Corporate Flight Policies for Employees Booking Business/First Class?
Jul 5, 2013, 9:19 am
#61
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, 50K Altitude, Nexus
Posts: 339
Economy all the way, expect if a client is willing to pay for it, than added into contracts.
Currently the only client that pays is a state owned TV station in China, so trips from NA to PEK are all in J.
Few years ago (before my time), if you left North America you could do business, but never first. Cost cutting measures, and sinking stock prices there have been cuts.
Does anyone else have meal allowances? $15 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, $30 for dinner if alone, tax, tip not included. No limits if you are with clients or in NYC.
Currently the only client that pays is a state owned TV station in China, so trips from NA to PEK are all in J.
Few years ago (before my time), if you left North America you could do business, but never first. Cost cutting measures, and sinking stock prices there have been cuts.
Does anyone else have meal allowances? $15 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, $30 for dinner if alone, tax, tip not included. No limits if you are with clients or in NYC.
Jul 5, 2013, 11:23 am
#63
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, MR Gold, HH Gold
Posts: 926
US based here, and our 6+ transoceanic flights are in J. F is only authorized on a domestic segment of an transoceanic flight with no J cabin. Lowest fare, of course, although lowest appears to be subjective somehow.
Jul 5, 2013, 2:20 pm
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,214
I work for a consultancy, and for us it's Y under 1,600 miles and J above that. Used be a four-hour cutoff but that got gamed. Also for non-chargeable travel over 1,600 miles, Y+ is "encouraged".
As for choosing airline and time, staff members are permitted to use their professional judgment, but the lowest offered fare for your journey (within 3 hours either way) is printed on your itinerary and occasionally people get pulled up and asked to explain a choice.
As for miles, a don't ask, don't tell policy applies.
As for choosing airline and time, staff members are permitted to use their professional judgment, but the lowest offered fare for your journey (within 3 hours either way) is printed on your itinerary and occasionally people get pulled up and asked to explain a choice.
As for miles, a don't ask, don't tell policy applies.
Jul 5, 2013, 2:31 pm
#65
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Scotland - ABZ
Programs: Qantas LTG, BA-Blue, KLM -Gold, SAS - Silver
Posts: 2,057
Interesting to see how for many people, it's about rules and procedures rather than value.
I think that tendency increases with the size of the organisation and ability to charge to clients.
Yes I know there is value on arriving rested and well, having been able to work on the plane. But believe me, if you're in a small business trying to get cash flow going, you'll fly Y from Hammerfest to Hobart if that's what it takes, and all the amenities of J class don't seem so important.
I think that tendency increases with the size of the organisation and ability to charge to clients.
Yes I know there is value on arriving rested and well, having been able to work on the plane. But believe me, if you're in a small business trying to get cash flow going, you'll fly Y from Hammerfest to Hobart if that's what it takes, and all the amenities of J class don't seem so important.
Jul 5, 2013, 10:54 pm
#67
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Sydney Australia
Programs: No programs & No Points!!!
Posts: 14,222
Jul 6, 2013, 3:16 am
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: From ORK, live LCY
Programs: BA Silver, EI Silver, HH Gold, BW Gold, ABP, Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci
Posts: 14,214
Jul 8, 2013, 12:26 am
#73
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: BA, VS, FB LH
Posts: 8
Self-employed but T&C state 6+ hours in J. No-one has ever queried it, and it allows me some discretion. I did a job for a large NGO and did LHR-NBO in Y when the partner for a global consultancy also on the job insisted on J.
Jul 8, 2013, 8:03 am
#74
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: ZRH
Programs: LH Senator ★
Posts: 677
Fortune 500 IT Company
The system finds cheapest flight with least connections in economy and business, and we are given an allowance, somewhere in middle.
If you are under the allowance, the credit gets saved for your future business trips.
With this system, many people fly premium economy, or business one way.
And of course, you can torture yourself with extra stops, hidden city or whatever you want to endure, if it helps you stay under allowance. That's what I do, and enables me to fly in J most of the time.
The system finds cheapest flight with least connections in economy and business, and we are given an allowance, somewhere in middle.
If you are under the allowance, the credit gets saved for your future business trips.
With this system, many people fly premium economy, or business one way.
And of course, you can torture yourself with extra stops, hidden city or whatever you want to endure, if it helps you stay under allowance. That's what I do, and enables me to fly in J most of the time.
Jul 8, 2013, 10:08 am
#75
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,784
After a decade and a half in the F500 world, I now work for a much smaller, venture-backed company. We really don't have any policies insofar as class of service, but as my bonus is directly linked to my budget, I'm pretty vigilant about booking Y, unless a cheap A fare pops up, which they do from time to time. Fortunately, all of my flights are short now, 6 hours max, so it doesn't matter as much as when I was consistently shuttling to BNE or LHR in years past.