Originally Posted by SK AAR

I don't get it; you want to defraud your employer alleging that you have paid for an economy ticket whereas you in fact have used miles/points to redeem an award ticket in business class?

Anyway, one solution could be to purchase a economy ticket and get reimbursed for the ticket price and use miles/points to upgrade to business class? Maybe not the best way to use points/miles, but it at least solves the issue of getting reimbursed for ticket paid for.

Originally Posted by 84fiero

The easiest method would seem to be simply purchasing the Y ticket and upgrading with miles. That way it's very clear cut what the person who approves your expenses sees - an economy ticket which is in line with the policies and all you would get reimbursed for regardless. Easy peasy.

As for the second option...There will be a dollar amount charged by the frequent flyer program even for an award ticket - always some taxes/fees and with some FFPs, exorbitant fuel/carrier-imposed fees. I suppose you could ask your expense approving person if they would reimburse the cash portion of the award redemption so long as you could demonstrate that amount is less than what an economy ticket would cost (and it surely would be, unless you redeem with an FFP charging high fuel/carrier surcharges). But I would think that sort of arrangement is something to work out with your company before you do anything, rather than after the fact. IME the type of folks who approve travel costs tend not to be outside-the-box thinkers and will simply disapprove anything that doesn't "seem right" or isn't what they're used to.

I'd be hesitant, though, to use my miles for such a trip even if it would be more of a guarantee of getting J/F space. What if your work requirements change and you now have to pay a fee (depending on the FFP) to change the date and/or refund your miles? Would your company reimburse you for that? Again, I'd want to have all this ironed out clearly in writing with your company before proceeding down this option, if it were me.

Originally Posted by emma69

Last year I opted to fly me-paid business instead of company-paid economy on one of my trips. I purchased the business class ticket, and at the same time printed off what the economy ticket would have cost through the same booking channel (direct with the airline) and sent both the ticket and the print off to accounting, claiming the amount for economy on the expense voucher that accompanied it. My accounting department were ok with that, even though it was not a "receipt" for the correct amount, which is what our expense policy says. I would chat to someone in your accounting department and work with them on how to do this in a way that satisfies everyone, including the tax man!