Launching and scaling a successful business is all about showing up and doing the work. For my company, showing up meant a lot of travel across Canada and to the USA for opportunities to network, participate in accelerators, attend league meetings, and speak at conferences or events, so I have picked up a few travel tips and tricks along the way.
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Since 2017, I’ve travelled to 34 American States and 4 provinces as a part of my duties as the Co-Founder and COO. Throughout those trips, I have learned a lot of things that have made travelling more comfortable and a lot less stressful.
In this column, I will be sharing some of those tips and tricks in hopes that they can help any new founder or entrepreneur reach their final destination on time and stress-free, or as much as possible!
There is nothing worse than waiting in a massive line at the airport, going through security or customs. It’s slow, tedious, and can be super stressful, especially if you happen to get to the airport a little later than you intended.
If you can foresee yourself over the next few years traveling for work, I highly recommend you apply for your NEXUS card. A NEXUS card is a trusted traveler program card that allows pre-approved, low-risk travellers to cross the U.S.–Canada border more quickly and efficiently. Note that the process of getting a NEXUS card can take between three to twelve months, and requires a $50 processing fee, which is a small price to pay for convenience.
Here’s a quick personal story from a bad airport experience. One time, I left my house early to get to the Montreal airport three hours in advance of my international flight, but on the way there, I got stuck on Highway 401. A tractor-trailer had crashed, causing a fatality, and the highway was shut down. By the time I got through the detour and arrived at the airport (stressed), I had only an hour to get through security and customs. Once inside, there was a long line to check my bag (more stressed). Once I got through that, the line for security was also huge (even more stressed). Once I finally got through that, I entered customs only to find about a couple hundred people ahead of me… (panic mood).
Throughout this time, I kept looking at my phone, watching the minutes count down until my flight started boarding. I eventually had to just start asking people in front of me if they minded if I budded in front of them, as I was going to miss my flight, which was awkward and embarrassing. I ended up just making my flight, but boarded the plane in a tizzy and all sweaty from booking it to my gate. Nightmare!
With your NEXUS card, you go through a separate line for security, which is generally much more relaxed and expedited. There is also a separate line for customs, which is ten times faster and doesn’t require you to wait in huge lines. The result is, you can arrive a little later at the airport, breeze through security and customs while still having time to grab a coffee on the way to your gate and send a couple of last emails before you board the plane. Game changer!
Another way to avoid stress during travel is to be prepared.
Don’t be that person at the check-in scrolling through their phone trying to find their boarding pass. Star it in your email the night before and make sure you have your purpose and final destination, including the address of where you are staying, for when you get to customs. Sounding unsure of these details is a red flag to any customs officer.
Keep your documents organized. I always carry a backpack that has a front zipper pocket with another zipper pocket inside of that one, where you can store your wallet, passport, NEXUS card, ear buds, and phone charger. After using any of these items during my travel, I always put them back in the same place for peace of mind and convenience.
If you’re the type of person who likes to read a book during a flight, have your book in an accessible place so that your not pulling items out of your bag in the middle of the aisle and if you’re the type of person who likes to listen to podcasts, download that podcast in advance so that you’re not struggling to connect to airport Wi-Fi while sitting on the plane. Guilty!
Lastly, practice good airport etiquette.
One of my airport pet peeves is when people have conversations on their phone via speakerphone or FaceTime while waiting at the gate, or much worse, on the plane waiting for takeoff. Mix in some earphones and don’t be that person!
When you are going through security, be mindful of others and pay attention for when it’s your turn, most times your lap top needs to come out of your bag, you can’t bring liquids on the plane and if you must, each liquid must be 100 mL (3.4 oz) or less, all containers must fit in one clear, resealable 1-liter (quart-sized) plastic bag, one bag per person is allowed and the clear bag must be removed from your bag during security screening. Belts, hats, jewellery, they all need to be placed in a bin before you proceed! This may sound obvious, but just this past weekend, I travelled with a friend on a golf trip. As we were going through security, he forgot to take off his hat AND his belt, which tripped the scanner and caused our group a ten-minute delay as he had to go back to take them off, then go to the back of the line.
This one I’ll never understand. When the plane lands… stay seated. Like you just travelled for 2-5+ hours seated, waiting another 10 minutes to stretch your legs is not going to make a difference. Know where your carry-on is located and be ready to stand and to exit when the few rows ahead of you start to grab their carry-ons from the overhead compartment.
Hopefully, some of these dos and don’ts will help you travel smoothly, faster, and more stress-free.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
by Kris McCarthy