I am what some people would call a frequent business traveller. For the past 18 months I have been more or less away from home at least 3 days every week. And for the 3 years prior to that, I did a trip every 3 weeks or so (yes that's a lot of 3's and no I'm not trying to sneak in some hippie mystical numerololgy here - that's just the way it is) . Sometimes I go even away for weekends. Some of the 'traveling business person' ads on TV are even starting to resonate with me, although I am not pounding the pavement making sales calls or attending conventions with my powerpoint in tow, as is typically depicted. I am basically on call with my own clientele and I tend to make the same trip over and over again. Same flights, same hotels, same work. There seem to be more people like me out there, because I have started noticing them. I never took a school bus when I was younger, but my shuttle has become my own grown up version. Just like there were jocks and nerds and loners in high school, the airport and planes have their own little groups.
There are the lawyers -they always have their folders open, making notes. how do I know they are lawyers? I spy. I close the eye closest to them and 'stretch' out leaning forward and spy with the eye they can't see. I can spot legalese from 20 feet no problem.
There are 'money' people. I can't really classify what exactly they are, since there are any number of jobs that require reading financial statements and analyst reports, but they are usually poring over these and loudly chatting with a comrade about what they think and whether or not it's the (insert hyperbole here) thing they have ever seen. I can't really tell who these people are, except for one company that makes their employees wear pins when traveling. These pins are different according to rank. Once you know what to look for you see them more than you'd think.
There's another group of young buck accountants/consultants. They always have at least 3 people in their 'team'. There's a senior person and their two gofers. The youngins look stiff in their new business clothes and chat about someone's party last Saturday night and how they were hungover on Sunday, and the senior tries to look in charge, even though they're about 24 months older than the newbies. Their bags are all corporate-issued, logos still shiny and new. They still turn to the senior on just about everything. If the older person has the laptop out, so do they. If that guy's reading the Journal, so are they. I wouldn't be surprised if they order the same free drink.
Since I tend to be on the same schedule from week to week, I have started to see the same faces. I know what they do, how long they've been doing it (overheard conversations with the same chatty person who tends to be on my flights). I know what they drink and what their frequent flier status is. My airline has a VIP roster they print out for who's sitting in what seat up front. That's how they know to say "welcome back Chuck", even though you've never spoken to this person before. I've seen the list.
I like seeing the same people over and over again. They know how to travel. Once in the security line, it's a choreographed routine. Grab two bins, put slip on/off shoes and jackets in one, laptop in another. Put the laptop bag and rollaboard on the conveyor. Ticket in hand pass through the metal detector unscathed since phone, keys and money clip are in the jacket pockets already. This should take no more than 30 seconds. Women and fancy men take a little longer since they have a bag with larger toiletries. They get an extra 15 seconds to get another bin and extract the quart sized clear plastic bag. There is no struggling to untie their shoes or acting surprised when the metal detector squawks about the blackberry on their belts. Ditto for tubes of toothpaste or water bottles in the carry on bags. Mountains of change or janitor-style 50 key keyrings in the pockets? nope.
They know just how big their bags are and if they will fit into the overhead bins. They know if they are the back of the plane, they will most likely have to gate-check. By the way, gate-checking is the best way to make sure your bag comes off the conveyor first, since it was the last bag placed on the plane. Some of them know that they can request a first class upgrade at the gate, and although I have never seen this actually happen, it doesn't stop anyone from trying. Overall it's not a bad way to go, once you get your own little routine down. I use 3 bins, stay away from any line containing children, get Mr & Mrs T's bloody mary mix for a drink (it's a meal in a cup and the attendants never fail to provide the requisite salt joke), keep keys and money in the same place and on travel days always wear a shirt with a pocket (for the ticket while I do the bin dance), and I never play armrest rodeo. That thing makes my arm fall alseep.
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