At the time of writing these articles travel restrictions were still in place due to the pandemic. As part of planning your trip (Part 1) you should take into account the extra requirements for travel, which are constantly changing. Check government websites for details on travel requirements: travel.state.gov (USA department of state), www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice (UK travel advice for each country) and www.who.int (World Health Organization travel advice)
From the moment you leave your house or office you represent yourself, your client, and your company, act as if someone is watching and judging you because they probably are.
Be professional and polite. The last thing you need is to become a viral sensation because you had one-too-many white wine spritzers while waiting for your flight. This applies to coming home as well. Some companies in certain sectors of the marine industry have put rules in place concerning your behaviour and sobriety through all stages of your travel profile, and at the end of the day if they are paying for your time and attendance, then following the rules and being professional should be easy.
Before leaving
You should have planned the attendance (Conducting an Inspection: Part 1). Packed your equipment (Conducting an Inspection: Part 2). and be ready to go. However, travel is a fickle beast. Traffic, train timetables, airline cancellations, protest zones and such can easily turn a two-hour car ride into two days of turmoil.
Check the news before travel, check the timetables remain valid and the flight, train etc. have not been delayed or cancelled.
Check you have the latest versions of the apps you use. Waze, google maps, apple maps or similar for driving, flight trackers for aircraft, train operator apps and so on. If you see something that may mess with your plans let the stakeholders know straight away and think about contingency plans.
Location, Location, Location.
Before you leave your office or house, confirm with the client when and where the vessel is scheduled, confirm with the vessel agent when the vessel is scheduled, confirm with the captain when the vessel is scheduled and confirm with AIS when the vessel is scheduled. (https://www.marinetraffic.com/ or https://www.vesselfinder.com/ work well in our experience, including the iOS and Android Apps.)
Confirm early and often. Other works may be in the pipeline, other personnel available to attend, travel restrictions in place for the location of the asset. There can be so many circumstances that will require a change, the management of that change is where you can sink or swim regarding being a good consultant and well regarded by the client.
Write down all the contact details of all the parties involved in the inspection. When we say all of them, we mean everyone… the vessel operator, vessel agent, vessel superintendent, port captain, cargo super, captain, port security office etc. Also, make sure to get out of office contact details for each of them too. If you are stuck with a problem or have an issue you should have a number that will be answered and able to help.
Expenses
If you can claim your expenses ensure you get receipts for all aspects, itemised receipts are preferred by most clients, and no alcohol, tobacco or other items that are not required for the work you are carrying out, unless previously agreed. Subsistence expenses are normally acceptable, which is food and drinks (tea, coffee, soft drinks etc).
If the client or travel agent are booking your travel check the office opening times, out of office contact requirements and change fees you, or the client, maybe charged if your plans change. We have had a travel agent charge almost as much as the original ticket for a single change over a weekend, and as the agent had booked the original ticket the attending surveyor could not change the ticket without help.
If you can and want to book your own travel, check with the client they are willing to accept this, and if your preferred choice is OK. Some low-cost airlines are not acceptable due to their terms and conditions of carriage, refunds/changes and their reliability of schedules. Some airlines appear cheap until you add a designated seat, boarding pass, checked baggage and snacks on board.
But, sometimes you are stuck as the only airline offering a route that meets your requirements is the one you swore to never use again. When this happens, grin and bear it.
When paying for expenses cover your bases. Use a credit card that protects you against fraud. Check if your credit card has zero foreign transaction fees and if you should accept charges in the local currency or your home one. Write down the emergency contact number that is printed on the back of any cards you carry, just in case you lose them, or worse. Check the credit card website or app regularly when using it for any questionable transactions.
Visa? Vaccines?
Check your visa requirements for the location you intend to go to. You may have been A-OK to travel in 2019, but in 2021 some rules have likely changed and some countries are no longer part of a group of countries! (Looking at the UK here.)
As a professional consultant, you should not enter a country on a tourist visa and then carry out work, this can have severe consequences if you get caught or wanted to go back for a vacation or more work a short time later. Multiple entries to a country as a tourist over a short period come under more scrutiny. Borders maintain records of people coming and going, you are being watched!
Also, check the health and fitness requirements. African countries require yellow fever and possibly other vaccines. If you need vaccines try and stick with your local doctor or health provider as they will maintain records that you can get easily. Put a reminder in your calendar for the booster shots or expiration dates.
What’s the point?
Points! That’s the point! If you are travelling extensively for your work then look at joining the frequent flyer, hotel rewards, rental car clubs and all the other rewards and clubs you would use. If you are able to book your own travel then you can book through one or two preferred airlines. If you travel between your home and the local port then using the same gas/petrol station makes sense, and if they have a loyalty program all the better.
Consider a credit card you only use for business expenses. As you claim and get reimbursed you can pay off the credit card in full each month. Look at the affiliated credit cards, for example, British Airways, United Airlines, Hertz, IHG hotels and all the other airlines, hotels and car rental companies have branded cards issued by large banks. They offer double points, points for any purchases and numerous other bonuses just for spending what you would spend anyway.
The points are yours, use them as you want. We have taken vacations, treated family members to flights, hotel stays and car rental all by redeeming points. If you can stick with one brand of hotel, car rental or airline then it makes sense.
Note that Aluciant is not a financial advisor or credit guru. We do not recommend any specific credit cards, banks or other financial services. We do recommend you do your due diligence or talk to an independent financial advisor if you need further assistance in credit cards, banking or financial matters in general.
Resources
- Waze – Navigation app for roads, shows real-time traffic, hazards and traffic cameras/cops.
- Flight Tracker – Track your flight, their flight… anyone’s flight.
- Google Flights – See the price for any flight anywhere in the world. Tracks prices and tells you if you are getting a deal or not. Does not include those low-cost carriers that only allow booking on their websites.
- Hotels.com or booking.com = Search for hotels, rooms, B&B or similar for your trip. Then try and book direct with the operator.
- Marinetraffic.com/ or https://www.vesselfinder.com/ – For tracking vessels. They work well in our experience, including the iOS and Android Apps.
Aluciant may get a commission if you purchase anything using the Amazon affiliate links above. Non-Amazon links are not affiliated, nor does Aluciant get any kind of commission from them.
The products and applications listed are what we use to conduct our inspections and surveys, we do not link to things we have not used.
Aluciant does not promote or advertise anything without having used it ourselves.