Advice from Babe to Babe

We’re hitting the road again for part two of AFF’s business travel guide. This week our frequent traveler’s questions revolve around making the most of their time on the go—from optimizing airline points and miles, to optimizing the tiny window of time they have as a tourist in a new city. Read on for the deets, and a peek at our guru’s top travel tips.

Chase 👏 Sapphire 👏 Reserve 👏 this is the best card I’ve found. The annual fee is hefty but the money you save in Global Entry (which includes TSA Pre Check), as well as the priority pass membership to get you into the airport lounges (which have free food and drinks) more than makes up for the annual fee. I’ve also read great things about the Capital One Venture card, but don’t have it myself. I use The Points Guy as my go-to for all credit card points travel hacking.

—Thais Lage

The best thing you can do for yourself is research. There’s no right answer, no one right decision, there’s only the right decision for you. Make a spreadsheet and add all your options, then go through the fine print and make notes about what each card offers and what the terms are. Which ones offer cash back? Which ones offer airline miles? (And will you have the ability to be locked in to using one airline in order to maximize your return? Will you want to stick to using one airline?) How much are the fees and the interest rates? Which ones give you lounge access? Which ones reimburse airline fees or Global Entry costs? Just get all your options on the table so you can make an educated decision based on how much you’re willing to pay versus what you’ll get in return. 

A good place to start your search is The Points Guy website. And as a personal note, I’ve always used the co-branded American Express and Delta cards; I currently use the Platinum card (an upgrade from my previous Gold card that gave me a yearly free companion ticket voucher), and I’m about to upgrade to the Reserve card for the addition of the free Delta lounge access. Free drinks and half-decent food during layovers? Yes, please and thank you.

—Heather Croteau

I try to utilize my meals as exploration time on work trips, whether it be walking a little further to see the city on foot to grab lunch or driving a little further for dinner. I also try and schedule my flight home for the latest possible time to give me some forced free time, between regular working hours and when you have to be at the airport. Sure, it's tough taking a red-eye home, but it's worth it to get a little solo traveling and exploring in.

Another option that may or may not work for your industry is to schedule meetings at local coffee shops or lunch spots. The people you're traveling to meet with will likely be more than happy to break from their normal routine to have a meeting outside of the office.

—Thais Lage

I know it’s really cheesy sounding, but take the open-air bus in a new city. Yes, the one all the tourists take. If you have a small window to see a city, a tour bus will hit all the major spots in an hour or two. I travel all over the world and I still do this in most cities. Get there early and grab a seat up top for the best views. 

—Meaghan Timko

Until Next Week,
—The BWH Advice Gurus

Asking for a Friend is Babes Who Hustle's weekly advice column that asks and answers the work-related questions on all of our minds.

Looking for advice and guidance? Hit us with all of your workplace-related questions below and stay tuned for next Wednesday's edition!