As a career travel professional, I naturally have many aquaintances in the industry who travel a lot. Sure, I sometimes manage to get away a few times a year, if I’m lucky; but my job is primarily booking my clients’ fun getaways. I do, however, know several people in the business that travel for a living: they are the Road Warriors!

A long-time, very frequent-flying Road Warrior friend of mine called me recently for what is essentially our monthly “Hi, how’ve you been?” chats. (And before we go any further, here, no – it’s not Gailen!). Somehow, we started to talk about the the film “Up in the Air,” which stars my all-time favorite heartthrob – er, I mean, actor! – George Clooney. It was, in my opinion, the perfomance of his career: he may have lost the 2009 Best Actor Oscar, but as far as I’m concerned, he was robbed! But I digress!

For those who don’t know what the film is about, Mr. Clooney plays a man by the name of Ryan Bingham, whose Road Warrior existence is spent, quite literally, “Up in the Air”- to the point of accruing an unfathomable 10 million air miles in the process. Needless to say, “Ryan” has quite a few humorous “tricks of the trade” when it comes to sharing travel tips with his neophite trainee in the film.

Here are some excellent real-life, tried-and-true suggestions, courtesy of my Road Warrior friend, that I think you’ll find very helpful:

- Make a habit out of carrying your passport as your photo I.D. – even for domestic flights. It’s much easier to find than fumbling for your (much smaller) driver’s license, yet still fits easily in your front pocket

- Before entering security – preferably before entering the terminal, put all the items you normally carry in your pockets or purses (e.g., coins, cell phones, wallets, watches, keys, etc.) into a zipper pouch or bag. This will make things much easier for you as you go through security – and be a big help to the other travelers behind you.

- Speaking of security: while you may not want to remove your belt entirely (lest your pants fall down!), at least loosen it enough to take off quickly and easily if instructed to to so by TSA.

- Remember that TSA will more than likely ask you to remove your shoes! Do yourself and your fellow-travelers a favor by foregoing the laced-up shoes and wear slip-on footwear instead. And, hygienically speaking, you’ll want to make a habit of wearing socks! Thousands of feet go through those security checkpoints daily; do you really want your bare feet coming in contact with that? I didn’t think so…

- As an extra security measure, when traveling in crowded, congested areas (subways, buses, etc.), gentleman should put a rubber band around their wallet. This will make it harder for a “pick-pocket” to remove it easily.

These are just a few examples of many great ideas my frequent flying friend has. Perhaps you have some suggestions, as well. Please feel free to share them…we’d love to hear from you!

In closing, Road Warriors are a truly a special breed, indeed. Where most of us travel for fun – or for an occasional business trip – these folks are on the road, at sea, or “up in the air” a vast majority of the time – in my friend’s case, about 300 days a year. Keep in mind that this is time they spend away from family, friends, and their homes. As “envious” as some may be of their nomadic lifestyle – a lifestyle of choice, for most of them – it’s not without sacrifice.

Here’s a little homage to the Road Warrior – a quote by George Clooney’s character at the end of “Up in the Air” that puts it all into perspective – and something to ponder the next time you come across a weary business traveler:

“Tonight, most people will be welcomed home by jumping dogs and squealing kids. Their spouses will ask about their day, and tonight, they’ll sleep. The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places… and one of those lights that’s slightly brighter than the rest will be my wingtip, passing over.”

Here’s to you, Road Warriors! Safe Travels!

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