Has any one else noticed lately in a few threads that some A.netters are annoyed that many people travel for thier companies and that the company pays for the air fare? Who do they expect to pay for the privelage of flying somewhere they did not choose to at a time they did not select on an airline not suited to them?
There was one thread about air miles that all the miles should go to the company because they paid the ticket. In another thread there was one about why complain about BOB food if you did not pay for the flight.
I travel quite a lot for my company and many of my colleagues do not understand how I enjoy travelling for 4 days to get to northern China or work all day travel overnight to Europe from America and go straight to work in the afternoon when you get there, but they do not complain when I say that I get an upgrade or had a free trip with my family on air miles.
Has any one else noticed the moaners about some one else paying for your air fare.
Before some one asks, my company always gets the cheapest non changeable economy ticket they can, but any upgrades and lounge access come because of my status on some airlines.

The entire industry makes a living on you (and me). Why worry about the grumpy ones??

Quoting Scouse (Thread starter): Before some one asks, my company always gets the cheapest non changeable economy ticket they can

That's too bad. 12hrs flight in Y on business trip is not something that anybody should promote, or even agree to.

Just my $.03...

Quoting ForgotMyNick (Reply 1): That's too bad. 12hrs flight in Y on business trip is not something that anybody should promote, or even agree to.

I have done worse than that, 8hours MSP to AMS 3 hours layover then 11.5hours AMS to CPT but I did not have to go straight into work as it was 10.30pm when I landed, all in economy, two times last year.

When I non-reved (sp?) over the summer on DL, I left HNL at about 9PM Hawaii time, and arrived in ATL at about 7 or 7:30AM. From there, my flight home to the Quad Cities wasn't until noon, and my brother and I ended up getting bumped. We made the next flight at 3PM, only by luck because two people didn't get to the gate in time. Did I mention that we arrived at the airport in Honolulu at about 4PM? THAT was a LONG day, but I'm sure some could share horror stories worse than mine.  

I fly 5-6 times a year international on company paid tickets.
I get to keep my miles. I have almost 200K left, after using 60K for a round trip to Singapore, and using 120,000 miles for my wife to take a business class trip to Seoul and Shanghai with me next September/October. My company will pay for my ticket. Business travel is not all that much fun anymore, but it is part of the job. My company pays for my Northwest Worldclub membership.

No one in my office is jealous or gives me a hard time about keeping and using the miles, at least to my face, lol. Most wonder how I can handle it.

I leave the 31st for a trip to Asia. I return home Sunday the 11th, then leave the 14th for Miami and then Toronto, returning home about 1130PM the 19th, as I have to be back in the office at 7am on the 20th.
I will make 3 more trips to Asia, and 2 to Europe by the end of the year.

My September trip will start with my wife and I flying together to Seoul. The day after our arrival, she will stay with her family, and I will continue on to a conference in Beijing. I will then spend 1 week in south China and the next week in south Asia doing sales calls. I will rejoin her in Korea for a few days of vacation, then we will both fly to Shanghai for a conference there.

I fly a mix of economy and business class. It is my choice, but I do consider price, and how fast I am expected to be working after arrival.

Quoting Scouse (Reply 2): I have done worse than that, 8hours MSP to AMS 3 hours layover then 11.5hours AMS to CPT but I did not have to go straight into work as it was 10.30pm when I landed, all in economy, two times last year.

I basically agree with your comments and I also enjoy my business trips but I would simply refuse to fly economy for company purposes on flights any longer than 6 hours. Our company policy actually states that the employee is entitled to fly business class on any flights longer than 6 hours. I think that is a fair deal and I get to keep my miles as well. Suggest you check your company's travel policy.

Cheers,

Peter

I was flying on average 20 times per month at one job, most intercontinental, lived out of a suitcase, didn't see my home for a couple months on end... Loved it.

