After traveling hundreds of thousands of air miles over the years to destinations across the U.S. and around the world, the Knack team has experienced a lot of business travel. To share what we’ve learned, we put together some of our favorite business travel hacks!
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While business travel can offer a break from routine, it’s often coupled with stress and exhaustion. Packing, navigating through the airport, attending work meetings, finding food, all while managing your budget, can be a lot to juggle. Help make your next business trip a stress-free success by following the Knack team's favorite business travel hacks.
Always Go With a Carry-On
After years of business travel, we still think a single carry-on bag is one of the best ways to travel. Knack was founded on this principle. Traveling with a single carry-on bag can save you time and money at the airport because you don’t have to pay to check a bag or wait at the baggage carousel.
Relying on a single carry-on also reduces the risk of dealing with a lost or delayed checked bag, a situation that’s all too familiar for many business travelers. And in case of delays or cancellations, you’ll have your work essentials and snacks at hand to make the wait more bearable (and even productive).
Traveling for business with one carry-on bag also teaches you to pack like a pro. Do you really need both pairs of work shoes? Lighten your load by bringing only what you’ll actually use.
Don’t think everything will fit in just one carry-on bag? Well, Knack Packs were built for that exact purpose. An expandable suitcase compartment that keeps your clothes separate from your work gear is just one way Knack backpacks help make One Bag business travel a reality.
MORE >> How to Pack Light and Travel with a Backpack
Invest in Versatile Luggage
During business work trips, days are usually jam-packed with travel or work, and, hopefully, some leisure. One of the most important business travel hacks we found is to ensure your luggage is versatile enough to do double duty as both your travel bag and your work bag.
While rolling luggage can be great for business travel, it usually has to be left in the hotel as you go about your work day and often requires that you travel with an additional work bag. Rolling luggage also tends to be bulkier, which can make it more likely to be gate-checked on crowded flights. Even if you can carry on your rolling bag, you generally won’t be able to stow it under the seat for easy access during the flight.
A lightweight carry-on backpack with plenty of organization pockets for your work gear and accessories is often the most convenient business travel bag, especially when it has an expandable suitcase compartment like a Knack Pack.
Pack Your Suit in a Knack Suitcase Compartment
Rather than boarding a plane with an extra suit bag, or wearing an uncomfortable suit during a flight just to avoid wrinkles, we usually pack our suit (when business calls for one) in a Knack Pack expandable suitcase compartment. It’s a simple yet effective business travel packing tip.
Knack Packs open like traditional suitcases, so you can fold up your suit and place it neatly inside. Internal compression straps keep the suit from moving around too much and getting wrinkled. You can also use compression packing cubes for your other clothes to maximize space in your bag and ensure you’re not overpacking, which will also help minimize wrinkles.
Keep Essential Items Easily Accessible
Keeping your essential gear in an easy-to-access location in your carry-on is crucial for a successful trip. We’re not big fans of stowing our carry-on overhead and pulling out our laptop, charger, phone, tablet, and water bottle before we climb over people to get to our seat. It’s so much easier to have everything in its place in a bag under the seat in front of us and then get what we need, when we need it.
We look for carry-on business travel bags with easy-access pockets. We’re particularly fond of travel bags that have organization pockets for our wallet, passport, chargers, dongles, headphones, and more. We love keeping those things front and center so they’re not misplaced or difficult to access when we need them the most.
Use Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are the key to success for business travel. They may seem trivial, but frequent fliers know how handy they can be: they optimize organization and make access easier. Knack’s packing cubes even compress by up to 60% to maximize your travel space.
You can organize your carry-on bag by separating your clothing based on the article (shirts, pants, socks). Or better yet, pack each cube according to the setting the clothing is worn (business, gym, leisure). One of our favorite methods is to pack each cube with a full outfit. That way you only have to access one packing cube to get going.
Think of packing cubes as a mobile drawer inside your bag: they make it easy to organize and access your clothes without disorganizing everything else. Once you get to your hotel room, we recommend keeping the cubes full and putting them in the dresser for easy repacking when you leave. Done with your clothes for the day? Keep dirty clothes separate from everything else by throwing them in an empty packing cube.
MORE >> Stress Less: The Ultimate Business Trip Packing List
Streamline Your Toiletry Kit
Be sure to bring travel-sized toiletries so you don’t have to throw out your full-sized bottles and tubes during TSA screening. For carry-ons, TSA’s 3-1-1 rule generally limits liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes to containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less, packed in one quart-sized bag. Save money and reduce waste by buying refillable travel containers and decanting them with your favorite products at home. Once you have travel toiletries prepared, store them in a travel pouch for your next trip. That way you’re always ready to roll. There are even a few people on the Knack team who permanently store basic travel toiletries in the inside, see-through mesh pocket of their Knack Pack for quick departures.
