Business Travel Basics

A few months ago I got a call from one of my colleagues who was supposed to have been in Chicago for a meeting. She called from Buffalo, N.Y. After asking her if she had eaten any hot wings yet (the answer was no, because it was 9 a.m.), I asked her how in the world she ended up in Buffalo when her flight was supposed to take her from Miami (where she had been visiting her family over the weekend) to Chicago. Turns out she was rerouted because of bad weather. But to Buffalo? She landed back in Nashville—after a stop in Baltimore—later that day. And yes, she missed the meeting.

Anyone who's traveled for business knows that anything is possible—and that anything that could go wrong very well might. That's probably why CNN put together this special section for road (and air) warriors. It's got tips on everything from minimizing your load at the airport to how to transition seamlessly once you're at your destination.

Whatever takes you on a business trip (think big sales presentation) is probably stressful enough; getting there doesn't have to be.