Unfortunately, I flew WN and by the time I got around to flying for personal reasons...my miles were past. Such is life, but flying intercontinental is pretty cheap so I didn't really care and it allowed for me to try different airlines. Now I dont really fly WN, not that I have anything against them.

As for perks, I agree with the thread starter. The company budgets for the trip, any perks are not budgeted for and should remain with the person.

Edited for this:

Most people that travel for business are salary. The perks do not mach the OT that we dont recieve... Again, not complaining.

[Edited 2007-01-25 05:23:19]

Quoting Scouse (Thread starter): Before some one asks, my company always gets the cheapest non changeable economy ticket they can, but any upgrades and lounge access come because of my status on some airlines.

I haven't noticed any resentment -- but I probably haven't read the threads you're referring to. When I travel for business, my company pays the airfare, but I choose that airline (invariably CO), the flights, and the fare (ok, well, I used to choose the fare, I've since been instructed to buy fully-flexable economy, and to consider Y-up Y fares for longer flights).

Part of the reason my boss (my company's president) told me to do fully flexable/Y-up is because of the advantage in scoring the upgrade it gains-- and the company's view is that in First you have the option to completely relax or be productive (if you want), but in Economy there's no point in trying to do either.

While a BIG part of the reason I took this job was the promise of travel, I can't imagine why anyone but the company (and indirectly, my company's clients) would pay for my airfare. How else am I suposed to get here, teleportation? Who's going to pay for that?

Then again I love the company I work for -- my boss is a great manager, levelheaded, and would do just about anything (it seems) for the people who work for him...He also trusts us to make the decision that's in our and the company's best interest on our own, wihtout running it through 14 people or waiting 2 weeks for a decision.

Lincoln
(Living in CLE, currently in RDU, in RIC next week, followed by DAY and CMH, back in RDU th week after...and maybe NYC for a day or two the week after....)

Quoting RichPhitzwell (Reply 6): As for perks, I agree with the thread starter. The company budgets for the trip, any perks are not budgeted for and should remain with the person.

     
I agree, it's one of the perks for them asking for a road warrior, it's nice to have the company pay for a vacation every once in a while between hotel points and fq miles.. I'll admit, I've used them for business too, once I really wanted to stay at a hotel closer to the office than was within budget guidelines, so I burned some points and save the company some cash...

Quoting ForgotMyNick (Reply 1): That's too bad. 12hrs flight in Y on business trip is not something that anybody should promote, or even agree to

Oh boo hoo. There is a reason the economy class cabin is the biggest - that's where most of us end up. I personally have no problem travelling 12, 15, 17 hours in coach, whether it be on my own dime or my companies. It's just what I am used to...if I get business or first, awesome, but that isn't gonna happen.

My work pays for my plane tickets, and I get to keep the miles. It's all very nice.

Quoting Acey559 (Reply 3): When I non-reved (sp?) over the summer on DL, I left HNL at about 9PM Hawaii time, and arrived in ATL at about 7 or 7:30AM. From there, my flight home to the Quad Cities wasn't until noon, and my brother and I ended up getting bumped. We made the next flight at 3PM, only by luck because two people didn't get to the gate in time. Did I mention that we arrived at the airport in Honolulu at about 4PM? THAT was a LONG day, but I'm sure some could share horror stories worse than mine.

Hey, when you don't pay for a the ticket, you've gotta take the good with the bad.  

Interestingly enough, I think the same sort of issue can arise in reference to air-crew staying at nice hotels. A lot of people think we are spoiled for some of the hotels we are put up at. But as Scouse said, the company is sending people places they don't always want to be at times that may not always be suitable.

Similarly, a lot of crew complain about how there is often attitude given to them by hotel staff. I know (from having worked in hotels) that a lot of hotel staff see air-crew as 2nd class guests because they didn't pay for the room themself; yet I imagine most would not DARE treat businessmen the same way because they hadn't paid for the room themself.

