Surviving Long Trips

Money Matters

The trouble some travelers have getting reimbursements in time to pay their travel card bills is magnified for those who are gone for a billing cycle or more. "The longer you're gone the bigger the bill, and that's a headache," says one federal worker who takes extended trips. The challenges are even greater for those who are out of the country.

New technology is helping travelers clear that hurdle. Many travelers, including most of those in the Defense Department, can now submit vouchers electronically and have their travel card paid a specific amount, again electronically. This process helps travelers avoid delinquency on their accounts.

Home Away from Home

A new kind of lodging has emerged for those who are away from home more than a few days. Though it has several variations-apartment-hotels, all-suite hotels, extended-stay hotels-all aim to give those on longer stays a more residential experience. Most provide the traveler with two rooms, a kitchen, housekeeping services and newspaper delivery. Some provide even more amenities to help travelers feel at home, including exercise and laundry rooms, CD players and upgraded data ports.

Marriott pioneered the approach in the 1970s with its Residence Inn brand, but demand for such lodging has made it one of the fastest growing parts of the hospitality industry. Many major chains are getting in on the action (Hilton with Homewood Suites, Holiday Inn with Staybridge Suites, Wyndham with Summerfield Suites, Choice with MainStay Suites). Other brands, such as Extended Stay America, have emerged just to serve the needs of those on long-term assignments or relocating.

The big pluses of these living arrangements are that travelers are happier-they can cook their own meals, spread out in their rooms and even entertain co-workers-and the government pays less. Regulations allow agencies to scale back the per diem of workers on longer trips as well.

A Good Book and a Hot Bath

Many of the greatest challenges of a long trip arise back home. Navy attorney John Dietrich is away from home for weeks-or even months-for trials and hearings. When he was younger and single, he lived in a one-bedroom condo that he could "just lock and leave."

Now that he's married, he says, some aspects of extended travel are simpler and others are far more complicated. "On the one hand, routine duties like bill paying and pet care are no longer an issue," he says. "On the other hand, such travel adds stress to a relationship. Absence sometimes does not make the heart grow fonder."

But, says Dietrich, "a responsible spouse who recognizes that sometimes we must bite the travel bullet can provide wonderful emotional and practical support for the traveling spouse. Nothing makes my day more than a surprise 'care package' from my wonderful wife. And nightly phone calls are an absolute must." The real trick to surviving a long business trip may be finding a way to make it feel like home-or like a vacation. Jim Hurst, a civilian engineer who works at Eglin Air Force Base outside Pensacola, Fla., has for eight years spent lots of time in Beatty and Tonopah, Nev., testing electronic equipment. His secret? After several years of trips lasting two weeks or more, Hurst discovered a great trout-fishing spot nearby, and he indulges on weekends.

Dietrich also looks to the outdoors as an antidote to pressured workweeks. He has gone in-line skating in Beaufort, S.C., skiing in New Hampshire and biking in Barstow, Calif. These outings, says Dietrich, can be "very relaxing after long days inspecting documents, crawling through construction sites or grilling witnesses."

And Dietrich is a big fan of staying in BOQs (bachelor officers' quarters) because they usually are near Morale, Welfare and Recreation Centers, which have gym facilities and sports equipment rentals.

These two traveling feds are not alone in finding personal time when on the road for more than a few days. A 1998 study conducted for Marriott by D.K. Shifflet and Associates of Falls Church, Va., found that many extended-stay travelers savor the space and time to splurge on personal pampering and luxuries. Many indulge in things they don't have time for at home, like a good novel or a bubble bath, and say they feel more productive and refreshed after a trip. Having more time to themselves is especially a treat for women (74 percent enjoyed that aspect of travel, as compared with 58 percent of men).

If you will be leaving your house or apartment empty:

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• Arrange for electronic bill paying and direct deposit for paychecks.
• Ask your neighbors to keep an eye on things.
• Clean out the refrigerator.
• Get someone to check on your house and water your plants.
• Put some lights on timers.
• Stop newspaper and mail delivery.
• Turn the thermostat down or up, depending on the time of year.

And no matter whether you live alone or with others, set up an Internet account you can log onto almost anywhere so you can easily stay in touch with family and friends.

Put It in 'Drive'

Do you travel for the government by car? If you take trips using your own or a government car, we'd like to hear from you. Tell us what it's like at ltaylor@govexec.com.

Have an opinion about frequent flier miles? Tell us what you think at ltaylor@govexec.com.