The economy is in the doldrums, and companies are forced to wrest every molecule of value out of every business trip. Are road warriors caught in the squeeze? Now that it’s a buyer’s market, the answer is not necessarily, especially if they choose brands like these five, which have perfected the balance between value and service.

• Join a rewards program. Johns is a member of Oneworld, a frequent-flier program that earns rewards for 10 airlines. He racks up points for future flights that he uses for himself or any of his six employees.
• Consult a travel guide. Anytime Johns goes to a new country, he picks up a copy of Lonely Planet, a series of guides with info on languages, currencies, maps, transportation, and more, for various countries.
• Have fun, too. Excessive travel doesn’t get exhausting for Johns, “because you have to mix in the fun with the work,” he says. “There has to be a reward for going.” –L.H.

• Network before you travel. Chan travels to promote events, visit clients, attend trade shows and more; however, she’s always looking to grow, so she researches additional business prospects before she travels to make her trip especially worthwhile.
• Take a cab to the airport. “You can work while you’re on your way,” Chan says, “and you don’t have to worry about the parking.”
• Prep for security. For Chan, that means saving a belt and jewelry for when she arrives at her destination. She says, “It’s one less thing you’ll have to take off for security.” –L.H.

Tristan Schukraft, 30

ID90 Technologies
Los Angeles

Frequent-flier miles: Three-year-old ID90T is often likened to an Expedia for airline employees, so Schukraft spends a fair amount of time traveling: seven to 10 days a month and sometimes more than 10,000 miles a week.

Where in the world: Schukraft has taken many trips to Cordoba, Argentina, where ID90T’s tech is based, but he has also traveled domestically to Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, New York City and Seattle; and internationally to Argentina, Brazil, France, French Polynesia, Kenya, Mexico, Panama, Russia and Switzerland (just to name a few).

Must-have travel tool: Vote No. 3 for a BlackBerry, though he does travel with a laptop, too: his tiny, lightweight Sony VAIO.

Travel tips:

• Use Skype. “It will save you a ton on phone bills when you’re chatting from a hotel room or a lounge,” Schukraft says, “and you can use it to forward all your calls.”
• Use the right credit card. Translation: one that earns points toward airlines and hotels. Says Schukraft, “You can save big in places like Paris, where hotels can cost 300 euros or more a night.”
• Sleep when you can. Traveling internationally–and all the time–can take its toll on your sleep schedule. So Schukraft advises using an eye mask, flying in first class with fully reclining seats (if it’s in your budget) and not staying awake for the complimentary meal. –L.H.

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