I work for a US company and travel from MEL to Silicon Valley at least twice a year.. and on United because it is the company policy. United economy on 16 hr flight is excruciating as they are one of the very few airlines with no personal tv in economy and always you get grandmas and grandpas as FAs. I found out that is due to seniority most old FAs get this sector.

I am Premier Exec with Milage Plus and sometimes I upgrade myself to business class with points. Last time I flew SYD-LAX I got bumped up to First class since the whole flight was full. It was very nice to have a fully horizontal bed when you really have to get out of the flight in mid morning and drive in the right hand side of the road (in Australia we drive the other side of the road) from Burlingame to Santa Clara/San Jose for a meeting in the afternoon while recovering from Jet lag.

That is the reality of modern day business travel. Not much fun as most others think.

Cheers,

Airlanka

Quoting VHXLR8 (Reply 10): Similarly, a lot of crew complain about how there is often attitude given to them by hotel staff. I know (from having worked in hotels) that a lot of hotel staff see air-crew as 2nd class guests because they didn't pay for the room themself; yet I imagine most would not DARE treat businessmen the same way because they hadn't paid for the room themself.

As much as I agree they should be treated well while at hotels, it is a completely different ball game... The hotel rates that the airlines get for their crews are not nearly what any guest at the hotel is paying... I've seen crew rates that are 1/2 or less the the cheapest rate at the hotel, it makes sense for the hotel, because as I heard it put once, "it pays the maid" but it's like what a NRSA passenger might pay first class... sometimes the hotels (the nicer ones) even have to have separate menus and separate pricing for crews at their restaurants so the crews can eat reasonably...

before I get blasted, yes the hotels do sign the contract.. but they look at it as on average over a year they run let's say an 80 percent occupancy rate, so they they contract at cost to the carriers to fill the other 20 percent so they cover... sometimes its even less than that in competitive markets... it might be a percentage over variable cost... I don't know a business alive that has that can get those kind of rates at hotels nationwide...

Yes my company pays for my airfare....and yes sometimes its in business or (gasp!) first.

However, the trade off is:
(i) I'm not allowed to say no to a trip;
(ii) I often travel on very short notice (sometimes I've come in at 8:30 am, bought a ticket at 10:30 am and flown that night at 5:30 pm); and
(iii) I often don't know how long I'll be gone for.

I usually travel in Y (or at least my ticket is bought for Y and then I upgrade), but if I have to travel all night and work a full day the next day, you better believe I'm in business so I can get a good rest.

I think it's GREAT when business travelers can use the miles they've accrued while travelling for business. HOWEVER;

*While the majority of air travel is done my business travelers, it should
NEVER be used as leverage to excuse inappropriate behavior, bad attitude
or a sense of entitlement beyond ANYONE else.

*Don't make statements about "How much [you] paid for this ticket"...if YOU
didn't pay for it.

*Don't say that crew shouldn't be able to cut to the front of the line when
they're not working...or when being repositioned. They are JUST as
entitled to use the benefits of their position as you are to use your
status/miles when you're NOT on a business trip.

*Don't act as if you're entitled to the world just because you're travelling
for work. In my eyes the wellfare of ALL my pax is equal save for maybe
the unaccompanied minors who I pay extra special attention to for safety
reasons.

NOTE: When I am at my crew hotel I don't act as if I am entitled to
ANYTHING! I am glad to be able to have a nice place to stay and usually if
I have an issue I always handle it as diplomatically as possible b/c in
uniform or not I ALWAYS represent the image of my carrier. I have heard
crews say (when staying next to a noisy guest)...."I only have 10hrs to rest
and you need to do something about this." So....what about everyone else?
Every guests' rest is or should be important to the hotel. CREW are no
different. BUT, if you are polite and willing to work with the hotel they
are usually very accomodating because they DO understand your situation
which may include limited crew rest time.

