Clean underwear and socks. Lots of it too. Other than that bring the bare essentials and buy everything else once you get into town. I always love shopping in other cities because they usually got stuff nobody has back home. Also, this way you can travel light at least when you're arriving.
like others have mentioned. It helped me to buy double of things. I would keep dopp kit fully stocked and ready to go. Basically, keep as much packed before you travel as possible. This just helps with not having to re-collect everything and worrying that you are forgetting something...this would also include extra phone charger, extra laptop power cord. After a few weeks you will find your own groove though and it will become second nature. I would advise on being extra early to the airport. It's just no fun to be rushed. Also, not sure if you are using a company card or your own credit card but it is worth buying a rewards card. I had a Hilton card that I charged hotels too and Continental that i charged flights on so I could rack points up faster.
Frequent flier miles and hotel points are very, very valuable when you're a frequent business traveler. If you do it right, they add up very quickly. Essentially, if you're traveling Monday-Thursday for a good amount of time, you should never be paying for personal flights and hotels in the near future.
I agree with the point that you choose a couple of brands for airline, hotel, car and stick with them. Also, a lot of hotels and car companies allow bonus miles in addition to their point system, so make sure to attach your airline to your hotel and car. Another thing, if you are just beginning to travel, a lot of times when you book a bunch of trips, the airline will put you on a "challenge" to achieve elite status immediately, then the elite status is confirmed when you meet the challenge. This will often get you elite for a few months before you would have qualified anyways, get you free upgrades, get you express lines at the airport, saves on added fees and bag check charges, etc. I would also check into a credit card that gets you miles and perks on the airline of your choice. Often times the nominal yearly fee is paid back multiple times by the amount of miles and fees that you may save just by carrying the card. You can also check a bunch of third party companies that will get you miles on your airline of choice. I know there are a couple of electric companies that allow you to accrue miles just by paying your bills. One last little bit of advice that a coworker mentioned to me. Carry an extra, clean pair of socks with you when you fly. If you have to land and go straight to an office after travelling all day and don't have time to change or have a shower, a clean pair of socks will actually make you feel better. I didn't believe it until I tried it, but it helps freshen you up after a day of travel. EDIT: I also want to add, invest in high quality, top rated noise canceling head phones. Good ones cost hundreds of dollars. You should be able to afford a good set with your new high flying job. This is the best investment for a frequent flyer out there.
