Who travels extensively for work?

I have a job where I cover 5 states. I travel every week. It’s vastly different from my last job in terms of traveling and am gone every week. For those of you have travel extensively for work how do you handle it? I feel like I can rarely get things done at home. I don’t see friends or family as much. I think I’m in a slump right now. Just looking to hear if there is something I’m missing that might make it easier navigate.

I have traveled extensively for work, and quite a few peers travel 4 days a week.

It is brutal in many regards.
In terms of personal life, remember you can call friends and family while traveling in the evening and stay connected like that.
Eating out 3x/day can easily wreck havoc on your health. Be careful with what you eat.
Also, get a gym membership or use the hotel gym to take care of your body. It also helps your mind.

No silver bullets for this. It's such a hard thing to do. But people find a way to do it years on end.

Thank you for the honesty that it’s just brutal.

I stayed at the beach last night so I went on a 2 mile walk this morning and do work out at the hotels.

As far as food, I try to stick to protein only dishes and really rarely eat fast food. I see where you can really gain some weight eating out. That was something I was cognizant of from the beginning.

I do call friends. I think it’s hearing that they miss me and I’m never around. I understand but it’s like no shit, how do you think I feel?

I’m retired now but traveled a lot for work - but not like a consultant that goes out every Monday and returns every Thursday or Friday.

I decided to try to enjoy the cities I traveled to, so planned extra time for that. If I traveled near a weekend, I’d have my wife fly out to spend the weekend with me too. Often the hotel and my meals were covered by the company, so it was a small incremental cost for her to join. We did NYC, Chicago, D.C., San Diego and London like that. Would have done more if I’d gotten smart sooner!

I looked at it as an opportunity to see different places, meet a broader group of people, learn local stuff, etc. But I couldn’t have done it while my kids were still at home.

I used to travel about 20%-25% of the time for my job, usually a day or two a week. I had it easy compared to most posting here. I grew tired of it after around 20 or so years.

The biggest issue with traveling for work is that it's just not the same with it comes to your free time. Sure, your food is paid and perhaps you're gaming the system on per-diem (and definitely do that if you're not), but you don't have your family/friends, your home, your stuff, etc. You tend to also work longer days as you don't have much else to do. And worse, usually you're not in fun and exciting places.

Then there's the travel stress. Long days in airports, delayed/cancelled flights, getting up at 3am to make a 605am flight, dealing with security lines, long days driving, etc.

It takes a special type of person to have travel job. No doubt.

I got a different job. I travel 3-4 times a year now and only a week at a time. With travel it's almost expected that you're always available throughout the entire day, you work longer hours, you can't do the things you wan to do in your free time, etc.

In a nutshell I would never travel almost every week again, that's for the young. I'd probably be looking for a different job, especially if I were in sales or something like that.

The places I go it’s not really worth it for my husband to go along. I have a conference on Amelia Island so he will join me for that. Mostly I travel Mon-Thur and he works so he can’t go along with me.

I agree on the working more part. I bring my laptop to dinner and work. I definitely work more. I’ve been trying to work on the plane so I can reduce my time when I land and get to my hotel.

I appreciate the responses shared. It makes me feel better than I’m not losing my mind with the amount of travel and struggling with it. I really enjoy my job and know this won’t last forever.

Man, I miss traveling for work. Like 2000cs I tried to enjoy the destinations a bit even if it always felt like I was in either Atlanta or Chicago. It also definitely helps to have a spouse that can help keep the chores lined up at home.

With my transition to a new role I don't travel at all anymore. Even my training travel has been cancelled and converted to on-line training.

rebekahb wrote

The places I go it’s not really worth it for my husband to go along. I have a conference on Amelia Island so he will join me for that. Mostly I travel Mon-Thur and he works so he can’t go along with me.

I agree on the working more part. I bring my laptop to dinner and work. I definitely work more. I’ve been trying to work on the plane so I can reduce my time when I land and get to my hotel.

I appreciate the responses shared. It makes me feel better than I’m not losing my mind with the amount of travel and struggling with it. I really enjoy my job and know this won’t last forever.

I never work on airplanes; too many people looking. Early on I used to do crosswords and read all the industry rags on the plane, but never anything with confidential content. Then I wised up and started sleeping, and developed the ability to fall asleep before the wheels were up. Window seat was key.

