As I was walking through the lobby of a Honolulu hotel last week, I overheard a couple, rolling bags in tow, going head to head with the clerk on the other side of the elite-level check-in desk.

"I'm sorry, folks, the upgrade you requested is not available," he said. "I do have an oceanfront room, but it would be $40 a night more."

"Ridiculous," snapped one of the unhappy guests. "I was promised the upgrade. I shouldn't have to pay for it. I'm not going to."

I don't know the upshot of the tale—I was hustling to a meeting myself—but I can guarantee you that the couple's visit was probably ruined before they walked into whichever guestroom they eventually chose to rent.

Last month we discussed some practical tips for keeping sane on the road, but the fact of the matter is that attitude is at least as important.

Starting any hotel stay or any flight with an argument isn't likely to lower your stress level on the road. Blowing up over a few dollars or a perceived indignity isn't going to make for a successful business trip, either.

If you want to travel better and be more productive, consider changing your approach toward the entire process. Here are a half-dozen attitude adjustments to help you find more balance and satisfaction when you're doing the whole road-warrior thing.

Go Zen and Be Polite

There's an old story about a snowstorm, an airport, an important executive, and an overworked ticket agent that goes something like this: A big shot pushes past a long line of travelers waiting for help, slaps his ticket on the counter, and demands immediate first-class passage on the next flight out. When told by the agent that he'd have to wait his turn, he bellows: "Do you have any idea who I am?" Whereupon the harried agent picks up the public-address mic and says: "We have a passenger who does not know who he is. If anyone can help him, please come to the gate."

Trust me, fellow travelers, nobody at the airport cares how important you think you are in the "real" world. Who you are and the clout you wield back at the office just doesn't cut it with the near-minimum-wage clerks at the airport. At the gates and ticket counters, they have the power, and you're just another flyer in a wrinkled suit.

Rather that swinging your ceremonial CEO sword at every opportunity, try going Zen. At best, air travel is a complicated, convoluted game that can easily go wrong. No one is in control of the weather. Mechanical delays are inevitable. Dozens of other things can and will go awry. You just can't take every breakdown in your travel plans as a personal affront. As Crosby, Stills, and Nash once sang, it'll make you crazy and old before your time.

Staying calm works best. Being polite to everyone—airline employees, shop attendants, the folks cleaning the restrooms when you desperately need the accommodations—really is effective. The less you scream, the more likely you'll get timely assistance.