Latest news with #TheNewEraofWorkTravel
Condé Nast Traveler
02-07-2025
- Business
- Condé Nast Traveler
Business Travel Is Evolving Faster Than Ever. We'll Help You Navigate It
This story is part of The New Era of Work Travel, a collaboration between the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and WIRED to help you navigate the perks and pitfalls of the modern business trip. It might feel like a distant memory, but in 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic radically transformed how people lived, and specifically how they worked. At the time, plenty of health experts, CEOs, and publications (including WIRED) predicted that Covid would grind business travel to a halt indefinitely. If our day-to-day tasks and meetings could happen using Zoom, Slack, and other online tools, the logic went, then why not apply that same digital-first philosophy to work trips? But near the end of that year, Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, and a career United Airlines flight attendant, offered a prediction that proved prescient. 'The virtual meetings have connected people in a new way,' she said, 'but what we have seen in the travel industry is that the more people are connected by technology, the more they want to travel—because people naturally want to be together. And if you think businesses are going to say 'Oh, we don't have to pay those expenses, we don't have to pay for those plane tickets and hotel rooms'—the first time somebody gets a deal because they went personally, it all snaps back again.' Sure enough, once vaccines became widely available and the threat subsided, company executives started calling workers back to the office in droves. They also began shelling out for those employees to get back into the air. According to a 2024 report from the World Travel & Tourism Council, global business travel has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels and was estimated to account for $1.5 trillion in spending last year alone. That's why airlines now find themselves in an apparent arms race to offer the most glittering airport lounges (see, for instance, the first-ever Delta One lounge, which opened last year at JFK) and new business-class in-flight amenities (privacy doors; hyper-personalized service). At the same time, experience-craving millennials, eager to flex their spending power, created a boom in 'bleisure' travel—extended trips that combine business and leisure. With that comes an increasing awareness that business travel can also be a social pursuit and conduit for personal growth. Business travel's bounce-back also brings with it unprecedented technological innovation. Airplane Wi-Fi, once more of an unreliable punch line than an actual service, now works remarkably well. (Whether you use it to catch up on work or stream TikToks for hours, as one of us may have done on a recent business trip, is ultimately up to you). Airlines and tech companies are also taking advantage of advances in generative AI, supplementing everything from customer service to expense report software with tools that can provide faster answers or automate some of the drudgery inherent in a business trip. One day in the near future, AI may even book and manage your entire itinerary, tailoring its decisions based on your personal preferences and keeping you apprised of any last-minute changes. Consider this package a primer on where you can expect business travel to take you in the years to come. The teams of WIRED and Condé Nast Traveler have pooled their collective expertise to bring you thoughtful, deeply reported stories on everything from multiday commutes to the tech that keeps planes in the air on the world's longest flights. We also answer all your questions about how to do business travel better, from maximizing your hotel points to managing your expenses and, of course, the best luggage and gear to buy before your next trip. Business travel, like the world itself, might be moving fast, but a little well-curated information from the teams who know it best is all you need to be a master of the skies. A version of this story originally appeared on WIRED.