I NEVER want business travelers to feel like I'm beating up on them...I'm not and I realize they pay my wages....along with MANY other travelers. However, when it comes to rules, courtesy, behavior, attitude......it can't be excused by pointing out how much you fly etc. "Oh, you have 200,000 Frequet Flyer Miles....well let me get you TWO FA's to slap around." Everyone is held to the same standard. I am kind to everyone whom I come into contact with...ESPECIALLY at work....and I expect the same. It's really very simple. It shouldn't be about all this "status"....it should be about common courtesy and manners....but to some people those things are excusable based on varying factors of social status.

Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 12): As much as I agree they should be treated well while at hotels, it is a completely different ball game... The hotel rates that the airlines get for their crews are not nearly what any guest at the hotel is paying... I've seen crew rates that are 1/2 or less the the cheapest rate at the hotel, it makes sense for the hotel, because as I heard it put once, "it pays the maid" but it's like what a NRSA passenger might pay first class... sometimes the hotels (the nicer ones) even have to have separate menus and separate pricing for crews at their restaurants so the crews can eat reasonably...

First of all, does knowing that a guest (or guest's employer) has paid reduced rate for a room give staff a free ticket to be rude, to give attitude etc??
It should make absolutely no difference what the room rate is, they're still guests at the hotel and should be treated accordingly.

Let's take the 'completely different ball game' back to aircraft. There are, on any given flight, numerous passengers who haven't paid full fare, in many cases they're flying for next to nothing (through corporate accouts) or as subload (non-rev) status. Does that then mean that these passengers should be treated rudely by crew?? Because I can assue you, that at my airline, all passengers are treated the same, regardless of yeild.

As for the seperate menus; yes that is very common. But moreso for the fact that most crew don't want to eat 'fancy' meals every night, but prefer simple food when they are away. The crew menus allow for that.

Most major airlines have developed programs that benefit both the traveler and the company.

TWA started this with Aviators and most other airlines followed suit. Years ago.

Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 12): As much as I agree they should be treated well while at hotels, it is a completely different ball game...

Quoting VHXLR8 (Reply 15): First of all, does knowing that a guest (or guest's employer) has paid reduced rate for a room give staff a free ticket to be rude, to give attitude etc??

ok, maybe the term "treated well while at hotels" didnt' emphazie what I meant... "Crews should be like any other guest" might be better... irregardless... my bad I guess..

Quoting VHXLR8 (Reply 15): It should make absolutely no difference what the room rate is, they're still guests at the hotel and should be treated accordingly.

so you treat the F class and the Y class passengers the same? (purely to play devils advocate)

[Edited 2007-01-25 07:53:55]

Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 17): irregardless

Not a word.

I was called to the carpet for using it by one of my college English instructors.

Continue.........

Quoting Jetdeltamsy (Reply 18): Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 17): irregardless Not a word. I was called to the carpet for using it by one of my college English instructors. Continue.........

I guess I was lucky, my profs never called me out on that....

When I was in training for OH I had to go to CVG for a week. The staff there was exceptionally friendly to the new OH employees. I think the reason was because that hotel was the only hotel in the city that OH put its employees in, and they were awarded LOTS of business because of it. I'm sure it's different for business travelers, but this is my only experience with sort of thing.

Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 17): so you treat the F class and the Y class passengers the same? (purely to play devils advocate)

Provide the same level of service....NO
Provide service with the same demeanor...YES!
With the same level of courtesy/Respect? Yes!
Expect the SAME of them in regards to attitude, manners, following rules...YES! There may be a difference in SERVICE but should not be a difference in "treatment"....all pax are worth the same level of respect.

And before you say "WN doesn't even have FC what do you know." I used to fly for a major and did frequently work FC.

Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 17): so you treat the F class and the Y class passengers the same? (purely to play devils advocate)

I believe WNCrew sums it up perfectly....

