Conference Hack

Business and travel tips for people attending conferences, tradeshows, conventions, and meetups

Travel Hacks

Keep to the Right Except When Passing on Escalators

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When you are traveling through airports, train stations, hotels, etc. there will often be situations where you will be on an escalator or a moving walkway – treat it like you are on a highway and move to the right if you are standing still so people can pass.

Always stand to the right unless you are passing

You aren’t in a rush and that’s fine. But don’t plant yourself in the middle of a pathway and block others from making progress.

If you block the ability for others to pass there are two reasons: you’re selfish or clueless. Don’t fall into either of these categories.

These public spaces are not your domain. They are for all of us, so quit blocking them.

One Crazy Reason Why I Buy Bottled Drinks in the Airport

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Every time I fly I cringe a little if the person next to me gets a drink, especially if it’s a kid. That’s because I don’t want a lap of soda or booze or water from some clumsy arm.

I like bottles of soda for flights

That same goes for me on flights – I can easily spill a cup when I am fumbling around with my laptop, earbuds, etc.

So I always buy a bottle or two of soda or water in the airport store before the flight. Then I don’t have to have my tray down, because I can store the drink(s) in the seat back pocket.

But just because you get a bottle doesn’t mean you’re safe from a wet lap. at least when it comes to carbonated drinks.

With the plane movement and changing air pressure, the bottle needs to be open carefully to avoid a fountain of aggravation.

I open the bottle slowly and let it whisper out the built-up air, and then if it starts bubbling over I can quickly close it before it overflows.

After it is settled down it’s all ready to safely open and drink and nobody gets soaked.

What if You Could Get a Flight Upgrade for 8 Bucks?

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I learned about a cheap, effective way to upgrade a flight in a post from Peter Shankman (keynote speaker at Affiliate Summit East 2009) titled, “My Secret Eight-Dollar Guaranteed Flight Upgrade Trick.”

M&M's Family Size

I thought that I was a frequent flyer with about 130,000 miles in the air last year, but Peter takes between 200 and 250 flights a year. He’s always in the air.

His trick is to pick up one of those big bags of M&M’s at the airport – the big “family size” bag – and then hand it to the lead flight attendant when boarding. He tells the flight attendant the treats are for them and their co-workers.

So, you were probably thinking this is to get a better seat. He flies so much he is always getting upgrades. This is to improve the flight experience for him and the rest of the passengers because it makes the day better for the crew.

Those little, delicious candies brighten the day of the crew, who often get crap from passengers.

I have done this lots of times, and it’s usually when I am flying with some or all of my four kids.

I always say hello on the way in the plane to the flight attendants, and then thank you on the way out, which seems to be a happy surprise to them.

When I bring the M&M’s they are regularly bowled over by the gesture. Not only does a big smile come across their faces, but they are super attentive to me during the flight.

They will almost always ask for my seat assignment, or else they will just find me.

it works wonders. Try it on your next flight.

Hard Case Packs of Gum for Your Laptop Bag

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If your laptop bag is anything like mine, it’s a mess of cables and cords and plugs and it’s hard to find stuff in there.

Travel gum in a hard case

That especially goes for my travel gum, which I like to chew, in a respectful, low-key manner, on planes when they take off and land.

One problem has been that normal packs of gum explode in my bag with it being tossed around in Ubers, jammed under the airplane seat in front of me, etc.

I often find orphaned pieces of gum outside the wrappers floating around with the other randomness in my bag.

Then, one day I was at Walgreens or Target or Five Below or some other store and saw that they had a 35 pack of Extra gum in a hard plastic container.

I’ve been using the hard pack ever since, and it’s been easy to locate in my bag, and with so many pieces of gum in there it lasts a while.

Get a TSA Friendly Laptop Backpack to Go With TSA Pre✓

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If you travel a lot I would imagine you already have TSA Pre✓ (if you qualify), or better yet you should have Global Entry for fast re-entry to the US (it includes TSA Pre✓).

SwissGear Travel Gear 1900 Scansmart TSA Friendly Laptop Backpack 19 inch Blue

With the expedited security all set for you I would then recommend a backpack to bring as carry-on that will make security carefree.

I’ve tried various brands for TSA friendly laptop backpacks, and my favorite is the SwissGear Travel Gear 1900 Scansmart TSA Friendly Laptop Backpack 19″ Blue.

Last year I flew over 130,000 miles and this backpack was there for every one of those miles. I’ve had it for nearly two years and it’s held up great.

According to the description, the backpack features “ScanSmart lay-flat technology” to open quickly at airport security and ensures a hassle-free laptop-in-bag TSA scan, but it’s been a while since they have even asked me to unzip and open it – for at least a year it’s just gone through the scanner totally zipped.

This backpack protects up to a 17″ laptop and a whole lot more.

There is an easy access laptop and iPad compartment with a front organizational pocket for all of your pens, notebook, passport, keys, etc.

Also, there is a front, large, U-zip pocket for quick access essentials. Then there are two, breathable, side compartments for an umbrella, oversize water bottle, or a change of clothes.

Before you add your things this backpack is just 3.3 pounds and very comfortable to carry.

The SwissGear Travel Gear 1900 Scansmart TSA Friendly Laptop Backpack 19 inch Blue has 4 1/2 stars out of 5 on Amazon, and I’d highly recommend it.