I also learned to schedule flights to meet my schedule (not the work schedule) and give me extra time at the destination if all worked according to schedule. I had a direct to D.C. in the morning (that was a regular destination) but it was often delayed, which could mean the meeting was delayed or canceled. So I started going the evening before, having a nice dinner, then doing something relaxing in the morning before the meeting. Similar in NYC. On the return, if I couldn’t get out in the afternoon, I would stay over because the late flights often were delayed or canceled. Again an opportunity for a relaxing evening, see a museum or whatever, and come home feeling good and not stressed. And if possible I would fly direct, one hop at most. Carry on only going out. Stuff like that that all made the travel easier.

2000cs wrote

I never work on airplanes; too many people looking. Early on I used to do crosswords and read all the industry rags on the plane, but never anything with confidential content. Then I wised up and started sleeping, and developed the ability to fall asleep before the wheels were up. Window seat was key.

I also learned to schedule flights to meet my schedule (not the work schedule) and give me extra time at the destination if all worked according to schedule. I had a direct to D.C. in the morning (that was a regular destination) but it was often delayed, which could mean the meeting was delayed or canceled. So I started going the evening before, having a nice dinner, then doing something relaxing in the morning before the meeting. Similar in NYC. On the return, if I couldn’t get out in the afternoon, I would stay over because the late flights often were delayed or canceled. Again an opportunity for a relaxing evening, see a museum or whatever, and come home feeling good and not stressed. And if possible I would fly direct, one hop at most. Carry on only going out. Stuff like that that all made the travel easier.

All good stuff and I've done the same BUT a lot of companies/clients aren't willing to pay for those extra nights in hotels, rental cars, and related expenses. Then there's your personnel time. Going early or staying late by a day eats into your own time which you're not doing at your home location.

Most companies have little concern for travel stress or making things easier/better for staff.

In my younger years, I traveled a lot for work...During a two year stretch, I traveled over 350K miles.. These were actual "ass in the seat" miles. Luckily I have a wife that can use a snowblower and garden tractor. Traveled mostly to Puerto Rico, Singapore, UK, Germany, Italy, NL, FR. Would not be able to do it now... Mostly Mentally... It's a younger person's thing....Now if I have to travel on a 2 hour flight for vacation I cringe.. Then again, no more UAL red carpet club membership to make it a bit more palatable..

But, at least my company had a good expense allotment/policy.. Unless one went crazy, travel audit never cared...

XutvJet wrote

All good stuff and I've done the same BUT a lot of companies/clients aren't willing to pay for those extra nights in hotels, rental cars, and related expenses. Then there's your personnel time. Going early or staying late by a day eats into your own time which you're not doing at your home location.

Most companies have little concern for travel stress or making things easier/better for staff.

I told them I’m traveling on my time (no pay for travel time), so I decide when I travel. The early/late flights thing assures that I am there for all meetings and follow-up, so that is in the company’s interest and a hotel is part of the cost. Not acceptable? Find someone else to go.

I also had a rule for the last 20 years, which I told my bosses about in advance of course. Call me when I’m on vacation and that day will not be counted as vacation. Fax or email something I have to work on, and the week will not be counted as vacation. Work time in both cases. I got few interruptions on vacation with this discipline.

You’re right about personal time, home versus away. I was making the best of the away time and de-stressing the travel. Also allowing time to take advantage of local opportunities at the destinations.

MassWholeBimmer wrote

In my younger years, I traveled a lot for work...During a two year stretch, I traveled over 350K miles.. These were actual "ass in the seat" miles. Luckily I have a wife that can use a snowblower and garden tractor. Traveled mostly to Puerto Rico, Singapore, UK, Germany, Italy, NL, FR. Would not be able to do it now... Mostly Mentally... It's a younger person's thing....Now if I have to travel on a 2 hour flight for vacation I cringe.. Then again, no more UAL red carpet club membership to make it a bit more palatable..

But, at least my company had a good expense allotment/policy.. Unless one went crazy, travel audit never cared...

The points and perks are a nice part of it. I also have a sizable dinner budget which is nice but I rarely use the whole amount. I’ll do a count at the end of the year and see what I come up with as far as miles. I’m very curious to see what I rack up.

I don’t but my wife does. She recently got her 1,000,000 lifetime miles package from Air Canada.

rebekahb it sounds familiar.

I traveled for work extensively in my early 20s. I had upper tier status on airlines, hotels, and rental cars. I didn't have a significant other or pets. It felt quite natural to never be in one place. I felt like George Clooney in "Up in the Air".

I don't miss it. Most of my memories from that time weren't with family or friends. I couldn't pursue hands-on hobbies ...I rationalized not doing anything to my place since I wasn't there much ...I didn't take many vacations since I was always someplace and it never felt like going on vacation ...I didn't realize how much time I was wasting in airports and waiting for transport. Basically, it just got old and I moved on and haven't looked back. I don't regret the experience since it did help me determine where I wanted to live.