Pack a Snack
We’re big believers in packing our favorite snacks in our carry-on before we leave. Given the uncertainty of travel, including delayed or canceled flights, short connection timing, and snarled traffic, that snack might be the only thing to hold you over until your next meal. Let’s not forget about water either. Bring a reusable water bottle so you never go thirsty. You generally can’t bring a full water bottle through TSA, so bring your empty bottle through security and fill it up at an airport water bottle filling station to avoid buying another single-use bottle.
MORE >> Travelers’ Guide to Airplane Snacks
Bring a Universal Power Adapter
When we’re on business trips, we try to stay as connected and responsive on our devices as we can. Common business travel hacks tell you to charge your devices before leaving, and to bring a portable power bank. But when you’re traveling on a business trip abroad, you’ll also need a universal power adapter (or adapter plug set) to plug your devices into outlets that aren’t compatible with your native plug.
Choose a universal power adapter that’s compact and has several plug options to easily stay powered when you’re traveling to multiple countries with different outlet types. And remember: an adapter changes the plug shape, not necessarily the voltage, so check that your devices support the local voltage before plugging them in.
Enhance Your Cybersecurity
We’re bound to use a laptop or phone to access sensitive information at some point during a business trip. That could include signing into a company account, looking at bank statements, or reviewing travel info. There’s only one problem: working away from your usual home or office network can introduce extra security risks. To keep our devices and information safe, we take extra precautions. Check them out below!
Be Careful Using Public Wifi
We know how convenient and seemingly harmless public wifi can be. It’s so easy to join that cafe, restaurant, airport, hotel, or city network and start working. But you should still be careful when accessing sensitive information on a public network. Fake networks, phishing pages, and other security threats can put your information at risk.
When accessing sensitive work or personal information on business trips, we prefer using cellular data or a personal hotspot when possible. If you need to use public wifi, verify the network name before connecting, keep your devices and software updated, and follow your company’s security policies, including using a company-approved VPN if required. Also make sure the websites you use are protected with HTTPS, and avoid clicking unexpected login prompts or links.
Set up Multifactor Authentication (MFA)
Multifactor authentication adds another layer of protection to your accounts, so a stolen password alone isn’t enough to sign in. Whenever possible, enable MFA on your work email, financial accounts, cloud storage, and other sensitive services. Authentication apps are generally stronger than relying on SMS codes alone, and phishing-resistant options such as passkeys or security keys offer even stronger protection when supported. Your company may already require a specific MFA method, so make sure your work accounts and devices are set up before you travel.
Book Direct Flights When Possible
The cheap price of connecting flights may be enticing, but the risk and hassle associated with them usually isn’t worth it when you’re traveling for business. The more times you stop, the more opportunities there are for delays or missed connections to disrupt your schedule. Also, you have enough to worry about on a business trip; you don’t want to stress about whether you have enough time to catch your connection. Bottom line: when flying on business, go direct if it makes sense for your schedule and budget or, if you have to connect, build enough time into your itinerary that one delay doesn’t derail the entire trip.
Reserve Airport Parking in Advance
When we’re catching a flight for a business trip, the last thing we want is the added stress of trying to find long-term parking in a packed airport lot. Or even worse, missing our flight because we find out there are no more spots left. That’s why we like to reserve parking in advance. Not only can this guarantee a parking space at airports that offer reservations, but it often gives us extra flexibility in the type of space (like covered, valet, or EV charging) and how close it is to where we need to go. You may even get a better deal on early parking reservations. Check your airport’s official website before your trip to see what reservation options are available.
Use a Digital Boarding Pass When You Can
Digital boarding passes are one less piece of paper to keep track of when you’re moving through an airport, and they’re easy to access through your airline’s app or your phone’s digital wallet. If you do use a paper boarding pass, treat it like any other travel document: don’t leave it behind in a seat pocket or airport trash can where someone else can easily pick it up. Your boarding pass can contain your name, flight details, frequent flyer information, and a barcode tied to your reservation, so dispose of it securely when you’re done.
Don’t Share Your Boarding Pass on Social Media
On that same note, avoid posting a clear photo of your boarding pass on social media. Boarding passes can display your name, flight details, frequent flyer information, booking references, and scannable barcodes or QR codes. Depending on the airline and reservation system, exposing that information could create unnecessary privacy or account-security risks. If your boarding pass happens to make it into a travel photo, make sure identifying details and codes aren’t readable before you post.
