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When you hear about how often production teams travel, you might wonder what it’s like. Having been there, I can tell you that the unfortunate result of a modern director/producer’s life is much of what you see is a city’s airport, the road to the stadium/arena, and your hotel.
For some time, Sports TV Production editor Michael Silbergleid has encouraged me to write a story on exhaustion and burnout in our industry. Truth is, I’ve been too busy, exhausted, and burned out to do the story justice.
But last night I had almost nine hours of sleep and can now speak to you from the world of the living. When you travel a lot, lack of sleep is one factor you have to deal with. But you also have to deal with a new sense of “normal.”
Liking travel is important when you do frequent remotes or business trips. In the past week, I’ve traveled to Boston, Atlanta, Florida, Los Angeles, and New York before getting home for a day. Each city involved a different show or event with different people, so the bonding moments of travel with colleagues weren’t part of the experience.
Travel Perks
For me, it’s the small things that keep frequent travel from driving me nuts. Traveling with others is part of that. Another is meeting up with friends in far-flung cities whom I’d often not get to see because I don’t have a reason for the trip or would be traveling with my family, where making stops for personal friends is less easily accomplished with children in tow.
Yes...children. Did I mention the kids? My wife takes my travel in stride—she is on the short list for sainthood for that. It’s the kids who really don’t understand the situation.
Another way to cope is to keep in touch both by phone and by bringing home small gifts. But who am I kidding? I know my kids would rather have me at home than a piggy bank from Orlando.
One family perk is that I’ve earned so many frequent flyer miles that personal travel doesn’t cost me that much. There was a time when I was all about low fares, but now the company or client picks up the tab, so my frequent flyer miles can accumulate on one airline instead of many.
The same thing goes for hotels and rental cars. I’m not sure when the last time was that I paid full price for a flight, car, or hotel.
The Airlines
There are some interesting things I’ve discovered about air travel. Newer airlines have both newer airplanes and happier employees, but fewer options when flights are delayed or canceled. Also, more airlines are using regional jets and the choice of a seat often depends on your frequent flyer level. Want an emergency exit row for more legroom? Get “executive” status (usually 50,000 miles) and you’re there.
I’m not sure how many people in first or business classes pay for that level, but I’d bet no more than half. Often, frequent flyer miles or upgrade perks for frequent flyers will earn you a higher class of travel. If you don’t travel much, the following advice is worth taking: Frequent flyer clubs are cumulative and getting signed up sooner rather than later is worthwhile.
My family is taking a trip on Song, Delta’s new airline, using miles that were accumulated in the late 1990s, before the airline existed. If you’re just starting your career and don’t travel much, start collecting miles early; you never really know how much travel is in store for you later.
Airport clubs—those private, “members-only” rooms—are nice but maybe not for the obvious reason. Sure, it’s great to be away from crowded gates and have perks like free drinks and a place to plug in your laptop, but often it’s the no-wait service counter that helps you get on the next available flight and home to your family that’s the most valuable asset.
Making Your Flight
With the aid of creative routing, member clubs, and my cell phone, I’ve only missed getting to a destination on the planned date once in the past 15 years. There are a few tricks to help you get where you need to go:
Travel with your bags; don’t check them. You’ll be able to rebook yourself on another flight or airline with little-to-no waiting. I recently got off a plane that was delayed in Los Angeles while those around me whose bags were checked were stuck. To protect myself and my fellow passengers from overcrowded bins, my luggage is the exact size of most airlines’ maximum allowed dimensions for a carry-on.
The flight I took from Los Angeles was the last one headed to the East Coast that day. I was the only person from a packed 747 to make it to the eastern seaboard that night. In addition to not having checked bags, I was let off the plane because I had alternate reservations—the result of a quick call to the airline’s reservation line as soon as it was obvious we’d be delayed and use of cell phones was allowed.
Waiting at an airport ticket counter with scores of others can take an hour or more, often forcing you to miss a flight that would otherwise have gotten you to your next destination. If you can afford the club, a cell phone, and to carry on your luggage, you’re several steps ahead in getting where you want to go.
Even if you’re not an airline’s frequent flyer executive member, having a frequent flyer card will often gain you early boarding. This is helpful if you are carrying on your bags or have an odd-shaped carry-on.