Condé Nast Traveler
02-07-2025
- Business
- Condé Nast Traveler
Come for the Amenity Kits, Stay for the Flight
This story is part of The New Era of Work Travel, a collaboration between the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and WIRED to help you navigate the perks and pitfalls of the modern business trip. Last March, Air France hosted a private event at the upscale Ritz Paris hotel in Place Vendôme, in the luxurious heart of the city. The airline had built a full-scale mock-up of its new La Première first-class cabin and treated travel journalists like its most valued customers. The new cabin was classic and elegant, a showcase of the Air France aesthetic. Matteo Rainisio, founder of the Italian frequent-flier website The Flight Club, who was in attendance, called it akin to haute couture. Each first-class suite has a separate chair and bed, five windows, sound- and light-blocking curtains, and two 32-inch high-resolution 4K screens. At the end of the presentation, guests were given a gift: the same upgraded amenity kit the airline's future La Première travelers will receive, complete with high-end pajamas by Jacquemus. British Airways offers first-class passengers a Temperley London bag filled with Elemis products. Photography: Roberto Badin This single kit is a small part of a larger, increasingly aggressive push by major global airlines like Air France, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, British Airways, and others to attract coveted, high-spending passengers. These kits serve as powerful marketing tools, widely discussed online (see: amenity kit TikTok), collected by enthusiasts and sometimes even sold on eBay. Call it the amenity kit arms race. Gone are the utilitarian days of dental kits and foam ear plugs. At their lie-flat beds or private pods, premium guests in both first and business class today are greeted with a collection worthy of an Oscars gift bag. These are defined by collaborations with premier luxury brands. Emirates' first-class kits feature skin care products from Byredo, with face toner, eye cream, and even sleep oil. Singapore offers its business-class passengers a pouch from Le Labo filled with plant-based products. ANA, Japan's largest airline, collaborates with luggage maker Ettinger and Sensai cosmetics for first-class offerings, while British Airways works with The White Company for its toiletry kit and Temperley London for its amenity bag. Sometimes it's the bag itself that's the collectable. Delta's first-class kits are made by Tumi, Qatar's by the Italian luggage maker Bric's, and EVA Air's by Rimowa. These airlines' battle to offer the best bag takes place within the context of the rise of business class and the fall—until recently—of first-class travel. Beginning in the early 2000s, many airlines shifted away from first-class cabins, favoring larger business-class sections that offered an increasingly luxurious experience, with lie-flat seating becoming the standard. Some airlines, especially in the United States, scrapped their first-class sections altogether. The reason was economic: Business travelers account for only about 12 percent of passengers but can generate up to 75 percent of an airline's profits. In the past few years, however, high-end airlines have begun reinvesting in first class, betting that a small but influential market of elite travelers was being ignored. First-class availability globally has shrunk to about 1 percent of total seats, according to aviation analytics company Cirium, but the airlines that still offer it are making their cabins more exclusive than ever. Air France, Qatar, and Emirates have all launched, or are planning to launch, new offerings focused on unparalleled privacy, space, and luxury. Think a chauffeur service to and from the airport, private suites with doors, unlimited caviar, and even double beds for couples. The goal is not always direct profit but powerful brand awareness.
Condé Nast Traveler
02-07-2025
- Business
- Condé Nast Traveler
Airplane Wi-Fi Is Now … Good?
This story is part of The New Era of Work Travel, a collaboration between the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and WIRED to help you navigate the perks and pitfalls of the modern business trip. Expensive and erratic, in-flight Wi-Fi has been more of a punchline than a pipeline over the past decade. But 2025 has marked a sea change for the skies: the rollout of fast, and free, connectivity on most of the world's major airlines. Satellite technology has enabled leaps in speed and bandwidth. SpaceX's Starlink network of low Earth orbit satellites, for example, can deliver a connection capable of downloading more than 200 megabits per second—twice as fast as most basic home internet plans. As a result, a host of global airlines are inking deals with the company. 'We're creating a little bit of a living room in the sky,' says Grant Milstead, vice president of digital technology for United Airlines, which flew its first Starlink-equipped route, from Chicago to Detroit, in May. The boost in bandwidth is changing the face of business travel, giving flyers the unprecedented ability to Slack, Zoom, and collaborate with coworkers from 35,000 feet. They can download lengthy PowerPoints, edit Google Docs in real time, and join livestream conferences as seamlessly as on the ground. (Voice and video calls are technically possible with satellite technology but prohibited by the FAA and 'strongly discouraged' by airlines around the world from an etiquette standpoint.)
