Never been abroad but new job requires international traveling

[neverabroad]

I have never been abroad or on an aeroplane for various reasons. It's something I do want to do but there has just never been a good time for it.

My new job will require international traveling. I'm not sure how frequently and whether it will be alone or accompanied, I imagine it will be pretty infrequent and accompanied to start with?

Do you think it will be easy to manage/cope with going on a plane for the first time alone having never done it before? Is it quite complicated? I'm worried I will embarrass myself. Should I tell my employer I've never been abroad?

(Obviously this is all hypothetical right now, especially with COVID).

Will work help with travel costs (passport, luggage, getting to and from the airport etc.)?

I used to travel internationally for work. Work paid for passport costs, a one-off luggage purchase, transport to and from the airport, reasonable subsistence expenses. Be aware of time zone differences (not nice arriving somewhere in the middle of the night when travelling alone), and if you have to change planes be aware that these are the occasions when luggage often goes missing.

Be aware of security/ customs requirements (no big bottles of shampoo in hand-luggage or pairs of scissors).

Join frequent flyer schemes so you can state preferences (aisle or window seat) and for online check-ins.

Check your change in shops/cafés at Heathrow airport, it is rip-off central!

Practicalities aside, the only other things are

1. Ear pain on ascent/descent; not everyone gets this but suck a sweet and learn how to pop your ears gently
2. Fear; if you think you might get anxious you can tell them in advance and I think you can do courses before you fly
3. Dehydration; the aircon and general energy it takes to get up early, get through security etc. can make you thirsty so make sure to stay hydrated and take moisturisers as it can dry your skin.

Ear pain - keep your mouth open a little while to equalise the pressure across your eardrum.

Be aware of cultural sensibilities, no wearing a crop top with a pork pie and bottle of alcohol in your baggage, on a trip to Saudi Arabia.

This has all been so helpful, thank you! So many things I never would have even thought about. I will a lot more confident after having read your tips, I will bookmark this page and refer back to it in the future.

I am hoping to be able to book a weekend trip soon so I do get some experience on a plane, but as I don't have a passport yet that will stall it, unfortunately.

Definitely get a passport and try a weekend trip to familiarise.

I know a PP mentioned business class- most companies don’t offer this as standard so I wouldn’t assume.

Definitely think about logistics for the other end and give yourself plenty of time at the airport so you aren’t rushing.

Good luck and enjoy!

Meh. Once you've done it once you'll wonder what you worried about. By the 10th time you'll know all the shortcuts, be ready at security and dresses knowing what's quickest (no belts, jewellery in bag, no heels otherwise you have to take them off) be obsessed with getting your favourite seat, the quickest way to the lounge, be leaving home last minute and how to collect as many airline points as possible. Also by the 10th time you'll be fucking sick of it! International travel for work is hellish and not glamorous at all!

And as a PP said don't expect business class unless travelling long long haul (east coast US not long haul!). Most companies have cut right back on that mine included (global company)

Congratulations on the new job! I (used to) fly a lot for work and my number one tip is leave loads of time to get to the airport and get checked in / through security etc. Then you can take your time and relax on the other side in a cafe. being late and worrying about missing the flight is very stressful.

If you are travelling for short periods you may be able to take hand luggage only - this makes things much quicker. I suggest investing in a good hand luggage case with wheels - but check the restrictions on size and weight - different airlines have different restrictions. This also makes you very efficient at packing only the essentials! :)

I fly a lot for work and my top tips

-buy a decent small carry on suitcase (does the new job offer any kind of bag reimbursement?) Preferably one with lots of pockets at the front and four wheels (makes pulling through airport easier)

• buy travel bottles in primark or poundland and decant normal shampoo etc into them (never buy minatures)
• have a small bag that has paracetamol ibruprofen small sewing kit etc in your to go case
• once started print out emergency contact nos and put piece of paper in side pocket of case (ive spent hours trying to find a telephone number on the work intranet for the travel insurance)
• use a small handbag that will fit a laptop and your stuff in. I hate taking a laptop bag and a handbag when im onsite visiting clients.

