As co-founder of door-to-door luggage delivery company Luggage Forward, Zeke Adkins spends a lot of time on the road building the brand’s strategic partnerships and researching the client experience. He talks to Gayatri Bhaumik about his tricks for making life on the road as easy as possible.

How often do you travel?
I typically fly two to three times a month, mostly domestically within the United States.

Where do your travels usually take you?
I mainly travel to visit our travel industry partners, usually in major cities such as New York, Miami or Los Angeles. Sometimes I go to actual destinations or properties that our clients may visit, mostly in resort towns where people travel to ski or golf.

Do you have any particular tricks to scheduling your business trips?
When I’m on the road, I try to schedule meetings for about 60 to 70 percent of my day, leaving time open at the end of the day in case a meeting needs to be moved last minute. This gives me some flexibility.

How do you choose your hotels when travelling for business?
I book most of my hotels in advance, but more and more people tell me that they’re using last-minute booking apps like Hotel Tonight to get a room. I’ve used apps like that a few times, and if you’re willing to take a risk you can certainly get some great deals. As for location, I try to stay as close as possible to my first meeting of the day to minimise any chance of running late.

Adkins is a fan of Starwood’s Aloft Hotels brand.

Do you have go-to hotels in certain cities, or is there a particular hotel brand you like to stay with?
I’ve tried all the major chains and always seem to come back to Starwood. In particular, I really like their Aloft brand when I’m on the road for business. They have done a great job of anticipating what business travellers need, such as free WiFi, large workspaces in the rooms, and relaxed lobbies that are great for working. They have properties in most major cities now, which is great.

Airports can be a nightmare. Any tips for a smooth, hassle-free experience?
There are three major pain points during the airport experience that you must master if you want to avoid hassle. 1) Try and skip the wait at baggage claim by packing just a carry on, or shipping your luggage ahead. 2) Sign up for TSA pre-check [Transport Security Administration, which manages airport security in the US] or similar to get through security as quickly as possible. 3) To ensure quick boarding and deplaning, download the airline app and mobile boarding pass, and make sure you have everything you need for the flight within easy reach, and not overhead. I carry a small duffle which is much easier to slide under the seat or make room for overhead. Also, paying for access to the airline lounge can be a worthwhile expense if you have a long delay or layover. You get WiFi, power outlets, snacks, a comfortable place to sit, and staff there can be very helpful.

Do you have a favourite airline for business travel?
The best airline for business travel is the one that has the most options from your home airport to the places you need to go. For me, that happens to be Delta.

Frequent flier programs are useful, especially when they provide lounge access at airports.

Do you think frequent flyer programs are useful for business travellers?
Frequent flier programs are becoming increasingly useful for business travellers are airlines introduce a revenue component into qualifying for status tiers. This means that it will be easier for business travellers, who typically spend more on airfares, to become elite fliers. These programs provide a lot of perks, some big (upgrades, lounge access) and some small (priority boarding so you get overhead space, choice of exit row or economy comfort seats, bonus miles) but they all add up to be important.

What are you must-haves on a flight?
I always carry a 40oz. stainless steel water bottle.  I carry it to the airport empty, go through security and fill it in the terminal.  This allows me to stay hydrated on my schedule, not on the flight attendants’ schedule.  Other than that, it depends on the flight. For a short flight, I pack my carry-on for efficiency, but for long flight I pack for comfort.  For a long flight, I pack my Bose noise-cancelling headphones, a magazine or two, snacks, and maybe a neck pillow. But for a short haul, I pack ear buds and skip the rest.

Business travellers often have to go from plane to boardroom. How do you make sure you’re ready to face a client when you land?
The biggest factor for me is allowing more than enough time to get to my meeting.  I try to plan ample time between flight and meeting, it’s always better to arrive early than late. Rushing to a meeting is stressful and can put you in the wrong mindset, it’s always better to arrive relaxed.  Other than that, I wear wrinkle free dress shirts, hang my jacket on the flight if possible and always carry breath mints.

Jet-lag can be a real problem for business travellers zipping across continents. What are your tricks for fighting jetlag?
There are a lot of tricks and gimmicks to fight jet lag, but the reality is: if there was a silver bullet, we’d all know what it was.  If you can get some sleep on the flight, I find that is a good first step. For me, getting on the right meal schedule is also helpful, eating breakfast in the morning of the time zone you’re in, lunch at midday and so on.

Business travel can often be a blur of meetings and hotel rooms. How do you make the most of being in a city when you’re there for work?
If you want to “experience” a city during a work trip where your free time is limited, you should have a two-part strategy: 1) Don’t try to do everything. Only do or see one or two things, depending on how much time you will have. 2) Do a little homework beforehand. Once you’ve decided what it is you will do, run it by a local person – which is often the driver from the airport to the hotel (if you speak the same language!).  They will tell you if what you are planning to see is worthwhile, or if there is some better way to spend your time.  People usually take a lot of pride in where they live and want you to have the best experience possible, so they’ll give you some good suggestions.