Frequent Fliers: Travel + Leisure magazine's Nancy Novogrod

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Nancy Novogrod is the editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure magazine (http://www.travelandleisure.com). She lives in New York and travels extensively every year. She spoke to Reuters about managing her travel.

Q: How many flights a year do you estimate you take each year? Which is your most frequent route?

A: "I usually take around 30 flights a year, which includes one or two trips to London, L.A., and Italy (I'm figuring in vacation in the south of Italy, too), Hong Kong (as a jumping-off point for Southeast Asia and China), Delhi (with visits elsewhere in India), Latin America, and, recently, Dubai."

Q: What is the most important factor in choosing an airline?

A: "Easy connections and familiarity. I usually fly on the same US airline, which has a good business-first section, good coverage of destinations, and a huge cluster of my frequent-flier miles.

Q: What was your worst travel experience?

A: "I have been very lucky (and I hope I'm not jinxing it now). Other than a couple of missed connections and canceled flights, some bumpy rides, and long lines, which I tune out on, I've never had a truly terrible experience. Even in the Himalayas, western Ukraine, and the high desert of Chile."

Q: How do you deal with jetlag? Any tricks for sleeping on flights?

A: "After having had some bad experiences with a particular well-known sleeping pill, I now use a prescription medication that's more of a relaxant. I take it right after take-off, and always order the executive meal or quick meal. One thing I never skip: the cocktail nuts, just in case I hate the rest of it. If I arrive in the morning, I try to exercise before my first appointment, to clear my head."

Q: What is essential in your bag on a work trip and any tips for packing?

A: "For overnight flights, I always pack a travel pillow, preferably one of the soft Nap ones from Brookstone, and a cashmere travel blanket and sweater, in my carry-on, along with small tubes of moisturizer and hand sanitizer and handcream, magazines, a Kindle loaded with novels, and my iPhone, BlackBerry and laptop. I try to remember to pack converter plugs, chargers, and my own bedroom slippers and eye mask, and to keep my clothing in one or two color schemes -- this is all usually in a bag I check-in, which for the most part, I haven't been able to avoid (I like to think this is because I bring my cross-trainers). I recently found some slim corduroy jeans that look great with heels and a dressy tunic or jacket for dinner or with boots and a turtleneck for weekends, but I also include skirts and dresses, as there are invariably lots of business meetings, lunches, and dinners, and sometimes spanning different climate zones."

Q: What is your major bugbear about travelling and what do you enjoy?

A: "My most significant problem is sleep. I can't leave my New York day-job at home, so I'm often working a 12- or 14-hour day, fielding emails, reading copy, and approving layouts. It's particularly difficult when I'm away during an issue close, which I try to avoid but can't if a particular event, such as the World Travel Market in London, takes place early in the month when we're closing."