The airlines, which are struggling in the current economy, are introducing more ways to wring out an extra buck by charging for baggage, eliminating free meals, and upping the costs for changing an itinerary. Erin O’Rourke, a medical affairs liaison with Genzyme in Pittsburgh, who’s on the road 50 percent of the time, says finding the best rates on flights and hotels has become an even higher priority. “What I have noticed in the past few years is that there is less flexibility for changing tickets, and the fees related to any change in my itinerary have risen. So I have to work harder to keep the fares down—but it’s possible.”

If you are a savvy—and patient—shopper, you can find some great deals online. Searching for the lowest price can be overwhelming due to the abundance of sites that compare deals on hotels, flights, and car rentals, and the ability to search for all three, or any combination of two, within the same search. But this packaging technique, a feature offered by the larger, more established sites in particular, can be a money saver and well worth the effort.

Here is a summary of some of the features for the business traveler that can be found on the larger websites.

• Expedia has a section called Business Travel that is tailored to individuals traveling for professional purposes and offers savings on the most popular business travel destinations.

• Travelocity has a section devoted to last-minute packages that are typically the cheapest available rates on the site. When you fill out an online Service Guarantee form, the site then becomes responsible for fixing any booking problems that may occur throughout the duration of the trip.

• Orbitz gives users an up-front nightly total price for hotels—including base rate, taxes, and fees—with one click.

• Hotwire provides the up-front price, including taxes and fees, for any combination of hotel, flight, and car rental options. This all-encompassing price could save travelers time.

• Priceline, taking a different approach, allows customers to search city and hotel guides. Users get a list of all the hotels in the region and can narrow the search to a specific neighborhood and even to a particular theme, for instance, business travel.

• Kayak aggregates the widest variety of flight and hotel information but does not do the booking. Instead, Kayak takes users directly to that site to make the purchase; it even generates separate windows displaying results from rival websites Expedia, Priceline, Hotwire, and Travelocity.

Smaller websites have also popped up in the last few years to serve the travel market.

• Hipmunk provides a spreadsheet that lays out times of flights. In addition to sorting by price, users can sort by “agony,” an option that categorizes results by the fewest connections and inconveniences for a given itinerary.

• Last Minute Travel.com has great rates, but waiting until the last minute may not be an option for many business travelers. Also note that the name of the hotel where the offers apply is not revealed until after purchase. But as on Priceline, you can pick your neighborhood and star rating for a hotel, so you’ll have an idea of what to expect.

• All these websites offer rewards, though they are often restricted to frequent users of a site. The best strategy? Pick one or two sites that suit your needs and stick with them. The more you use a certain company to locate deals, the more rewards the site will offer.

Frequent Flier: Benefit or Headache?

Like most regular business travelers, Genzyme’s O’Rourke racks up a large number of frequent flier miles by sticking with one or two airlines. However, because airlines have increased the number of miles required to earn certain trips, purchasing a ticket can be thriftier.

Purchasing regularly from an airline can provide other perks, especially for the business traveler. Concierge club fees at airports are waived in cases of highly loyal, habitually airborne members. As O’Rourke notes, such clubs  “provide a quiet area to work in, complimentary beverages and snacks, guaranteed Internet access, and a receptionist who notifies you of flight delays and cancellations.”

Frequent fliers—and stayers—can also be entitled to use hotel concierge floors, which can have  the same amenities as airline concierge clubs. In some cases, travelers receive complimentary meals. Concierge.com can generate a list of hotels in a destination region, complete with a dollar rating scale that lets users weigh cost versus quality.

What Happened to the Travel Agent?

In the past decade, the travel industry has undergone two significant changes: the restrictions put in place after 9/11 and the move toward everyone becoming his or her own travel agent as a result of the Internet.

Robert Ross, a travel training administrator in the travel division of AAA (American Automobile Association, the nation’s largest leisure travel agency), has observed firsthand how the industry has evolved and how the changes impact the business traveler. The most significant changes, Ross says, have come about due to the advent of electronic media. “It has been a paradigm shift. When I first got started in the business [in 1985], the other competition was just other travel agents. Now it’s the Internet as well.”

This has led AAA, as well as other travel companies, to offer more money-saving perks than ever before and, most important, to migrate their services online. Although brick-and-mortar travel agencies still exist, the need for face-to-face contact is on the decline. According to Travel Agent Central, the traditional travel agent industry comprising actual agents saw a loss of approximately 1,400 agencies in 2009 alone.

