Source: http://worldcityweb.com/home/MIA/publications/magazine/20/725/

Sky Warrior

by WC

To qualify for SkyWarrior status requires a minimum 100,000 annual skymiles. But for some globetrotters, 100K is only just getting started. Last year, GARY URBAN, who runs the Latin American operation for Italian paper-tissue machinery-maker Fabio Perini SpA, logged a formidable 316,000 skymiles, placing him in an elite ironman category.

At WorldCity’s request, Gary performed a detailed review of his business travel in 2004. In all, there were 22 trips abroad and 110 nights spent away from his Coral Gables home. As we do with each SkyWarrior of the month, we asked Urban about the challenges of keeping in touch, keeping in shape and keeping sane while constantly traveling. Here’s what we learned.

*For the sake of comparison, how many miles did you put on your car last year? *

6,000

*Top three biz-travel destinations? *

Italy, Mexico, Germany

Got a favorite restaurant in these ports of call?

Los Arcos in Mexicali & Tijuana; La Fonda del Refujio in Cambalache and La Antica Locanda del Sesto in Mexico D.F. In Lucca, Italy, (HQ of Fabio Perini) my favorites are Ristorante Buatino and Ristorante Vipore.

What is your favorite hotel for business travel?

Any hotel with DSL keeps the email plumbing flowing.

What do you do to relax when you are away on business?

Watch T.V.

*If you had to spend a weekend away from home on business, where would you prefer to get stuck? *

Shanghai.

*What cell phone service do you use when traveling? *

T-Mobile

*Does your phone work in all your destinations? *

Almost all

*TECH TALLY: what hi-tech aparati (i.e. PDA, laptop, digital camera, portable DVD player, MP3 player, Walkman) do you travel with? *

The less to carry, the better for me; less likely to get lost or stolen. I bring CDs and at times DVDs but play them on my laptop.

*What airline do you use for business travel? *

American Airlines

Do you fly business class?

Only when it is more than a 7-hour flight

How do you pass the time onboard the airplane?

Doing expense reports, emails, listening to music or watching in-flight entertainment.

*What is your favorite airport? *

Don’t have one.

*Favorite VIP lounge? *

All of them

PET PEEVE: When traveling on business, what annoying thing or problem or inconvenience drives you crazy?

Not being able to connect to the Internet gives me email constipation