don’t buy water at the airport

After clearing security, many thirsty travelers feel compelled to buy bottled water at the airport to manage the dry cabin air — a big mistake. Thanks to a monopoly by certain water companies at airports, the cost of a 20-ounce water bottle can be anywhere from $2.50 to $5.

Gougeon suggests bringing a collapsable water bottle and filling it up for free at water fountains after passing through security. Another trick: You can ask the staff at Starbucks or one of the coffee shops to refill your water bottle.

3. Wear layers

What do you do if your carry-on luggage is too large or heavy to take on the flight? Gougeon recommends wearing heavier items on the flight and then stashing them away in an overhead compartment if you’re too warm. Another hack is to pack an extra shopping back in your luggage. Use it to carry additional items you must remove from your bag. Most airlines will let you board with a carry-on, backpack and shopping bag.

4. Mark your luggage as “fragile”

Putting a “Fragile” sticker on your luggage encourages baggage handlers to treat it more carefully. “This might also lead to your bag being placed on top of others, potentially resulting in it being among the first to come out at baggage claim,” Bougeon says.

Related: Boomer Women Are Leaving Their Husbands Behind to Travel Solo — Here’s What’s Behind the Unprecedented Trend

5. No power? No problem.

We’ve all been there. We get to the airport, and our phones or computers cling to 8% battery power. Most airport waiting areas have charging stations with USB charging ports. But what if you forgot to pack a charging cord, or it’s in the bag you already checked? Gougeon recommends you head to the airport’s lost and found. “Travelers leave their chargest behind all the time, and they probably have one you can borrow,” Gougeon says.

6. Don’t book an Uber or Lyft from the airport

“It’s often more expensive to book an Uber or Lyft directly from the airport due to additional airport service charges. Walking a short distance from the airport before booking your ride can help you avoid these fees,” Gougeon says.

7. Check these sites before you travel

According to Gougeon, you should check several sites before traveling to get the most bang for your buck.
- SeatGuru offers detailed airplane seating advice specific to the exact plane you are flying on.
- Sleeping in Airports is excellent for finding airport amenities, gates and the best sleeping spots.
- Expert Flyer provides real-time notifications on seat availability, which is especially useful for those looking to snag a more comfortable seat or wanting to monitor the availability of flights for potential changes or upgrades.
8. The best seats for working and sleeping

If you want to sleep, try a window seat at the back of the plane, Gougeon says. “It’s usually quieter and less crowded there, so you might get more space or even a whole row to yourself. Plus, the window gives you something to lean on.” She recommends picking the side of the plane that matches where you usually rest your head to sleep.

If you plan on working during the flight, Gougeon suggests an aisle seat in the middle of the plane. It’s smoother flying over the wings, and you can stretch your arms into the aisle to make working on your laptop easier.

9. Get access to airport lounges for cheap

Most major airline hubs in the U.S. have airline lounges that offer ample seating, plenty of desk space and free food, coffee and WiFi. Some even had showers and napping spots. However, access to these lounges can cost anywhere from $99 to $499 a year. Some credit cards offer complimentary or discounted lounge access, so double-check yours. Gougeon also suggests “looking for discounted lounge passes on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.”

Related: I Tried the Semi-Private Air Carrier That Lets You Arrive 20 Minutes Before Your Flight. Here’s What It Was Like — And How to Do It Affordably.

^{Photo courtesy of Megan Gougeon}
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Jonathan Small

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December 11, 2023
How One Top Female Chef Is Transforming Green Cuisine | Entrepreneur

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Sustainability is on the menu this holiday season as more and more diners demand healthy and fresh food. At The Restaurant at JUSTIN in Paso Robles, California, Chef Rachel Haggstrom has elevated farm-to-fork cooking to an art form.

Chef Rachel uses The Restaurant’s location on a 26-acre garden at JUSTIN Vineyards as her culinary canvas, incorporating edible flower fields, exotic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fresh honey into her menu. Ninety-five percent of the ingredients she uses are locally sourced.

Tastemakers are taking notice. The Restaurant earned a Michelin Star for excellence and a Michelin Green Star, a new annual award for “outstanding eco-friendly commitments.”

On any given day, a menu might include soup with sunchokes, apples, and horseradish or local snapper with Périgord black truffle, potato, chive, and crème fraiche.

Chef Rachel is somewhat of an anomaly in the fine dining circuit. While the number of female chefs is rising, women make up only 7% of head chefs at Michelin-star restaurants. But that hasn’t stopped her from blazing her own green trail. We talked to her about her culinary origin story and her advice to other aspiring culinary artists.

Related: These Earth-Conscious Entrepreneurs Are Making a Profit with Purpose in California’s Central Coast

Entrepreneur: When did you first know you had a passion for the culinary industry?

Chef Rachel: I grew up on a citrus grove and had access to a plethora of fruits to cook with, which sparked my love of food from an early age. As a child, I was given a packet of mixed seeds and would plant them in a corner of our garden, eventually harvesting the produce and figuring out how to turn these vegetables into food. The process of planting, taking care of, and harvesting the produce sparked a curiosity to cook, which I came to love.