Another way to avoid a delay is taking the first flight out in the morning. Air traffic control rarely stops early-morning flights from taking off, even when the weather’s bad at your destination.
While catching a 6am flight means getting up early, it beats being caught all day in an airport. If it ensures you’re not trapped in an airport all day waiting for flights that may never take off, less sleep is often worth it.
Personal Technology
Another survival tool I use is a noise-reducing headset. These headsets, popularized by Bose, utilize audio-phase cancellation technology similar to that of the microphone on an announcer’s headset. Sounds common to microphones outside the headset are phase inverted—canceling out the sounds of airplane noise, crying babies, or noisy passengers. If you have a DVD player in your laptop, the headsets make it much easier to listen to the movie. Before I take a flight that is more than two hours long, I usually stop by the local Blockbuster to pick up a film or two. It helps pass the time and make me feel more like a “real person.” In the past few weeks I’ve watched Ghandi, Amistad, HBO’s Live from Baghdad, and Unsaid, all without taking time away from my family.
Getting a Good Seat
My favorite airline is United. They have what often amounts to four classes of service on large flights and three on smaller ones—giving you a better shot at good seats. Beyond the advantage of high-backed seats in three classes (regular first, business, and coach) there’s United Premiere. Premiere is coach class with more legroom and space between seats, which prevents the person in front of you from reclining into your lap and possibly breaking your laptop’s screen while you’re watching your movie!
Of course, with your Bose headsets you didn’t hear them say “excuse me, I’m reclining!”
Rental Cars & Hotels
A must on the rental car scene is having one with a club membership. They’re usually low-cost or free and allow you to skip the check-in counter and go straight to pick up your car. All that’s required is a one-time pre-registration, which will require you to put a credit card on file, and you’ll save 30-60 minutes of waiting in lines and filling out paperwork in the future.
Rental car companies as well as hotels have frequent customer clubs. One of the best is the Hilton HHonors Club, which allows you to “double-dip”: get both hotel points and airline miles. With hotels like Hilton, Doubletree, and Embassy Suites in the program, it’s hard to go wrong with Hilton HHonors.
After a certain number of stays you get free breakfast, preferred rooms, a concierge lounge, guaranteed room availability, or a free health club membership. While you often have to stay quite a bit at the qualifying hotels to earn these perks, most hotels are increasingly breaking their own rules to give these benefits to those with limited stays. They’re hoping to encourage these guests to stay more often.
Which hotels are my favorites? Certainly high-class hotels like the Ritz are fun, but often outside of my budget. I like the cookies and room sizes at Doubletree and the extra space at Embassy Suites, but the best hotels are those with a fun atmosphere—such as a unique atrium or a room with extras, plus a great bed that you want to take home. I know of a colleague who actually bought his bed from an upscale hotel where he found an exceptional mattress. I’ve often thought of doing that from my favorite hotel—the Park Hyatt Chicago on Michigan Avenue near Water Tower Place—great views, rooms, amenities, service, and bedding!
Right up there with getting to your destination and having decent sleep, is quality food. You can only spend so many nights on the town before discovering that if you’re going to beat burnout and exhaustion, eating well is essential, even if it’s at your hotel.
An exceptional hotel restaurant is worth finding. In addition to quality meals, those hotels often have the best room service.
While I don’t have the time I’d like to relax at a hotel, I do try to visit their health club or pool. It tends to help burn off the extra pounds from the calorie-rich restaurant meals you end up eating on the road.
The Daily Grind
A final way to avoid burnout on the road is to gain some control over your own schedule or hours. Steal a few hours by getting in early or leaving late in order to enjoy where you’re staying.
If you travel to New York City, be sure to visit Ground Zero. In LA, go to Venice Beach or Disneyland. When in Chicago, stop by Navy Pier or take in a night at Second City.
Each city has so much to offer that you’ll be surprised how you can beat the grind by finding fun things to do outside of your hotel.
As I finish this article it’s 1:43am. I have to be up in four hours for another trip. Thankfully I enjoy my work and have found a way to cope with the exhaustion through travel strategies that serve me well.
Of course, being home and getting rest is the best strategy of all. Speaking of rest, getting that hotel mattress for my bedroom sure sounds good right about now!
