What Millennials Can Teach Us About Business Travel

Millennials are becoming a more significant part of the workforce with each passing year, giving them opportunities that may not have existed without their job — like the chance to travel. Millennials are known for having to be smart with their budgets, as they’re just starting out in their careers. That means vacations are something to dream about and rarely ever take.

Business travel presents millennials with an easy way to see the world while still getting paid. They’re looking at it much differently than previous generations, which is why they can teach the modern workforce a lot when it comes to business travel. Here are seven things millennials enjoy about business travel, as well as how you can adapt these ways of thinking in your own work life.

1. Embrace Travel Spending

It’s all too easy to get overwhelmed with how much you spend on a business trip. There’s always that fear you’ll spend too much, get reprimanded by your boss and not be allowed to travel again or even get fired. This is a fear every generation has in common, but millennials are more willing to embrace travel spending than shy away from it.

One of the most common travel spending stressors is food. Some people may prefer to skip breakfast or lunch to save the company from paying for another meal, but millennials are different. A recent survey showed that 18- to 30-year-old business travelers spend 37 percent more on meals, enjoying the kinds of food they wouldn’t be able to get on their own. They’re finding a way to eat better food without going overboard on their company spending budgets.

2. Look for Experiences

Another way Millennials view work trips as a positive part of their lives is by researching what they can do in the cities they’ll be staying at. When they’re not in meetings or on calls, there’s a whole new city, state or maybe even country to explore. On a business trip, your company will likely pay for your travel and boarding, so spending a bit on fun experiences after you clock out will be much easier to make room for. Go see museums or local entertainment options when you’re not on the clock, so you can experience more while paying less.

3. Dress Like Yourself

When you’re packing for a business trip, you may feel like you can only pack work wear, which is a drag. Your work clothes may not be the most comfortable clothes you own, and they probably don’t match your sense of style you wear outside the office. Millennials are getting around this by dressing like themselves during every part of their trip, without ever misrepresenting their company by looking sloppy or unprofessional.

Button-down shirts are an excellent option for men and women to pack so they can easily dress up or down for travel. As long as the button-down is ironed, it’ll look great with professional work pants or nice jeans and a jacket. Aim for a business casual look for your future business trips, so you can be comfortable while still maintaining a professional look.

4. Download Helpful Apps

Apps help people accomplish more in their daily lives, and they’re super useful for business trips, too. Millennials have taken advantage of ridesharing and home sharing apps to save their companies money while also redeeming loyalty points. Rewards programs are big for millennials because they can earn points or prizes without spending their own money. The apps may even get their companies a better deal on the bigger expenses, rewarding millennials with office loyalty points of their own.

5. Adapt to Working Remotely

For other generations, work trips are hard because it takes them away from their families. Many millennials don’t face this same issue since 49 percent are ready to work on trips. They’re putting off family life a little longer, so they can focus on building great careers. Work trips are an excellent way to enhance your work life since they’ll build trust with your boss and show you can create a project vision even when you’re away from the office.

6. Turn Travel into Vacations

A major cost that comes with vacations is paying to get to your destination, which is why millennials are turning business trips into vacations. Once the company has already gotten them there, 77 percent of them use vacation time to extend their trip. This is becoming very common practice for millennials in the workplace, as they get more time away to see a new place at half the cost. You can do this, too, as long as you speak with your boss about it beforehand so you’re clear on what the company will be paying for and what you’ll have to cover.

7. Take Everything in Stride

Work trips take up time away from either your weeknight routines or your weekend activities. It may be hard to view them in a positive light but take everything in stride. They’re often short trips that aren’t actually a bad thing if you can look at them differently. Millennials are using them for their many advantages, which you can easily do in your own job, too.

With the right mindset, a business trip is a great experience. Try these seven tips on your next business trip, and you’ll quickly see how they transform your time away.