-comfy shoes for the airport

• if parking at airport then take a photo of the location code
• put toiletries near top of case so easy to grab out for airport scanners

-take a thin lightweight waterproof coat for travelling in case of rain and wear a cardigan for the airport

• print out boarding pass in case smart phone battery runs out.

-upgrade your mobile contract or get a european sim card for free roaming.

• register on all points cards for example BA, Heathrow, marriott etc. Points mean prizes

Oh sorry a few more
-buy duplicate phone chargers and keep them in bag. That way you arent running around remembering the day you go

• buy a couple of plug adaptors for where you regularly travel to. (Off amazon etc as far cheaper than the airport)

Make sure you know where your gate is and that you have enough time to make it there easily. A few years back I decided to get food before my early morning connection flight then sat for ages chilling out after before glancing up and realising that my gate had been called and I had no idea where it was! I ran out of the restaurant and yelled at a worker in Pret "Where's gate 6?!" then had to run through the airport like Usain Bolt, heart thumping like it would burst and by some miracle I made it. I don't know if I could have got a later one if I hadn't made it in time but I dread to think of it, I had two long haul flights after that one! So don't do that!

I love flying, I miss travelling. Have fun!

If you have photo ID you could fly somewhere within the uk before your passport comes in.

After security, some airports have facilities to fill up empty water bottles and buying a meal deal can save on in-flight food costs.

It's a good idea to have a small (3 socket) extension lead with a few USB charger sockets in it that you keep purely for travel, then you only need 1 adapter. Hotels make an art of putting a minimal number of sockets in inaccessible places.

DP was flying on business and was used to the travel firm that his employer used doing everything for him and him just having to turn up at the airport. It was only the day before he went that he mentioned he was flying Easyjet rather than BA due to cost cutting. He hadn't checked in or filled in the pre flight travel info and spent 5 hours (including a trip into work...) trying to sort everything out. He couldn't book onto the outbound flight either, just had to turn up at the airport and hope for the best. So if you're flying Easyjet, be careful of what you need to do (the firm went back to BA after his disaster!)

Why do you assume your first few trips will be accompanied?

When you get to your hotel, write a note and leave where you'll see it on waking.

"Marriott, Room 101, Berlin, GMT+1". My uncle did this for 30 years, as he flew every other week.

My first two trips abroad were alone. When I went away with my cousin it was her first time on a plane and she found the steep angle of ascent (and the ear-popping) and the noise of the deceleration on landing a bit alarming. I suggest you find someone who flies a lot from your airport to talk you through exactly what to expect. Bear in mind that e.g. Stansted doesn't have announcements so you need to stay awake and watch the departure boards for which gate to head to. But there will be loads of people to ask, and it's fun!

Will your first couple of work trips be with others? I'd expect it possibly.

When you stay in chain hotels a lot, they all start to look the same which means I have an annoying habit of forgetting my room number. So I take a photo of the door number to refer to. It’s quicker than going all the way back to reception and less embarrassing than having to explain that yet again I have forgotten which room I’m staying in this week....

also, ask your colleagues for help and tips, if they have travelled to the same places any more. Might be quite useful to know that any taxis will always be stuck in a 2 hour traffic jam and it's much better to take the 20 min train, or similar.

There are loads of YouTube videos in airports around the world. You could search for a flight departing from your nearest airport and this would give you an idea of what to expect.

Great thing about flying is there are still plenty of staff about both in flight and in airports . And they are generally very safe and secure places (unlike rail travel where you can be hunting down someone to ask a qu for ages or end up in an unstaffed station).

So always ask questions of you aren't sure. In general I find with new work experiences you are best to be as up front as possible when you're not sure about something. People tend to respect you more for asking and dealing with the answer with minimal fuss, than pretending you know everything and then getting in to a flap or a pickle!