Originally Posted by
thegeneral
I'd put a negative value on it. Traveling for work means that you work more, are away from family and friends, commonly end up spending more of your own money while traveling and have to put up with the hassle of travel. The costs of losing time and health far outweigh any travel benefit. Most of the travel benefits are only really valuable for people on here because they travel so much.
If I traveled only once per year, going to the airport an hour later because I have no status would be no big deal.
I think travel for work could end up being a financial positive, if you work for the right company. If you are gone two weeks for business (I'm single, so have no family considerations weighing in here), that's two weeks you don't have your typical expenses at home. You are not buying groceries, using your own air conditioning, paying for your commute, or washing your own towels or making your bed. You save money in that regard. On top of that, you probably have a per diem covering your meals and anything extra. Working harder means you have less time to spend that per diem, and could pay off with a bigger bonus at the end of the year. And that doesn't even include the value, which varies person to person, of status-earning programs...
When I travel for work, I tend to come out ahead...