Download Your Airline’s Mobile App
Keith, Knack’s co-founder, has always downloaded the mobile app for the airline he is flying for business, and he influenced us to do the same. Airline apps make it easy to check in for your flight and access your digital boarding pass.
They can also keep you updated on gate changes, delays and cancellations, and many allow you to change or rebook a flight directly through the app when plans go sideways. Depending on the airline, the app may also provide airport maps, baggage tracking, in-flight entertainment, lounge information, and other useful travel tools. If you’re anything like Keith, who looks for low prices and flies many different airlines, you can always delete apps you rarely use once you’re home to save space on your phone.
Do Security Smart
There’s no need to make airport security harder than it needs to be. Programs like TSA PreCheck and CLEAR+ can help eligible travelers move through participating airport checkpoints more efficiently, saving time and reducing some of the friction of frequent business travel. They do cost money, but some travel credit cards, loyalty programs, and employers may cover or discount the fees.
TSA PreCheck (5-Year Membership)
Joining TSA PreCheck starts by applying through an authorized TSA enrollment provider and completing the required enrollment process. Pricing varies by provider, so check TSA’s website for the latest fee before applying. Once you’re enrolled and eligible for TSA PreCheck on your flight, you can use dedicated screening lanes at participating airports. In TSA PreCheck lanes, travelers generally don’t need to remove shoes, laptops, compliant 3-1-1 liquids, belts, or light jackets, making the screening process easier for frequent fliers.
CLEAR+ ($219/Year)
CLEAR+ uses identity verification technology to help members move through the identity-check portion of airport security at participating locations. It can be used alongside TSA PreCheck, so eligible travelers can combine CLEAR+ identity verification with TSA PreCheck screening benefits. But CLEAR+ isn’t available at every airport or checkpoint, so double-check that the locations you regularly use make sense for you. Pricing and available discounts can change, so if you are interested, you can check current CLEAR+ membership details online.
Even if you don’t enroll in one of these programs, you can always make security smoother by packing liquids according to TSA’s 3-1-1 liquid guidelines, keeping your pockets clear, and packing electronics so that they’re easily accessible if you need to pull them out. And don’t forget your ID: since May 7, 2025, travelers 18 and older flying domestically in the U.S. need a REAL ID-compliant state-issued ID or another TSA-accepted form of identification, such as a passport.
Keep Track of Expenses
Before you head out, look over your company’s policy for business travel expenses, including company-approved expenses, spending limits, and any receipt requirements. That way you avoid the future headache when filling out your expense report. Plan how you’ll keep track of receipts beforehand. Many companies now use digital expense platforms that let you photograph and upload receipts as you go. If you still need to keep paper receipts, bring an envelope or pouch so they don’t disappear into the bottom of your bag before you get home.
Schedule Your Ride
Scheduling your ride to the airport, meeting, office, or hotel before you need it can take one more variable out of a busy travel day. Many rideshare services now let you reserve airport rides in advance, and some airport pickup reservations can use your flight information to account for an early or delayed arrival. Availability varies by airport and city, so check your rideshare app before you leave. And make sure you know where the airport’s designated rideshare pickup area is and how long it takes you to walk there.
Skip the Rental Car Line
Need a set of wheels after you land, but don’t want to rely on a ridesharing app the entire time? Check to see if your company is part of a rental car rewards program, or if your company credit card partners with a rental car company. One of the most common and convenient rental car perks is being able to skip the check-in counter or access an expedited pickup process just by being a member. That comes in handy when you need to get to a work meeting, or even when you just want to make it to the hotel to rest. If your company has no rental car affiliation, consider joining the rental company’s free loyalty program before your trip to see which time-saving perks are available.
Battling Jet Lag
Jet lag is never fun, especially when you have to immediately jump into a work meeting. Give yourself the best chance of arriving rested and ready by planning for the time-zone change before you leave. Here are a few of our favorite tips:
- For major time zone shifts, start gradually adjusting your sleep schedule toward the new time zone before your trip when possible.
- Try to shift your meals and sleep toward the local schedule once you arrive.
- Drink plenty of water during your flight, since airplane cabins have very low humidity, and go easy on alcohol if it interferes with your sleep or hydration.
- After arriving, use daylight strategically to help your body adjust to the local time, and keep daytime naps short if you need one.
MORE >> Tips for Staying Healthy When Traveling
The list of business travel hacks goes on and on, but these essential tips should help you travel like a pro on your next business trip. We hope they make your journey easier and get you there in the best possible condition.
Do you have your own business travel hacks? Let us know your favorites by dropping a comment below.
