As I enter hour number three of an anticipated 6 hour wait after my flight was canceled due to ‘Air Traffic Control’, I am comfortable, able to work on my laptop and have made several telephone calls to clients and team members while sitting in an airline club lounge. Five years ago it wasn’t nearly as easy. In fact I would argue that I am in some ways more productive not being in the office. And I am far from alone as I look around and see that nearly everyone in the club lounge is on their laptop or tablet (ok mostly iPads) as well as on their mobile phone.

This week I’ve been on the road for three days visiting clients, associates and friends (as often now they are one in the same). Throughout the day I check email and phone messages from my smartphone and then at some point I head back to my hotel room in order to log on to my office desktop (we use gotomypc.com) to read and answer longer emails as well as write blog posts.

When I travel to Asia I am as connected as I want to be. I receive emails and text messages in real time (12 hour difference) and can get an internet connection virtually anywhere I am. There are people I know who remark that it must be exhausting and stressful to be that connected, but for me it is a stress-reducer and I am at least content that I am getting done remotely what I would have been doing in the office.

As recently as fifteen years ago a flight delay meant going to the newsstand to buy magazines, newspapers, or books and whatever else you could find to read in order to pass the time. Flight delays are still aggravating, inconvenient and sometimes even worse when they cause important meetings or events to be missed due to circumstances beyond control. However with the ability to work effectively from remote locations flight delays are not as bad as they once were.

Anyone that flies as much as I do knows that planes (or equipment as the airlines like to call them now) are filled to capacity with increasing frequency. Delays are part of the deal. If a flight is canceled it can be a challenge to re-book since there are so few open seats to begin with.

Of course I wish that I were already back home, but since I do not have a meeting or event to attend once I finally do get there the fact that I can work and conduct business independent of my location makes a 6 hour delay much more bearable.

Are you also more able to just roll with the punches delivered to travelers?