Executive Travel

* Name: Peggy Edwards

* Position: Training and development consultant

* Company: Ellis/Edwards, Santa Clarita

Many business travelers don’t take advantage of airline discounts because they require a Saturday night stay, which means a weekend away from home. Training consultant Peggy Edwards has some advice on making the best of weekends on the road:

* I prefer to tack my extra day on to the beginning of a trip. I find that by the end of the week, I’m tired and anxious to get home. Scheduling my flights on Saturday allows me a free Sunday, with business usually scheduled to begin Monday morning.

* Look for bed and breakfast accommodations for the night or two before you check into your business hotel. Not only will the price be lower, but Sunday in a home with breakfast, the newspaper and perhaps a church service will feel more like home than a hotel.

* Look for ways to use the day exactly as you would have if you had been at home. If you had planned to read a book, take it along; if you need to write letters or call acquaintances, take phone numbers; if you need to pick up a gift, look for local shopping areas.

* Call the chamber of commerce in your destination city and ask to be sent a newcomers’ package. The materials should arrive promptly and will include listings of local attractions and events that have open dates and times. You can turn your “Saturday night stay” into an adventure rather than a waste of time.