Quoting WNCrew (Reply 21): Provide the same level of service....NO Provide service with the same demeanor...YES! With the same level of courtesy/Respect? Yes! Expect the SAME of them in regards to attitude, manners, following rules...YES! There may be a difference in SERVICE but should not be a difference in "treatment"....all pax are worth the same level of respect.

HPAEAA, whilst I fully respect your well thought out responses, you have basically proven my point in regards to the way in which a lot of people view cabin crew being accomodated at nice hotels.

My employer is very economical in such things, we fly always economy class and when we fly to a rescue mission our "company" rent a big, fat, old cargo aircraft and with this aircraft we fly to our destination. Quite interesting to fly with old Russian birds or with a Hercules, but their is really no first class or a business class on this flights. The economy class on the most airlines are much better, than this flights.

Quoting ForgotMyNick (Reply 1): That's too bad. 12hrs flight in Y on business trip is not something that anybody should promote, or even agree to. Just my $.03...

Quoting BPS3458 (Reply 5): basically agree with your comments and I also enjoy my business trips but I would simply refuse to fly economy for company purposes on flights any longer than 6 hours. Our company policy actually states that the employee is entitled to fly business class on any flights longer than 6 hours. I think that is a fair deal and I get to keep my miles as well. Suggest you check your company's travel policy.

Agree with both of you. My company's policy is we can fly business class (or First if business isn’t available) on any leg more than 8 continuous hours. That works great for me since I’m now in Asia and probably will be for the next year or so and I get to fly home once every two months. I get to keep all my miles and try to fly with Star Alliance members that way I don’t have miles all over the place but recently I’ve had to fly NW since their Word business class is okay compared to freaking UA’s.

A lot of my friends and co-workers back in California always tell me how lucky I am to be flying business class and staying in a five star hotel for a year. I’ll tell you it get’s pretty old fast coz as they say, ‘east or west home is best’. I love it where am at but I still miss my ‘mattress on the floor’ bed back home. Business traveling is way overrated but one wouldn’t realize it until you actually do it for a while.

Company Policy:

- If Flight less than 8Hrs: Required to book Economy Refundable
- If Flight is more that 8 Hrs: OK to book Business
- If Flight International: Required to book refundable and Business, First if Business not available

Quoting BPS3458 (Reply 5): I would simply refuse to fly economy for company purposes on flights any longer than 6 hours. Our company policy actually states that the employee is entitled to fly business class on any flights longer than 6 hours

I wish... Last year I did 70k for work ... on 55 sectors! Average 1270mi per sector. Take my CAN->NZ trip out of the equation and that is more like 1000mi per trip last year. I traveled A LOT on short sectors. I never once had the opportunity to fly business class and had NO status because I earned 23k last year and the airline did not give me squat.

I had to deal with hour long lines, last person to board, getting my baggage checked because there is no more room on the aircraft and I was stranded twice without airline help due to weather. Needless to say I used to love traveling. Today... no so much.

Those that see me travel say "no way", not "ah, I wish...". I guess it is time for a job change?

I fly all the time and my company pays for my ticket 100% and I get to keep the mileage so family vacations tend to be free as well because we use those miles. I fly Business Class most of the time but sometimes in economy of business is full. I have been known to fly NRT-YYZ (13 hours) in economy because J Class was not avaliable. It was not the end of the world and I survived.

My former company, Air Greenland paid for all my fares.
But as I were sent to further education, I can't really see why some people would have hard feelings about that.
Mostly fares were between Nuuk, GOH, and Copenhagen CPH with a few trips around Greenland.

Regards.

As a former employee, working for Air Greenland as mechanic I was sent to further education in Denmark from Greenland. Not that it bothered me or anything. Even better when I could sit in the cockpit all trips.
Flying for me is somewhat the best I can come up with and experience. I don't really get why some people get hard feelings about paid fares.

Regards.

