I am fortunate that, as an automated lighting programmer, my work takes me all over the world, although I rarely program in my hometown. Travel has its ups and downs (pun intended), and you must learn to make the most of your time as you travel. As I write this article I am flying at over 30,000 feet across the Atlantic Ocean. It looks like I will arrive back at my house about 26 hours later than planned, but such is often the case with travel. There are benefits to traveling as a programmer, but there are also many things you must consider when you're traveling to a gig.
The Good
Traveling can be fun. Hopefully, your work affords you some time to get out to a nice restaurant or a day of sightseeing. Sometimes just checking out a new culture on the way to the venue can be very interesting. As for perks, there are many. First, you should be collecting miles for every flight. If you do not have memberships on every airline, then you should sign up right now. Being able to travel later with your family for no cost, or being able to upgrade on a long flight, are just a few of the many benefits of membership. From the miles I have accumulated, I have been able to travel on my own time with my family all over the world for free. Also, frequent flyer status provides many check-in benefits, including shorter lines, no baggage fees and better seat selections.
For instance, today, the check-in lines were extremely long, because all the flights were canceled the day before. I went for the Priority Access line (due to my frequent flier status), which was about half the length of the normal line. I was in line for about one hour before I was able to check in. The airline then presented me with a card that allowed me to bypass the equally-long security line. I breezed past all the other people and went right to the gate. In addition to airline miles, I collect points or miles for hotel stays, rental cars, airport parking and any other possible account. I have a stack of membership cards that I carry in my bag so I am always prepared. I definitely enjoy the benefits of traveling as much as possible.
The Bad
Travel can be irritating. On this trip, my outbound flight was delayed over six hours. I arrived at my destination at 3 p.m. instead of 8 a.m. I had planned to go directly to the venue and work all day, because the corporate event started the next morning. I had planned to have a nice day of programming, a casual dinner and a reasonable bedtime. However, this was not the case. It was after 5 p.m. when I finally arrived at the venue, and I quickly updated positions and created the main cuelist. Luckily, I had done the bulk of this show before, so there was not too much to do. Dinnertime was later than planned, but I did manage to find an open restaurant and have a nice meal.
Since my return journey has been delayed a day due to major storms in Europe, I had to find another hotel near the airport to spend the night. Luckily, I am heading home and not to another gig, so my family will have to wait another night before we can be together again. Two weeks ago, I had a similar delay due to massive snowstorms in Dallas. I could not get to Los Angeles in time for a gig. The production manager had to call in a backup lighting guy. I was able to help over the phone and then flew out the next day so that I could assist with the next show as planned.
The point is that travel can be unpredictable, and you should be prepared for delays and cancellations. Many productions don't want extra hotel and travel expenses, so they are bringing crews together at the last minute, which can be risky. If you are delayed, contact the production manager or lighting designer immediately and alert them. This way, the production can make plans to continue without you. Furthermore, you can often prepare show files at the airport or on a plane. Then they can be sent ahead via email so that lighting technicians can load your show and prepare the rig. Always remember, "The show must go on," and in most cases, they cannot wait for your arrival.
Making the Most of It
Technology is wonderful, and most automated lighting programmers are tech savvy. When you're traveling, you should have a laptop, cell phone and power cables for each. If suddenly you find yourself sitting in an airport for six hours, you should plug in and recharge your batteries. Furthermore, a good power adapter or airplane kit will allow you to keep the power going on your flight. Most laptops provide only a few hours of battery operation, which is often not enough. For instance, my flight today is ten and a half hours. My laptop is plugged into the seat power and my phone is plugged in the laptop. I plan to write, prep my next show and watch a movie or two. All this is possible because I planned ahead and brought the tools I need. I also have a good pair of headphones that not only sound great, but block out the airplane noise.
Paying for It All
Of course, traveling costs money. Productions will pay your travel expenses and hopefully your per diem. You may also want to ask for airport parking fees and Internet charges (if used mainly for the production). Your equipment, such as laptop, cell phone, adapters and DVDs, can usually be claimed as a business expense on your taxes.
Many productions will book your flights for you, which means you do not need to spend any money up front. This is very convenient, but sometimes they put you on airlines or routes that are not preferred. I regularly ask the production manager if I can book my own travel and submit the expense on my invoice. Usually they okay it and give me a budget. In most cases, it works well, and I only have to float the ticket cost for a few weeks. However, I recently had a tour cancel, and it took almost two months to get reimbursed for my canceled tickets. Luckily, I had enough money to cover it, but it certainly opened my eyes to the potential problems.
It's a Small World
The modern age makes it easy to travel the planet with relative ease and speed, opening the door to many opportunities for programmers. While some find travel frustrating, I enjoy the total lack of control I have over most of what happens. I generally find traveling for work enjoyable and easy, as well as fun and rewarding. Thanks to being prepared, frequent flier status and having the right tools, I don't mind traveling. If you are reading this article on a plane, look around, and you may just see me typing the next one during your flight!
