The Frugal Traveler
Marriott Guarantee Startles Web-Savvy
For those consultants who pride themselves on scoring low hotel rates via the Web, Marriott International has issued a challenge few Web-savvy travelers can ignore.
According to a new Marriott policy, anyone who finds a lower publicly available Marriott rate within 24 hours of booking a reservation — same hotel, same room type, same dates — will receive a matching rate directly from the hotel, plus an additional 25 percent off.
The guarantee, in a way, is a sporting challenge for consultants who have routinely circumvented their own firm's corporate travel departments by garnering lower rates across the Web.
"It's usually as a result of airlines or hotels not posting all of the fares on the agents' computers," explains Bill Beckemeyer, chief financial officer for Kurt Salmon Associates of Atlanta.
Those KSAers who prefer to book their own flights or hotels must follow two basic guidelines: Use the lowest rates available and buy refundable reservations or tickets to avoid hefty change fees on the nonrefundable ones, says Beckemeyer. KSA consultants are not required to take connecting flights to save money. "They are on the road enough as it is," Beckemeyer says.
"However, we do ask consultants to use and share the points received from the corporate credit card for internal and non-bill travel."
How to Sleep Your Way to the Top
Perhaps it's no surprise that road warriors often start their trips sleep-deprived. Study participants slept an average of five hours the night before the trip, the lowest of the seven-day monitoring period. Their best night of sleep? The first night at the hotel.
As part of the research, participants wore wrist actigraphs that measured daytime activity levels and sleep quality and quantity. In addition, they carried special PDAs that measured performance and served as a log for capturing details about their productivity, moods, and other daily rituals.
• The majority of travelers are already tuned into exercise, with two-thirds of those responding to the survey claiming to use it as a strategy to boost their alertness, energy, and performance while on a trip.
• Travelers perform best during midday and not early morning, often considered the most productive part of the workday.
• Alcohol still maintains its erroneous reputation as a sleep enhancer, with travelers increasing their consumption 30 percent during trips, compared to home amounts. Wine was the most commonly reported selection (58 percent), followed by beer (24 percent). Participants also turned to caffeine as a performance-booster; consuming 14 percent more while on a trip than at home. Sodas were the most often-selected caffeinated product (54 percent), followed by coffee (36 percent).
The first part of the study included a 58-question Web-based survey that involved 3,500 respondents across the U.S. and Canada. The second part involved a group of 25 frequent travelers who voluntarily collected behavioral and physiological data during actual business trips. These trips were two to five days in length, crossed two or more time zones, and were within the continental United States.
Celebrity Citings
Star Encounters of the Weird Kind
As a partner with Booz Allen Hamilton, Reggie Van Lee generally likes to get paid for his point of view on business-related issues. However, some years ago, while aboard a flight headed west, Van Lee says that he imparted some business wisdom to a short stranger with a familiar face.
"It was several minutes before I realized that he thought I was someone else, and a few more minutes before I realized who he thought I was," says the Booz Allen partner.
Van Lee confesses: "I finally had to confess to Michael J. Fox that I was not Eddie Murphy."
The actual movie star recovered nicely and the two continued to talk. "When we landed, he offered me a ride to my hotel in his stretch limo, but I thanked him and opted to take my Budget rental car to my hotel."
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