I just started travelling for my company this year and they let me keep all my miles. I work for a large bank we have to fly economy, there's no way we get to fly business class. I've flown over 25 r/t's from PDX last year and the travelling wears you down especially if you've slept in your own bed 3 times in a month. I'm lucky I became a premier exec with United in like 6 months and I'm going to use all my accumulated miles to go to Asia this year on vacation.

Anything over 4hours....the company I work for allows us to fly Business and we get to keep our miles....

Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 8): I agree, it's one of the perks for them asking for a road warrior, it's nice to have the company pay for a vacation every once in a while between hotel points and fq miles..

I can't tell you how many of my family vacation memories of the 1980s were on my dad's company's dime.

Quoting HPAEAA (Reply 17): so you treat the F class and the Y class passengers the same?

How about those of us who are K or T, S, or what ever class passengers. I have flown Y and K and it is the same seat and I doubt the FAs and other Passengers know that I paid less.

My dad has been a frequent business traveler since the 1973 and his company always got him the cheap seat. Any upgrades, free tickets, etc were always for dad to use any time. (dad gives me his SA)">NW miles and keeps the SA)">AA ones for him) My girlfriend travels for business a lot too. Her company usually knows travel dates months in advance so they buy K class tickets. Stefanie has recently moved up to Silver Elite on SA)">NW and all the perks that come with the travel stay with her, not the company.

Quoting WNCrew (Reply 21): Provide the same level of service....NO Provide service with the same demeanor...YES! With the same level of courtesy/Respect? Yes! Expect the SAME of them in regards to attitude, manners, following rules...YES! There may be a difference in SERVICE but should not be a difference in "treatment"....all pax are worth the same level of respect.

Sure, treat everyone with respect and be nice. When I fly K or Y or T or Whatever I don't expect the same as I would in F. I don't expect "free" drinks, or a bigger seat, but I expect the same level of professionalism. The only time I fly F is because I got an upgrade.

For the record I don't fly for business, just for fun. So that means I pay and I always go the cheapest.

I'm probably going to make you guys sick, but when you work in professional services, the fees we charge dwarf the out of pocket expenses so it's pretty much all J and F. My £50k for flying to South America and back every weekend for four months doesn't even register against a £4m+ fee. Keeping the miles is just my kickback for giving up my weekend/waking up at 4am to go to Heathrow (or 3am today to queue for a Visa at the Indian High Commission).

It's a far cry from being a Halliburton employee on a 31 hour itinerary to Brasil in Y - in fact I'm so used to it, I was pissed off having to go to Amsterdam for a 45 minute flight in the back of the bus 'cos we booked it late.

I pick the flights and mom pays for them.

On a more relevant note, I hope that when I have a career (I want to have some business travel), I hope my employer will have a policy similar to my mom - I pick the flights and they pay for them (I don't mind if my employer restricts me to economy or business or anything like that). Are many companies like this, or do they tend to pick the flights? If they do pick the flights, who (i.e. what department or positon) picks the fights?

Quoting AlexPorter (Reply 34): Are many companies like this, or do they tend to pick the flights? If they do pick the flights, who (i.e. what department or positon) picks the fights?

At my company, I pick them, it's an expedia like site, I search by the times and dates... then it shows the options... now it will show alternates that are cheaper if there are any, but it's my decision... out of fairness to the company I try to choose the cheapest within 2 hours of my plan..

Quoting AlexPorter (Reply 34): I pick the flights and they pay for them (I don't mind if my employer restricts me to economy or business or anything like that). Are many companies like this, or do they tend to pick the flights? If they do pick the flights, who (i.e. what department or positon) picks the fights?

It can depend. At my company, I have a AMEX Corporate Card and a Business Visa and what I do with it is, in essence and within reason up to me. I virtually always just wind up on the Continental website and uasually all of the flexable economy fares on the same day are the same price...if there's a difference, I will usually go for the lower one if the schedule is reasonable (I have some personal rules -- I don't leave Cleveland before 9:00 and a I don't book a flight that leaves the city I'm visiting until after noon unless it can't be avoided)

Luckily, my employer is pretty liberal -- I wound up paying $242 for a 26 hours of car rental (I think it worked out to $8 per mile when I ran the numbers... I will NEVER rent from AVIS again) -- and I didn't get too beat up over it, because that's what I had to do to get the job done.