Ross attributes this to heightened customer expectations. “Looking at the lifestyles of people today, they want the information immediately, and they can go to the Internet, to aaa.com, or to whomever they feel they have that relationship with. You can’t do that with a travel agency that is closed on a Sunday.”

While most business travelers prefer to use online sources, many still want to deal with an agency. Genzyme, O’Rourke’s company, turns to Carlson and Wagonlit, and O’Rourke works directly with an agent who, she says, “is excellent and does price comparisons and provides the lowest fares even if the airline is not my preferred carrier.”

Although travel agents are still an option, the future is clearly in the digital realm. Control is with the customer, the prices tend to be better, and in this age of customization, the savvy business traveler can tailor a trip precisely to her needs. DW

Lindsay Rice is a freelance writer based in Washington D.C.

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1. 15 Tips to Ease the Burden of Air Travel!

First, realize that women are the majority of wine buyers and consumers in the United States, so you come from a position of strength. You will make a good impression if you order confidently. But what do you do when the mere mention of Cabernet causes concern?

Get the lay of the land. Look at how the wine list is set up. Most traditional lists organize wines by categories, such as grape variety and region. This is helpful if you know you like Merlot, for example, but it can also be overwhelming. As Kim Stare-Wallace, owner of Dry Creek Vineyard in Sonoma County, California, notes, “I’ve seen some restaurant wine lists that were so jumbled up that even a pro would find them confusing! I like wine lists that break wines out by wine style, not necessarily varietal, as that encourages experimentation.”

There is a positive trend these days to rank wines according to the way they taste and their style. These “progressive” wine lists are helpful because they separate bottles from relatively light to full-bodied, from mild to strong tasting, and from sweet to dry. This type of list makes it easier to pair wine with food, too, as you can match the style of wine with the dish.

Find your price comfort zone. Don’t be pressured into spending more money than you want to because you think the client needs to be impressed with names like Silver Oak, Jordan, or Opus One. If $50 is your limit, look for all the wines up to that amount, including unfamiliar ones. There are many options, and you can find bottles that will fit your budget while making you look like a star.

One common approach that women use is to choose the second least-expensive wine on the list. They don’t want to be cheap and order the lowest priced so they figure that the next one up is better. This is usually true, but remember that markups aren’t equal with wines. Lower-priced wines are often marked up the most, while the high-priced beauties have lower price hikes.

Look at half bottles. Half bottles, containing two to three glasses, are a classy option on a wine list. When hosting a diverse group of colleagues, you’ll find various opinions and desires, so ordering half bottles allows you to get a white and a red to please everyone at the table. If the event is a business lunch for
yourself and a client, a half bottle is the ideal size and looks as though you put thought into the selection.

Ask for help. Consult with the sommelier to compare notes and seek out the hidden gems or great values on the list. The sommeliers (pronounced som-el-YAY) of today don’t stick their noses in the air when asked questions. On the contrary, they usually want nothing more than to help you find what you need. As Jamie Leeds, chef/owner of Hanks restaurants in Washington, D.C., says, “I always ask the sommelier questions.

That’s what they are there for. It’s great to learn something new from them.”

Tell the wine steward or sommelier your price range (if you want to be discreet about the price, point to a comparable bottle on the list to indicate the range), and what dishes you’ll be ordering. You can also ask for a taste of the wine beforehand if the restaurant serves it by the glass. This way you know what you’re getting.

Finally, for a large group that you really want to impress, contact the wine director or owner ahead of time and ask for the wine list to be e-mailed to you (many restaurants also put a list on their website).

Food and Wine Pairing 101
Part of the success of picking the right wine for a meal—whether it’s business or pleasure—is understanding the relationship between what’s in your glass and what’s on each plate. There are no rules to matching food and wine, simply guidelines.

Match the texture or feel of the food and wine. Pair delicate foods with delicate wines and big foods with big wines. The mantra of red wine with meat and white with fish is outdated; pairing is now about the weight of the food and wine in your mouth. A rich, hearty stew goes best with a robust red, from Syrah to Côtes du Rhône, while a refreshing white pairs perfectly with a light vegetable pasta.

