Photo credit: Noel Vasquez/GC Images
Many meeting-goers are of child-bearing age, and model and Lip Sync Battle color commentator Chrissy Teigen can sympathize with all the ladies and their bumps. The star, who is currently expecting her second baby with husband John Legend, got caught up in a travel snafu earlier this week when the couple’s flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo returned to L.A. after it was discovered an unticketed passenger accidentally boarded the flight.
2 more hours. My nose and gums are bleeding and my skin runneth over my compression socks.
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
Such is life when you are…pregnant on a plane
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) December 27, 2017
This mix-up aside, Teigen coincidentally recently announced her partnership with Chase Sapphire to share travel tips and itineraries, including jet-setting with toddler daughter Luna. “If you’re traveling with a baby, don’t be afraid to ask the hotel to baby-proof the room for you (from covering the outlets to removing dangerous objects),” she says. “In addition to what you can do on your own, most times the hotel will be happy to help you, and you’ll be so glad that your baby can explore the room without you being in constant fear.”
With the bleisure travel sector growing in popularity, it is becoming more and more common for children and spouses to tag along on business trips, especially when the meeting is taking place in a tourist destination that offers family-friendly attractions such as theme parks. A study conducted by Expedia Media Solutions found that 43 percent of business trips double as bleisure trips.
Henley Vazquez, cofounder and CEO of Passported, told website Fast Company, “If you have to go somewhere, why not turn it into something beyond sitting in a hotel room and going to meetings all day? Use this as an excuse to show [kids] someplace new.”
To balance work and life on a trip with the little ones, Vazquez recommends planning ahead for childcare during the workday by finding daycare through your company, a hotel-endorsed babysitter or asking a favor of friends or family who live in the city you’re meeting in. She also cautions parents to be mindful of children needing to adjust to a new time zone and recommends extending your stay to include a work-free weekend to enjoy quality family time.
Phil Shawe, co-CEO of TransPerfect, told website Business Travel Life that bosses may actually benefit by allowing their employees’ families to come along for the ride. “If you are a frequent business traveler, the lack of being around for family/friends is almost always an issue. Without the stress of missing out on family events and other milestones, you can ensure that your mind is focused on the work in front of you,” he said.