Some companys have the corporate travel website like HPAEAA described, or have a corporate travel department or travel coordinator (think about them like a travel agency who serves no one but that company -- some of them are really fully functioning travel agencies), and some use "real" travel agencies and give them a set of criteria (like who can fly first, airlines, etc.)

Lincoln

My father has often had to travel to LHR for his position at Barrow, but since he has started his own company he mostly flies between PHX, ORD, NYC, IAD, and BRU. I guess being the owner he can be pretty liberal with the corporate card and flies mostly business on long-haul because of the hours and meetings they have to keep. Between the airline and the Amex miles we get about 2 family vacations with free airfare in C/J per year.

I once flew from Boston to Sydney for work. I got off the plane and had a meeting 2 hours later. After that i had a few hours to kill and then boarded a flight back to BOSTON because two dayslater i was scheduled to fly to London for a meeting and again it was just for the day! I basically spent the entire work week flying! This was all in Y! I was upset because they usually fly Business or First on these LONG routes-however no space was available! UGH!!!!

I ALMOST DIED WHEN I GOT BACK FROM LONDON AND THEY WERE LIKE YOUR GOING TO TOKYO! I SAID SCREW YOU!

Well, I don't have a career (yet) but here's my dad's travel policy:
-J on flights <8 and F on flights >8 hours (except BOS-LHR which he gets F on BA because company has a special agreement)
-Gets to keep miles
-He/Assistant chooses flights

While you may say that J for a two hour flight is excessive, you have to remember that most large companies get corporate contracts. Thus, they pay much less than what you or I would pay. My dad's company once paid $700 for full F on AA between BOS-LAX with all the discounts.

Matt

I personally think that if it's the company's dime... it's the company's miles... and they should be recycled into a corporate account for air travel for employees on business. But that's just my 2 cents.

In regard to the thread starter, for as many "I hate FF Biz class flyers b/c of the free FF miles they get" there are probably more "Shut up about poor service Y pax, because you don't want to pay for anything anyway" type threads.

To the biz people subscribe to the latter type of thread... you don't pay a dime either to accrue your 1,000,000+ miles and Supreme Imperial Platinum Silver Excelsior Status... and free air fares when your company already offers you paid vacations, health, dental, retirement plans, etc.

I fly about 14 times a year since 2005 (about 5-6 times before that while in undergrad)... sometimes for pleasure... but mostly to help my parents with their affairs. But I usually have to dig into my own pocket to pay for my ticket... so I'm always outraged by the minuscule per dollar value offered by the U.S. airline industry to its economy class customers. I can imagine an efficient high-speed train network would pretty much run domestic air travel out of business at this rate (but alas we are stuck with Amtrak... and as bad as the airlines are, Amtrak is far, far worse). So I guess the only reason why the airlines are still afloat is because they are the best of the mediocre... and mediocre is about the only choice we have for paid transport long-distance travel in the U.S.

How can companies keep the miles that their employees accrue in that airline miles are non-transferable? At my company, employees who travel get to keep any airline miles/hotel points that they earn. The company does get some miles from charging the airline tickets to the company credit card. As an employee who has traveled a lot for my job (including three trips SLC-EZE), getting to keep the miles and points that I earn really helps compensate for time spent away from home. I am curious as to how many companies do expect employees' miles/points to be used for business purposes only.

BTW This is my first post on airliners.net!  

Quoting ADiZzy (Reply 38): I ALMOST DIED WHEN I GOT BACK FROM LONDON AND THEY WERE LIKE YOUR GOING TO TOKYO! I SAID SCREW YOU!

