For any seasoned business traveller, the notion of pre-departure travel and security requirements may seem like an unnecessary concern. Safety demonstrations by flight attendants are for the benefit of ‘others’ and, beyond that, all you need to worry about is keeping your belongings safe. Perhaps not.
That may be the perception – indeed 99% of travels do occur without mishap – however, the consequences of misadventure are serious enough to warrant a little preparation. Just as our seatbelts are redundant for the vast majority of our car travels, when we actually need them, we’re glad that we took the trouble to put them on.
With this in mind, here is an essential pre-departure travel and security checklist that most business, executive and VIP travellers should meet, or at least have someone delegated to take care of them. They aren’t onerous but they can be life-saving, and at the very least help you avoid or cope with misfortune should it arise.
If your business has a travel policy, now would be a good time to run through it to check that everything is covered in it. And if you don’t have a travel policy, now would be a good time to develop one. (If you need help with that, let me know).
We’ve put together a pdf travel and security checklist that you can download below. You can find a more in-depth overview of this topic on the Wheels Up Podcast episode here. For now, we’ll cover the essential pre-departure travel and security requirements and the during and after travel essentials in a future post.
Visas
- Business travellers need to ensure they have the right type of Visa. Apart from checking if you actually need a visa for the country you are travelling to, don’t be caught out by getting the wrong type. You might be tempted to cut corners (and costs) and get a tourist visa for a conference but in some countries, a conference requires a business visa.
Bookings (Flights, accommodation, transport)
- Arrange these in advance wherever possible.
- Check your company travel policy to see what it says about personnel all travelling on the same flight (e.g. you wouldn’t want your full board of directors on the same plane).
Passports
- It is essential you have at least six months remaining on your passport pre-departure. Some countries won’t allow you to travel into their country without that and obviously, it can be a very long flight back home if you make that mistake.
Hotel
- Check your company policy for hotel recommendations or criteria for hotels
- Check the location of your proposed hotel from a security or risk perspective. e.g. choosing a hotel close to your meeting locations may also put you in a red-light district.
- Scope out the security levels of your proposed hotel (lower cost hotels typically have lower security. Look in the Trip Advisor comments sections for comments from visitors about security in general.
- See if you can book a room on the 3rd, 4th or 5th floors. Upper-level rooms may be great for getting a view but in the event of a fire, they are out of reach of fire department equipment. 1st and 2nd floors are easy pickings for thieves.
- Ask for a room away from the fire escape. Thieves prefer to workrooms near fire escapes for a quick exit if needed.
- Take a doorstop with you for added security (or a ‘door jammer’).
Emergency Services
- Scope out the locations of police stations and hospitals before you leave (much easier than doing so in an emergency). Check if your corporate travel policy or your travel insurance policy has any details of these.
- Identify if a hospital is appropriate for your needs. e.g. If you have a heart condition does it have a cardiac unit? Not all hospitals have emergency units.
Embassies and Consulates
- Find out the details of the embassy or consulate nearest your destination and carry these details on you. Makes them easier to find when needed and helps others get in touch with those important to you if you are out of action.
- Check your country’s official travel website for travel warnings and local details (see the list in our travel and security checklist pdf or infographic below).
- If offered, register your travel with your government travel registry.
Immunisations
- Check immunisation requirements well in advance of travelling. Some immunizations require a certain timeframe to be administered pre-departure and others may not be readily available.
- Consider visiting a doctor who specialises in travel medicine.
Medications
- If you’re on medication, take enough to cover your trip plus a week.
Pack a “Grab Bag”
- Small, nondescript bag. Backpack preferably. Strong and preferably with double stitching. Large enough for a laptop.
- Torch/Flashlight. Doesn’t need to be large. I carry and recommend a Surefire torch. Apart from the obvious, a bright torch can also be used to blind an attacker. Some torches can double as a phone charger.
- Smoke hoods. Covers the head and face and filters smoky air. Keep one in the grab bag and one on the bedside table.
- Permanent marker (Sharpie or similar). Handy to have. Can even use to write details on an injured person – name, vital signs, etc.
- Individual/Immediate First Aid Kit – IFAK. Also, get basic training on how to use these items.
- Disposable gloves
- Shears (strong but small)
- Chest seal (used for sucking chest wounds)
- Olaes bandage or Israeli bandage
- Tourniquet
- Nasopharyngeal (nose hose)
- Medical tape
- Bottle of water
- Mobile phone charger
- Documentation – photocopies of passport, license, visa, etc
- Cash. A small amount in local currency
Dummy Wallet
- Carry a spare wallet or purse with a small amount of cash ($10-12) and some expired or dummy credit cards (can use this to hand over to thieves if necessary).
Burner Phone
- Depending on your destination, a business traveller needs to consider carrying a cheap phone with minimal to protect your data on your smartphone (protects you from hackers or thieves).
Buisness Travel Insurance
- Check your policy for inclusions before engaging in activities (e.g. are you covered for riding on a scooter/moped).
- Check with HR to ensure the company policy is adequate for your destination.
Enter your details below to access the Business Travel and Security Checklist as a printable pdf.
Part 2 of the Business Travelers’ Essential Guide can be found here.