The unexpected cost of doing business in Australia

The unexpected cost of doing business in Australia.

“Even a short flight and single change in time zone can significantly reduce a person’s performance in meetings.”

New Zealand business travellers are under-estimating the physical toll a trans-Tasman hop can take, and as a result could be under-performing while they’re in Australia, says 1Above Flight Drink CEO Stephen Smith.

In the year to April 2015, Kiwis made a record 2.31 million trips overseas, with more than a million of these to Australia1. This is also the number one destination for New Zealanders travelling on business.

A flight from Auckland to Sydney is just three hours, while Australia is only two hours behind New Zealand. Surprisingly, that’s enough to disrupt the body’s circadian rhythms.

“While jet lag usually occurs after someone has crossed three or more time zones, some people can be affected by just one change in time zone,” explains Smith. “And all flying takes a toll on the body, which in turn can affect how well people perform when they arrive and need to go straight into back-to-back meetings.”

Experts suggest that it takes one day per time zone crossed to recover fully2, and this is backed up by international research recently conducted by 1Above:

77% of people say that, after a flight, they need at least 24 hours of recovery time before operating at their best again.3

Smith points out that people also don’t factor in the number of hours they’ll be travelling before they even arrive at their meeting in Australia.

“It can easily take eight or nine hours for someone to get from their home in New Zealand to their meeting in Australia, which means by the time they land they’ve already effectively worked a full day – before being expected to work another one. And that’s on top of an extremely early start. No wonder they won’t be at their sharpest.”

83% of business travellers are not given any down time to recover between flights and meetings.3

Smith flies to the US and Australia most months, and recommends that companies give all their executives a few simple travel tips to help their productivity and performance. “Corporates are talking about health and wellbeing for their people, yet clearly not taking the impact of travel seriously.”

He says that hydration is absolutely critical, even on short haul flights. “Water is good, but water with 1Above is even better, as it supplies the body with the necessary vitamins and active ingredients to support your body. Our study found that 39% of travellers believe hydrating more is helpful in combating the negative effects of flying. Which means that almost two thirds of fliers don’t realise how easily they can make a difference to their recovery rate once they land.”

Smith’s other flight tips include always booking the aisle seat. “Those in the window or dreaded middle seats tend to hydrate and move around less, because they don’t want to disturb people. This increases your risk of developing circulation issues. Also, when you arrive in Australia, try to fit some light exercise in between your work commitments.”

www.fly1above.com

Media Contact:Nicole Haysom Nicole.haysom@lilyandlouis.com 021903117

1. Statistics New Zealand. 2. Wikipedia. 3. 1Above OMNIBUS Research USA.

ABOUT 1ABOVE

1Above is the flight drink designed to help you fly well and arrive ready. 1Above features a natural pine bark extract (Pycnogenol®), a key active ingredient in reducing the severity and length of jet lag. It also contains a mix of electrolytes and essential B vitamins. 1Above comes in three great formats – lightweight effervescent tablets and a convenient 100ml concentrate that both fly through security with ease, as well as a 600ml and 1L ready-to- drink product. 1Above is available at 1Above kiosks at Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, via 1Above vending machines throughout NZ and Australia, and through leading convenience stores, airport cafes and pharmacies, as well as online, fly1above.com & Amazon.com. Since June 2015, 1Above will also be available in Toronto, Newark and Minneapolis airports via Cibo Express Gourmet Markets and airport restaurants with OTG iPad ordering systems. For more information visit fly1above.com and #arriveready.

ENDS

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