You initially were studying criminal justice, so why did you take a turn into cooking?

I have a bachelor’s degree in law with an emphasis in criminal justice and have always enjoyed both fields. I strongly considered getting my law degree. However, culinary has always been a passion, and I felt that if I didn’t try it, I would regret it. Here I am still doing it, so I think I made the right decision!

Did you face any challenges being a woman in a primarily male-dominated industry?

I try to focus on perfecting my craft, letting my talent shine through, and allowing the dishes to speak for themselves. Of course, there have been many challenges being a woman in this field, but I try to avoid raising those concerns or frustrations when I can so that I can be defined by my work.

How did you make the menu at The Restaurant at JUSTIN your own?

The Restaurant was very different when I first joined, and I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to make changes. I transformed where the food was sourced and how it was prepared. Currently, 95% of our produce on the seasonal rotating menu is sourced locally from either the 26-acre garden at JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery or local purveyors and farmers throughout the Central Coast. As I grew the team, I was able to teach and develop skill sets focused on fundamental techniques. Additionally, we have been able to become a place of mentorship and foster an environment of nurturing our passion for the culinary arts.

What is the dish you’re most proud of and why?

This changes depending on my mood and season. The one dish that I was extremely happy with in terms of food and wine as a pairing was a ribeye cap dish with onion soubise, blueberry, beet, black truffle and our ISOSCELES Reserve. The pairing was seamless, and the dish itself had everything you could want. We’ve reinvented the dish over the last few years when it is in season and guests enjoy it.

What makes your menu at JUSTIN stand out (is it the seasonal and local offerings)?

The menu at The Restaurant at JUSTIN is seasonal, and because the team strives to use the freshest ingredients, it is subject to change depending on what’s accessible at that time. Availability could change at any moment depending on the weather, which could result in our team changing the menu last minute. Our team is very good at working with the ingredients that we source and can pivot depending on what we can get our hands on. Our ability to make the local produce and farm-to-table ingredients shine makes the menu stand out. Our focus on technique and exceptional flavor pairings brings the best out of each ingredient, letting the food shine and allowing our guests to eat new things they assumed they would not enjoy.

What advice would you give to other women reading this who might be intimidated about breaking into the culinary industry?

Look at your peers as just that—peers, instead of looking for some identifier such as gender that is not applicable to cooking or teamwork. In doing so, you will realize that you are equal to others, and once you see yourself and treat yourself as an equitable peer, most will see you in that same light. Don’t make excuses for yourself or anyone else. Hold yourself to the same or higher standard as others and allow yourself to shine for your talents.

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Jonathan Small

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November 22, 2023
How This Leader Disrupted the Massive Travel Market | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

For this Leadership Lessons episode, I was excited to talk to a fellow life-long entrepreneur who is transforming the way people take vacations. Over the past two decades, Brent Handler — co-founder and CEO of Inspirato, the world’s first luxury travel subscription brand — has pioneered the industry. Under Handler’s leadership, the company established itself as a leading luxury hospitality company that provides access to a portfolio of luxury vacation homes and other vacation options, including an innovative subscription model.

Related: The CEO of Whole Foods Shares the 9 Tips That Help Him Run His Company for the Greater Good

Here are 10 valuable lessons this driven leader shared with me during our conversation.

1. Build your business on something you care about

“Go be interested in whatever you’re going to be interested in, and be obsessed,” Handler advises others who want to be entrepreneurs.

2. Find a massive market and attack it with innovation

Travel has always been and will continue to be a massive market. Handler co-founded Exclusive Resorts and served as its president from 2002 to 2009. There, he set the standard for the burgeoning destination club industry by delivering tens of thousands of vacations and amassing more than $1 billion in real estate assets.

Related: Free Webinar | June 13: How to Disrupt a Massive Market & Innovate

3. Delight your customers

In 2010 — convinced he could improve on the model he helped establish — Handler co-founded Inspirato to provide sophisticated travelers access to a collection of luxury vacation homes, five-star hotel and resort partners, and custom travel experiences. Sophisticated travelers get personalized service without the six-figure fees previously standard in the industry.

4. Consider an opaque business model that isn’t a 1:1 cash transaction

Inspirato uses a system of points that can be used for reserving specific destinations relative to demand.

5. Slow down and diversify your wins

Handler says losses will come and go, so it’s best not to be impulsive and blow all the money you’ve just made as an entrepreneur on one big thing. Set the stage for big dreams by diversifying any early wins.

Related: Not Every Leader Has to Be Steve Jobs, And 9 Other Pieces of Advice from Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman

6. Nobody wants to work with a bully

In his 30s, Handler admits that his dogmatic approach as an entrepreneur caused personal friction; his closest confidants told him people thought he was a bully. You need to listen to people, not force your way through.

7. See some of the world during your career

Handler told me he regrets staying close to home during his early life and career, so he has encouraged his kids to plant career seeds away from home.