Condé Nast Traveler
02-07-2025
- Business
- Condé Nast Traveler
The Best Tech Gear for Work Trips
This story is part of The New Era of Work Travel, a collaboration between the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and WIRED to help you navigate the perks and pitfalls of the modern business trip. For business travelers who move as seamlessly through Tokyo as they do through Toronto, packing the right tech is essential—not optional. Today's global professionals are digital nomads of the highest order, jetting from boardrooms to hotel lobbies to remote meetings with barely a pause. Their travel gear must keep up. A work trip is not the time for dead batteries, tangled cords, or flimsy accessories. It's about top-tier efficiency when on-the-go, with portable products sleekly wrapped in functionality. From noise-canceling headphones that create an oasis mid-flight to luggage scales that help you save on fees, every item in your travel arsenal should pull its weight—and then some. We're talking luggage smart tags that let your bag track itself, ultra-slim chargers that slip into any carry-on, and portable Wi-Fi routers that turn airport lounges into mobile offices. Whether you're sipping espresso in Milan or racing to a connection in Dubai, this is the gear that ensures every leg of the journey feels first class. Courtesy of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones $449 Amazon Stylish and well-built, with physical and app controls, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the best noise-canceling headphones you can buy. These cans offer excellent sound quality, with the right blend of clarity and punch to make the most of any audio whether it's a podcast, a death metal album, or a phone call. Don't want to hear anything? Bose's best let you enjoy the sound of silence, too. There's even support for spatial audio and lots of customization options. Courtesy of Apple MacBook Air $999 $849 (15% off) Amazon Powerful and portable, the svelte Apple MacBook Air (M4, 2025) is the best of the best laptops, and perfect for business travelers looking to get some work done in the office or on the move. You can expect slick performance, long battery life, and a lovely bright display. Apple's M4 chipset supports two 4K external monitors and on-device AI processing. There's also a crystal clear 12-megapixel webcam that's ideal for video conferencing. Courtesy of Amazon Pro 1000 $66 $50 (24% off) Amazon Need to make a stellar first impression on that presentation you crossed an ocean to give? Keep those pearly whites gleaming with the Oral-B Pro 1000. Top of WIRED's best electric toothbrushes guide, this is a reliable and effective way to clean your teeth. The Pro 1000 sports a circular oscillating brush head that can get in everywhere, and it buzzes every 30 seconds to prompt you to clean each quadrant of your mouth. You can also expect 10 days of battery life when fully charged. Courtesy of Amazon RT-AX57 Go Travel Router $100 Amazon Connect all your gadgets to the Asus RT-AX57 Go travel router before you leave for a trip and you only have to worry about connecting one device at your destination. This dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router has gigabit WAN and LAN Ethernet ports to plug into a modem, port in your hotel, or any other internet source. It can connect to public Wi-Fi, and you can even connect your phone to the USB 3.2 port and use the RT-AX57 Go as a hotspot to magnify your cell connection. The Asus RT-AX57 Go also comes with security software and VPN support, making it one of the best Wi-Fi routers around. Courtesy of Ceptics GaN 70W Universal Travel Adapter $45 Amazon The best travel adapters enable globetrotters to plug in all their gadgets. The Ceptics GaN 70W Universal Travel Adapter is first in our bag for every trip because it covers more than 200 countries and has a secure locking slider design that pushes out EU, UK, and US plugs (you can rotate the pins for sockets in Australia and China). We love the retractable 25-inch USB-C cable that goes up to 70 watts, but you also get an additional USB-C port and two USB-A ports, making this the only charger you need to pack. Courtesy of OnePlus Pad 2 $550 OnePlus Whether you want to kick back after a long day to watch a movie or get some light work done, this tablet is a smooth operator. As the Android pick in WIRED's best tablets guide, the OnePlus Pad 2 boasts a 12.1-inch LCD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and plenty of RAM and storage. The Open Canvas feature enables three apps side by side on the screen, making it perfect for multitaskers. There's also an optional detachable keyboard and stylus. Courtesy of Amazon Luggage Scale $13 $10 (23% off) Amazon