An important travel consideration is the day and time of your flight. Business meetings may determine the day of travel, but a special weekend offer by an airline may well turn that need to arrive by Monday morning into a desire to be there on Saturday night!

Airline Preferences

The selection of a date and time for travel is sometimes influenced by preference for a particular airline because of its punctuality, in-flight service or safety record. A survey conducted by Lufthansa a few years ago revealed that the top priority of business travellers was punctuality. This was indicated by 98% of those surveyed. Favourable times of departure followed a close second, with 97% citing this as the most important factor for their choice of flight.

The airlines rated among the best in the world based on various parameters include Singapore Airlines, Swissair, Lufthansa, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines. Asian airlines are believed to have the highest standard of in-flight service, while those of North America and Europe are perceived to have the highest technical and operational standards, and to be the most punctual. Passenger preference for these airlines makes flight bookings on them more difficult than other airlines, and also results in their usually carrying full loads, a disadvantage for economy passengers.

Flight Timings and Routings

Day or night travel is another area where people exercise strong personal preferences. Night flights allow the full use of your time on arrival and means a substantial saving on the hotel bill. The disadvantage is that those who are unable to catch some sleep on the plane will arrive a wreck, which is not the best way to start a business trip - or any holiday, for that matter. For those who suffer from jet lag, a day flight is preferable to a night one as the process of disorientation is reduced.

Routing must be considered when selecting a flight. A wise choice can save time - for example, in the case of flying from Bombay to London, or vice versa via Dubai and Rome. There can be a major difference in tralling time when a flight is nonstop, direct one. A direct flight does not mean that there are no stopovers along the way, just that you will not have to change aircraft or catch a connecting flight as the case may be. Either way, you will have to put up with waiting and going through the process of landing and taking off (and even disembarking and boarding) more than once.

The disadvantage of nonstop flights, particularly for economy-class passengers, is that such flights tend to be more popular, and therefore more crowded (and less comfortable) than flights that incorporate multiple stops.

If you are compelled to select a route that involves a transfer connection, look out for factors such as airport size and configuration. Much walking (perhaps carrying heavy hand luggage) may be called for, particularly when you have to change terminals, in the absence of passenger conveyor belts. This unfortunate situation is exacerbated when the connection time is short. The airports at Frankfurt and London, for example, are enormous and you must consider these factors when planning to make a transfer connection there.

Getting "Bumped Off"

If traveling on a heavily discounted ticket, check in early as such passengers are usually the first to be turned away when flights are overbooked. Similarly, check in early on crowded flights or popular routes, even if your ticket is not a discounted one. When traveling abroad recently, a friend and his family reached the airport 45 minutes before departure with four fully-paid first-class tickets. Unfortunately, they had to turn around and head back home as their flight was overbooked. So if you anticipate a delay, it is always safest to call and confirm your intention to fly to prevent your seat being given to someone else.

Make sure you collect your PNR (Personal Name Reference) number and, prefereably, a computerized output of the same to minimize your chances of getting "bumped off". Carry all your other confirmation documents, too, in case the hotel at your destination tries to turn you away with the excuse that it is overbooked. Check any discounts you may entitled to through various clubs, associations, corporate bodies and organizations with which you are dealing so as to get the best deal.