8. Balance the right speed with the right level of control

Most people get upset at work over one of two things: consensus or bureaucracy. The same person can complain about both simultaneously, even if those impulses are contrary. As CEO, you need to find a way to balance both to compensate for this.

9. “Hungry people fight over food”

Stay scrappy if you can. You’ll do better when you have to make more with less.

10. Gifting a memorable experience to high-performing employees can resonate more than a cash bonus

Handler’s company has an “Inspirato for Business” wing designed to allow employers to share high-value packages that employees will likely remember much longer than a few thousand extra dollars in their bank account.

For more from my hour with Handler, watch the entire webinar here. The growing collection of episodes from our series gives readers access to the best practices of successful CEOs from over 30 of the biggest brands, including Heineken, Headspace, Zoom, Chipotle, Warby Parker, Wayfair and Redfin, to name a few.

Related: What Has This 100-Year-Old Business Done to Ensure Its Longevity? Its CEO Follows These 7 Leadership Principles.

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Jason Nazar

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October 3, 2023
Disney Is Investing $60 Billion in Its Cruises, Theme Parks | Entrepreneur

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As the Walt Disney Co. attempts to turn things around amid a tumultuous financial year, the company is doubling down on its in-person experiences — namely cruises and amusement parks.

In a securities filing dated on Tuesday, Disney revealed that it plans to invest an estimated $60 billion over the next decade into its Parks, Experiences and Products division.

Disney plans on “expanding and enhancing” theme parks both in the U.S. and internationally (in Shanghai, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong) as well as expanding its cruise businesses.

Related: Disney Layoffs Continue This Week: Eliminating 7,000 Roles

According to CNBC, Disney will create themed attractions around the “Frozen” and “Zootopia” franchises in its international properties.

“Today, as Disney considers future growth opportunities, there is a deep well of stories that have yet to be fully explored in its theme parks,” the company’s presentation reportedly read.

The company did not clarify what exactly it meant by its expansion of its cruise sector.

Attendance in parks plummeted this summer thanks to record-high temperatures and increased ticket prices, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that wait times at Orlando’s Magic Kingdom on the July 4th holiday weekend, were down 31 minutes year-over-year and 47 minutes from 2019.

In May, Disney World increased the prices of its tickets, something even CEO Bob Iger admitted may have been too brazen of a move.

Related: Disney World Sees Smaller Crowds Amid Price Hikes, Summer Heat

“In our zeal to grow profits, we may have been a little bit too aggressive about some of our pricing,” he said at the time. “I think there’s a way to continue to grow that business, but be smarter about how we price so that we maintain that brand value of accessibility.”

In February, Disney laid off approximately 7,000 employees (roughly 3.6% of the company’s global workforce) to cut an estimated $5.5 billion in costs.

“While this is necessary to address the challenges we’re facing today, I do not make this decision lightly,” Iger said at the time. “I have enormous respect and appreciation for the talent and dedication of our employees worldwide, and I’m mindful of the personal impact of these changes.”

The Walt Disney Co. was down just over 23% year over year as of Wednesday afternoon.

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Emily Rella

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September 20, 2023
Carnival Cruise Phasing Out Beloved, But Underused Amenity | Entrepreneur

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If you’re a remote worker taking cruises on the regular, your office at sea may be disappearing.

Carnival Cruise Line is gradually phasing out libraries on its ships, TheStreet reported. John Heald, the brand’s loyalty ambassador, responded to concerns about the line axing libraries on his Facebook page, explaining that new ships are no longer designed with libraries to make room for additional bars and restaurants.

“We have stopped building new ships with libraries,” Heald wrote. “The reason is so we can have other bars, restaurants etc there and the reason is also that, well, the amount of people who want to borrow a book and sit, in library silence on their Fun cruise was we saw getting less and less.”

The post, which has garnered over 3,000 comments, had a mix of passengers saying they’ll miss the libraries, not only for reading but also as a quiet place to play board games, while others said that they “never knew it was there,” and that if they want to read, there are many other places on the ship to do so.

“I think there should be some space for games and reading that is not in the middle of all the action,” one user commented. “I read constantly on a cruise, but not in the library. There are so many quiet, lovely spaces in which to indulge my habit!” another wrote.

New Carnival ships won’t be built with libraries, and as for the old ones, they’ll be renovated into additional bars, restaurants, casinos, or even an extension of more seating area to adjacent venues, Cruise Hive reported.

Related: Carnival Cruise Wants Passengers to Have Fun in the Sun — But Do This, and You’ll Get Burned With a New $500 Fee

Entrepreneur has reached out to Carnival for comment.

However, if you’re a cruise-lover who looks forward to hiding away in a ship library, Royal Caribbean offers libraries and game rooms, with some ships even featuring hidden libraries, such as the Oasis of the Seas. Celebrity Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer all have libraries on ships where you can dive into a good read at sea among shelves of books.

^{The ship library on Celebrity Cruise’s Solstice. Jane Wooldridge/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service | Getty Images.}

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Madeline Garfinkle

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September 18, 2023