No more surprise baggage fees—this compact scale slips neatly into your luggage and gives you peace of mind before check-in. Picked by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the best luggage scales, its user-friendly strap and clear display take the stress out of weigh-ins, so you're never left guessing. Built tough for globetrotting, it withstands knocks and rough handling. For business travelers, it'll help keep your bag within weight limits and keep your trip on-budget. Courtesy of Hatch Rest Go Portable Sound Machine $40 Amazon $40 Hatch This palm-sized sound machine delivers 10 soothing tracks—from ocean waves to white noise—without apps or Wi‑Fi, making it perfect for travel. With around 12 to 15 hours of battery life, it'll last through long flights or busy days. Its simple button layout and clip-on ring allow quick setup anywhere, from airport lounges to hotel rooms. Funnily enough, the gadget is actually designed for babies, but can be used by travelers of all ages—and a must-have for Traveler editors. It's affordable, tough, and sleek enough to blend into any travel toolkit. Courtesy of Nesugar Portable Handheld Steamer $59 Amazon A travel staple for sharp professionals, this handheld steamer tackles wrinkles in minutes—no ironing board needed. Just plug it in and press and glide to freshen suits, dresses, and linens. Lightweight enough for a carry-on bag yet effective enough to smooth creases effortlessly, it's the secret weapon to looking polished on arrival. Ideal for impromptu meetings or last-minute evening events, it ensures you always step out wrinkle-free. Courtesy of Apple AirTag $29 $23 (21% off) Amazon $30 Apple Slip an AirTag into your luggage or attach it to your bag and you can track it effortlessly via your iPhone—no more anxiety about lost bags or gear. The new U1 chip enables precision-finding, showing you the exact direction and distance to your missing item. It's water- and dust-resistant, runs for about a year on a standard battery, and transmits location via the vast Find My network. Privacy protections like rotating IDs mean no unwanted tracking and solely, smart security. Courtesy of Amazon Small Portable Charger $27 Amazon Tiny yet mighty, the iWalk charger fits in any pocket and delivers a fast juice boost thanks to its 4,800 mAh capacity and 20 W output. It's ideal for those in-between moments—waiting at the gate or lounging before boarding. LED indicators keep you informed, and USB‑C recharge is quick and convenient. Stylish and available in multiple colors, it's a sleek companion for busy days abroad—and not to mention, a Traveler favorite. Courtesy of Calpak Portable Charger Luggage Tag $35 Calpak Doubling as a luggage tag and power bank, this Calpak device blends functionality and finesse with its faux-leather exterior. It quietly powers up your phone mid-journey through USB‑C (or Lightning) connections when you need it most. Slim and lightweight, it slips neatly onto your bag and travels with ease. Backed by a one-year warranty, it's a reliable (and chic) lifesaver for unexpected low-battery situations on the go. A version of this story originally appeared on WIRED.
Condé Nast Traveler
02-07-2025
- Business
- Condé Nast Traveler
Business Class Ain't What It Used to Be. Don't Tell First Class
This story is part of The New Era of Work Travel, a collaboration between the editors of Condé Nast Traveler and WIRED to help you navigate the perks and pitfalls of the modern business trip. Five years ago, Covid-19 largely brought business travel to a halt. Now companies are getting their employees back in the air, and carriers are reinventing themselves to appeal to post-pandemic fliers willing to pay more. Airlines worldwide are reconfiguring the real estate on their planes by segmenting their cabins into higher-margin business-class seating. They're beefing up their traditional business cabins to snag higher fares while providing more luxurious premium economy seating for travelers with smaller budgets. In May, United Airlines revealed new United Polaris Studio business class suites that come with Ossetra caviar amuse-bouche service, privacy doors, and 27-inch seat-back screens—the largest among US carriers. The upgraded accommodations are 25 percent larger than United's traditional business-class seats and feature living room–style touches, including quartzite tables and seat-belted ottomans for companions. Business class has historically served as the middle ground between economy and first class, with more legroom and better meals minus the hefty cost. In the late 1990s, British Airways set the standard for long-haul business travel with the introduction of lie-flat seats, spurring rivals to ratchet up their own luxury offerings.