Highlight complementary aromas and flavors in the wine and food. An earthy Pinot Noir complements pork in a mushroom sauce, while a zesty red wine like Chianti works well with an acidic tomato sauce or tomato-topped bruschetta. A smooth, buttery Chardonnay is ideal with creamy brie cheese, lobster with drawn butter, or roasted chicken.

Go for contrast. Serve a tangy wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio to slice through the richness of dishes from scallops to pizza.

Consider the concentration or intensity of the aromas and flavors. Asian-influenced fare goes beautifully with a highly aromatic white wine like Gewürztraminer or Riesling; both have intense aromas and strong flavors.

Protein softens tannins. If you have a tannic red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec, think a big steak or a hunk of rich cheese. The wine will seem softer and smoother. DW

Leslie Sbrocco is a wine expert and the host of the PBS series, Check Please! Bay Area, for which she has won a James Beard award and two Emmy awards.

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Stay Alert
Sign up for “travel alert” e-newsletters from those airlines you use most frequently. Several major travel websites, as well as some hotels and tourism boards, offer travel alert 
e-newsletters as well. They will inform you of airline ticket sales, hotel deals, and worthwhile events.Get Expert Advice

Several well-known travel writers and airline-industry gurus have websites and newspaper columns that feature the latest news affecting business travelers. Some of these travel advice websites offer free e-newsletters; others charge a nominal yearly fee. If they help you save time and money, they’re worth the price.

Airline Headlines
Some newspapers still do 
valuable reporting on matters of interest to business travelers. Two excellent ones are “The Middle Seat” column in the Wall Street Journal and the “Frequent Traveler” column in the International 
Herald Tribune.

Compare Prices
Not only is the Web an easy way to book flights, but many online travel sites compare prices so that you get the best deal. Since airline ticket prices change constantly, some sites even advise you on the best day—and hour—to buy.

Talk to Humans
Online sites are great, but travel agents still offer fares you won’t find elsewhere. Some have special 
relationships with certain airlines and can obtain fantastic deals. You can also find agencies that speak your language. 
Costamar, for example, has bilingual 
agents who speak English and Spanish.

Word of Mouth
Recommendations from friends and colleagues (and from competitors, too) are still among the most useful ways to get good advice and travel tips. Don’t hesitate to ask for suggestions.

Use Your Brain
A really cheap fare is not the only factor to consider. If the great rate requires multiple layovers and it departs and/or lands late at night or very early in the morning, include in your budget the price of cab fare (instead of less 
expensive public transportation) and costly airport meals. All things considered, you might break-even by spending an extra $200 on airfare for a more convenient travel schedule.

Pay Attention
When traveling on business, it’s hard to be flexible. Appointments and meetings are not easy to reschedule, 
especially if several people are attending. Be aware, however, that airline 
ticket prices change constantly. They 
vary according to the season—sometimes by the time of day—and you can often save more than $100 just by 
moving your flight up or back by a day. Here’s where travel agents come in handy; they can alert you to these “shoulder season” price changes before you book. 
Some website e-alerts will do this, too.

Sitting Pretty
Upgrades can be hard to come by unless you trade in your miles or pay for them outright. But before you pony up, 
figure out how many hours you can bear to sit in coach. Nine hours? We all have our upgrade break-even point.

Ticket to Ride
To save time at the airport, print your boarding pass from home, the 
office, or anywhere you have an internet connection and a printer.

Mobile Communications
Some airlines now offer an 
electronic boarding pass sent 
directly to your mobile phone. Once checked-in via the internet, you receive a boarding pass with a secure bar code by SMS or MMS or by 
e-mail if your phone has internet access. Drop off your luggage at a counter where the bar code on the phone is scanned. This e-service is currently offered by Continental, Air Canada, and Air France; plans are in the works at Delta and 
U.S. Airways.

Check Flight Status
Users of web-enabled devices such as the iPhone and iPod Touch can access a flight-status service that checks thousands of flights at airports worldwide. The service also provides data on flight arrival gates and airport parking, as well as weather updates.

Food for Thought
There’s no more free lunch, at least not in coach. Pack a sandwich and a snack. Even if the airline miraculously gives you food, you’ll be happy to have that snack if your plane sits on the tarmac for hours. Although you can’t bring bottled water to your departure gate, you can take an empty plastic bottle through security and then fill it at the water 
foutain near the gate.

