Originally Posted by
silver_halide
I'm not GS, but this resonates. Official company policy is business for any trip not entirely in US/Canada where total of segments is over 5 hours. However, our department has a travel budget. If I choose to fly in Business, as allowed by policy, I expect my boss would ask me which other trip I was not going to do. So, I fly Y international. There's policy, and then there's policy.
My company is my own so much of this doesn't apply as I make my own choices on travel yet still keeping my eye on the bottom line. My wife however took a job that required massive international and domestic travel. She and I are no spring chickens so right upfront during negotiations for the job she requested anything over 3 hrs be J or better. This was then written into here contract. They wanted her for the position and so they agreed. In over the 3 years now there have been no complaints.