Top 10 mistakes people make when travelling for work

1. Paper problems Many forget to keep adequate photocopies of important documents such as passport, or hotel booking confirmations while travelling. "Some of these documents are important to validate your bookings or claims, lest your bags or originals get misplaced," says Jay Shah, immigration lawyer with Divyakant Mehta & Associates. "Professionals fail to carry proper identification, conference / business meeting invitation letters, in case they are questioned at the airport," he adds. 2. Burying it deep People either are completely reckless about their documents or they are extra cautious. "I find that people dump their passports, etc, right at the bottom of the hand baggage fearing that it will get stolen. And then they have to dig through all that mess to pull it out at the immigration desk," adds Mehta. Keep your originals handy, preferably in a seperate pouch to show at the immigration counter. 3. Not confirming Many rely heavily on agents or subordinates and assume that details like transport, etc, will be taken care of. "They do not carry telephone numbers of the contact in that city, or detailed directions to the meeting place or hotel," observes Shah. Agrees Heena Akhtar, COO of TravelPort, "Not checking transport schedules or confirming meeting details before leaving can cause trouble." 4. Flight trouble "Many arrive late for check-ins and end up with middle seats which are uncomfortable. Sometimes they even miss the flight," observes Akhtar. 5. Forgetting essentials "Forgetting to carry enough business cards, and laptops and cell phone chargers or plug pin adaptors is a very common mistake people make," says Rajiv Mehta, Managing Director, Puma Sports India Pvt Ltd. 6. Cheap thrills People generally tend to go in for the cheapest hotel deals, airfare, packages... everything. Cheap deals usually offer substandard service. "You could spend more in irritation and distance and time," warns Akhtar. 7. Not tagging your luggage These days luggage and other travel accessories have the same designs the world over, this can be very confusing. "On one of my trips I took off with someone else's bag that had the same initials, look and feel as mine. I realised this only after reaching the hotel, due to which I was late for a very important dinner meeting. Since then my luggage always has a ribbon on the handle and my business card in the tag," recalls Anupam Mittal, CMD, People Group. 8. Carrying too much "Many people carry more baggage than they are able to handle. This does not allow you to roam around freely in immigration and security. Also they fail to confirm with the airlines about baggage restriction," says Shah. "Many people want to carry laptops, handbag and their blazers all at the same time... relax and keep your cabin luggage light," suggests Akhtar. 9. Roaming reckless Many people forget to carry their credit cards. Even if they do, they carry only one, which may not work due to some reason. "Some international credit cards require that you call up the bank and activate the roaming feature, failing to do which your card will not work in another country," informs Shah. People also forget to check if the card is valid and has enough credit left before setting out. 10. Homework not done Inadequate research about office timings, holidays and weather conditions in your destination will leave you high and dry. Also not knowing about how much you will need to spend, and if your bank has branches and ATM networks in the place you are heading to, will leave you without money in a strange country or area. Banks provide a list of ATMs overseas, exchange rates, and traveller's cheques. Travelling is a skill you need to perfect, especially if your job requires it. The more you travel, the better you'll get at it. Till then, see box alongside for planning your work trips better.