I would ask yourself if someone went to your door tomorrow and said hey, come take a job with us and you don't have to travel at all -- would you do it? If your answer is no, I'd like to still travel, then ...

Charles

Amateurs.

In one example month:

Denver - Glacier National Park - Denver- Washington DC - Tampa - Denver - St. Louis - Denver - Sioux Falls - Denver - Nashville - Denver - Cancun - Houston - San Antonio - Denver - Cancun - Houston - Miami - Denver - Cancun - Houston - Miami - Denver - Boise - Denver - Cleveland - Denver - New York - Chicago - Denver - Sarasota - Denver - Atlanta - San Francisco - Reno - San Francisco - Washington DC - Denver.

R.

I traveled extensively for business for almost 30 years. Most of my international trips were three weeks in duration. Fortunately international flights were either first or business class. I was a United 1K flyer (>100K miles annually) for 13 consecutive years and now a two million miler with >2.3 million lifetime miles. There were many other flights with Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways and Singapore Air, KLM and Lufthansa as well as PanAm and other extinct carriers. After retiring my wife and I flew for pleasure but once Covid hit we stopped flying. We've had four domestic trips in the last 2.5 years. We prefer driving trips now rather than crowded planes, airports, TSA, etc.

I still have a lot of miles in the bank and my wife and I are considering a trip to Japan and Korea. The exchange rates are very good currently.

I suspect Flybigjet is a current or former professional flyer for United. The flight attendants used to bring me thank you notes written on the back of the pilot's name cards letting me know they appreciated my loyalty. A very nice touch.

rebekahb - I think you mentioned you have a husband. What about kids?

What do your husband / kids (if any) think? Their opinion ought to matter a fair bit here too - while you might feel alienated personally, they also might be feeling the same. I think it becomes especially important if there are kids involved...a spouse is an adult, they have coping mechanisms, they can rationalize...but they still should really matter.

I don't know - seems to me you might have to make a decision with your company sooner rather than later. Maybe that means approaching them and getting them to find you a different role (more senior perhaps) that doesn't involve travel and they find someone to fill your role. Is that a possibility in whatever job you work in? Is there a possible upward role that you could see yourself fit for in the next year? If so, approach them and ask what you need to do to get there. Show the ambition.

If nothing is there, then maybe you need to start looking elsewhere - it sounds to me like you already know what you want and it doesn't involve travel anymore for jobs.

Good luck!

I travel a lot for work, sometimes a month or so at a time. I buy electrical and mechanical surplus, scrap material etc. sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's hard. I travel nationwide really. But thank God for business, gotta keep the lights on somehow.

As i get older i struggle a bit with the travel, just don't have the same stamina. I am down to 3 trips a year, not sure how you guys do so many. I do enjoy trying to make the most of any new place i visit, I have a very acute sense of place, so to speak, like every place has value. I once set up a new office in Wichita, stayed there 3 weeks in total and got used to the place, couldn't live there but was fun to be there and settle in.

flybigjet wrote

Amateurs.

In one example month:

Denver - Glacier National Park - Denver- Washington DC - Tampa - Denver - St. Louis - Denver - Sioux Falls - Denver - Nashville - Denver - Cancun - Houston - San Antonio - Denver - Cancun - Houston - Miami - Denver - Cancun - Houston - Miami - Denver - Boise - Denver - Cleveland - Denver - New York - Chicago - Denver - Sarasota - Denver - Atlanta - San Francisco - Reno - San Francisco - Washington DC - Denver.

R.

Don't forget the 80-hour month

Have a now retired pilot friend that chose a reserve schedule. He said he loved it for a while, but got bored and went back to line flying.

ezaircon4jc wrote

Don't forget the 80-hour month

Have a now retired pilot friend that chose a reserve schedule. He said he loved it for a while, but got bored and went back to line flying.

Nah, RSV isn't for me-- I like to work harder, not smarter.

I'm top 8%, can hold a line as CA on the 777 or 787, but still love flying a "real" airplane...... the 737 is just about the last of the jets that you really have to be a pilot to fly. I "grew up" on Shuttle jets-- 737-300's..... six legs a day with 20 minute turns. I still love that sort of flying so I'm an old guy flying a young guy schedule.

My buddy just upgraded to CA on the 787-- his direct quote is that a monkey could fly it. Standard procedure is pretty much to turn the autopilot on as soon as the flaps are up and leave it on until about a thousand feet on final-- 14-17 hours later. Where's the fun in that?

At that point? You're a systems operator, not a pilot.

R.