Bring Back-up
It’s always best to travel light and take only a carry-on. But if you must check your primary bag because you can’t stand to travel without your 12-ounce bottle of shampoo, it’s a good idea to bring a small carry-on packed with a lightweight business outfit and other key essentials—just in case you land in 
Detroit while your bag goes to Dublin!

Smile
Air travel is not easy these days, but it always helps with the inevitable 
annoyances if you go in with a positive attitude. Others will thank you as well! DW

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“I knew from the raised eyebrow I got from my boss that I’d done something wrong,” says Blum, who is vice president of communications for a small production firm in New York City. Indeed, without knowing it, Blum had just committed a major faux pas in Japanese culture.

“In Japan, a business card is considered the direct image of the person it belongs to,” explains Pamela Eyring, owner and director of the Protocol School of Washington in McLean, Virginia, which provides training and certification in international protocol and business etiquette. “Never just take one and put it in your purse or wallet—hold it and admire it first.”

Want to avoid making a similar gaffe on your next overseas business trip? Diversity Woman interviewed experts in international etiquette to learn the do’s and don’ts of different cultures. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know.

Continental Divide:

Europe and Latin America
A good rule of thumb to follow: Old World = formal. New World = casual. For instance, in Mexico or Brazil, as in the United States, you can quickly move to using first names, but don’t try that in Germany or France. “It’s considered disrespectful, especially if they’re senior,” says Eyring. “When greeting them, use their family name.”

Like Americans, northern Europeans tend to be punctual and time conscious, notes Terri Morrison, coauthor of Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More Than 60 Countries (Adams Media, 2006), but that’s less true in Latin America or in southern European countries such as Spain, Italy, or Greece. Translation? Show up on time for your appointments in these countries, but don’t expect your counterparts to do the same.

Even if you hate waiting, you can turn it to your advantage. In Brazil, where it’s not unusual to be kept waiting a half hour, Morrison recommends making a 10 a.m. appointment “so that when the other person shows up at 10:30, they’ll end up inviting you to lunch if the meeting goes well.” These cultures tend to view business relationships more personally, she notes, so you should never turn down a lunch or dinner invitation. Just avoid discussing work during the meal—the United States is one of the few places where this behavior is acceptable.

Whether you’re in Europe or Latin America, be sure to dress well, notes Cynthia Lett, founder and executive director of the International Society of Protocol and Etiquette Professionals in Silver Spring, Maryland. These countries tend to be more fashion conscious than the United States, so “make sure everything fits impeccably and is stylish but not trendy,” notes Lett. “Frumpy is looked down upon.”

East Side Story:

Asia and the Middle East
Asian countries, including India, are where you’ll probably notice the biggest cultural differences. They’re also some of the hottest places for overseas business right now, so learning a little about these cultures can really pay off.

In China, don’t be surprised if you’re asked questions Americans would find rude, such as “How old are you?” or “How much money do you make?” It’s not that they’re nosy, Morrison explains: “It has to do with Confucianism; basically, they’re trying to determine the right honorific title for you. Their society places everyone in a certain order—even twins.” (The Japanese may also ask how much money you make, notes Lett. “Don’t give a number—just say something vague like ‘Never enough!’ or ‘I am well compensated.’”) Indians, because of their caste system, also ask similarly personal questions, adds Morrison, but in no country are you obliged to answer. “Just change the subject,” she suggests. “They’ll get it.”

In India, where physical contact between the sexes is discouraged (Richard Gere learned this the hard way after receiving death threats for kissing Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS benefit in Mumbai), shaking a man’s hand is acceptable if he’s westernized. To be safe, wait for him to initiate. Even safer is to use the traditional Indian greeting called the namaste: press your palms together in a prayer position under your chin, near your heart, and gently nod or bow slightly.

A special note for southpaws: In India as well as Muslim countries, it’s extremely rude to use the left hand (which traditionally took care of personal hygiene). Never shake hands or eat with your left hand, advises Lett. What if you slip up and use your left? Apologize, says Morrison. “We all make mistakes. In our culture, people often don’t apologize because they don’t want to look weak. But if you apologize, you can move forward.” DW

Sara J. Welch covers business travel for the New York Times and leisure travel for National Geographic, Traveler and Ladies’ Home Journal. Her business trips have taken her to 30 different countries.

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