You should have taken it and spend couple of extra days in Tokyo  

Quoting Flybyguy (Reply 40): To the biz people subscribe to the latter type of thread... you don't pay a dime either to accrue your 1,000,000+ miles and Supreme Imperial Platinum Silver Excelsior Status... and free air fares when your company already offers you paid vacations, health, dental, retirement plans, etc.

I don't think anyone is arguing that!

Does that mean the airlines must differentiate between those that paid their own FC fares, and the ones that didn't?? I'm not sure I get your point - your statement is of course correct.

BTW, I would argue that very few company perks are really 'free' to the employee, but that's another discussion.


Jimbo

[Edited 2007-01-26 17:23:37]

I think I fall into the resent category. Every company I have ever worked for the sales/marketing guys (never engineers -- we always gotta go places to either fix stuff, explain stuff, design stuff, or learn stuff) ripoff the companies big time. Most of their trips are really not needed. Quite a few of their trips should be classified as out right fraud, with the only purpose being to inflate their egos and rack up the FF miles. FF miles should return to the purchaser, which would be the company. I seriously doubt if people in the airline industry realize how much travel is really not needed. Always when the companies I work for are having a hard time they restrict travel, but it seems never to hurt the bottom line of the comany. I could go on and on about all the phony trips my fellow employees have made over the years, the wrong airports they use, the wrong airlines, the useless meetings they think up with other marketing people from the same company half way round the world... this is one of the biggest frauds going on in business today.

The ironic thing is that rules for employee travel, such as having to fly on the cheapest fare, even though that makes changing plans expensive and difficult, and the company getting the free tickets from mileage programs, were probably created by company bigwigs that get to fly on the corporate jet and don't have to deal with delays, cancellations, and airport security.

The funny thing is that my wife last year suffered a lot while flying MQ 2 or 3 times a month between ORD and CLT on a very long project. She just switched jobs, and now she gets to fly on the corporate jet.

All that misery for getting AAdvantage gold status, and now she won't use it this year, except for vacations.

Quoting SLCLAXKIXKHH (Reply 41): As an employee who has traveled a lot for my job (including three trips SLC-EZE), getting to keep the miles and points that I earn really helps compensate for time spent away from home. I am curious as to how many companies do expect employees' miles/points to be used for business purposes only.

My whole thing is...why is it the airlines job to provide this perk? It's easy for a company to say "keep the miles"...when those miles are redeemed, it doesn't cost the employees company a nickle. Yet people bitch and moan any time an airline tweaks it's FF program.

Quoting Steve6666 (Reply 33): I'm probably going to make you guys sick, but when you work in professional services, the fees we charge dwarf the out of pocket expenses so it's pretty much all J and F

I'm there with you but I still have an extensive travel policy to abide with, which means CO on US domestic flights and trans-Atlantic flights as long as I get to my destination in one stop (LH is the second carrier of choice for flights to/from Europe - so much for alliances). If it cannot be done in one-stop on a "corporate" carrier, then I get to pick the airline, but there are many exceptions as well, one of them being that getting there on time is more important than getting there on the right airline. Not that I mind flying CO or LH, of course...

I believe that the contract with CO gives us space-available upgrade at the time of booking on a Y fare, at least for domestic US flights (whether or not the employee is actually a CO Elite).

Quoting Ckfred (Reply 45): The ironic thing is that rules for employee travel (...) were probably created by company bigwigs that get to fly on the corporate jet

Not every CEO flies on a corporate jet for status symbol, some do it for personal safety, or simply ROI, and some CEOs fly coach (unless it has changed recently, Cisco's travel policy is "everyone pays coach").

Quoting Ckfred (Reply 45): All that misery for getting AAdvantage gold status, and now she won't use it this year, except for vacations.

So your wife is disappointed because she traded Gold status for a corporate jet ? Are you sure it's a corporate jet, or a corporate Cessna Skylane, because for most of us, I think it's a trade-off that needs very little thinking about...