pinniped

So call it $60-ish buys you 6000-ish points.

Not a screaming deal, but not bad if you're on the home stretch to a Travel Package.

CJKatl

So what you need to ask as the shepherd of your employer's or customer's money is whether it is acceptable for them to pay an extra $50 for you to get more points in your pocket, an extra $40 for dinner for two or an extra $52 for you to get more points in your pocket. On the first and third, of course the answer would always be no, although nothing stops the employee from paying the difference out of pocket. There is no benefit to the employer/customer and converting their money directly into your points could be considered stealing. As for the meal, if they will be responsible for paying for your meal anyway and this is actually cheaper, there may be justification because the benefit to the payee, a lower price, is tangible.

There's no shifting of ethics or situational decision. Stealing is stealing. If you think it's okay to charge the company extra, ask the company for permission ahead of time. If it's okay the company will provide an immediate okay. But don't be surprised if you get a quote from the company's travel policy letting you know it's a violation to make a decision based on your getting points.

nacho

Why not use the SPG 35% off points offer instead - it's cheaper.

A high level manager in Mr's company was fired recently due to some "issues" discovered by the accounting department.

MSPeconomist

The shopping mall packages often exclude all sale merchandise. It's sometimes a coupon book for particular stores.

I've taken rates where I might pay $10-15 more for a $25 F&B credit that I will use, but I always ask the terms first. Similarly, I compare the value of FHR benefits for a FHR rate versus using other rates that I'm entitled to use.

CJKatl

I recently confused the check-in agent, someone I've known for years, at a foreign hotel where I frequently stay by using a rate that included breakfast. She kept explaining that I get breakfast anyway, so I tried to tell her it was the cheapest rate available at the last minute when I made the reservation. She could not get the non-breakfast rate to work. Finally she gave me $10/night off which, since I was paying out of pocket, was fine with me.

flying_donkeys12

You make the assumption that I am guilty of taking liberties with my expenses? All I was pointing out was the belief that people have super sleuth expense report processors just waiting to pounce on that poor employee who charged the company an extra $25 for a points package at a hotel. Thank you for worrying about me, but since I have been expensing my country club dues for twenty years, I don't believe the company minds if I spend a little more to get some extra points. Haha

flying_donkeys12

One word: Enron

pinniped

Well, I expense 25-year-old Scotch in the Gulfstream when really we're technically supposed to only have them cater 21-year-old Scotch. The super sleuths aren't going to catch me!

darthbimmer

You have to pay separately now for Scotch in the Gulfstream? Sheesh, elite benefits really are being diminished.

dayone

Yes, and it's also fraud. The receipt submitted does not tie to the actual transaction for the expense claimed.

DJ_Iceman

No, of COURSE it's not. No reasonable person would see that as fraud or even the least bit shady. Come on, people, let's apply a little common sense to these situations.

Kacee

This is an awesome hypothetical. It does involve dishonesty, but there's no actual harm. I bet ethics "experts" would split on this one.

I incline to the side of no harm, no foul (no blood, no ambulance).

CJKatl

Assuming you mean getting reimbursed for coach and paying the difference for first, rather than paying a higher rate for extra points... My former company allowed it but you were supposed to document it before you flew so that everything was above board. I type a short email, cut and paste the cancelation and the new ticket, send it to my boss who would approve it and send it to accounting. We used the same procedure if I was flying somewhere other than home at the end of the week so I would purchase a ticket home, swap it out and document everything.

PayItForward

Semi-related but I am curious.
Supposed you are supposed to fly home from XXX-ZZZ for USD 500.00
You buy XXX-ZZZ for USD 500.00 and documents it.
Now changes it to XXX-YYY for a USD 300.00. Stay overnight than fly YYY-ZZZ for USD 150.00.

Do you get reimbursed for
- USD 500.00
- USD 300.00
- USD 450.00

CJKatl

This happened frequently. For several years, I would just purchase the lower priced ticket and document it. (screen capture showing fare back home) Something happened way outside my department and division, but it sent ripples throughout the company. After that, I'd purchase the more expensive ticket, cancel it, get the lower priced ticket and a credit and use the credit on my next flight. It was cumbersome and always involved explaining to the airline why I needed a credit instead of just canceling the ticket w/in 24 hrs, but the contact in our travel department asked us to do it that way because it was easier for her to deal with. Sometimes the airline rep would say something like she had dealt with my company before and understood. On my expense report, I would note the flight was canceled, it was partially applied to the XXX-YYY flight on Jan Z and a credit was issued for the rest. I would also note the credit was used on the expense item for the next flight.

As was mentioned before, the audit department worked different hours, had a language barrier and was half a world away, so I think these extra steps on our part saved the travel rep some possible aggravation. Also, I had been given permission to not use the clumsy corporate booking tool so I always did as told so that wouldn't be taken away. The way the booking tool worked, after you finished, it would go to a travel agent who would actually book the trip. One week, I had four wrong rental cars, two wrong hotels and a wrong flight. (Flew to Houston, but the rental car was for Philly. The next day I flew to Philly but the rental car was in Houston. I was supposed to fly in and out of HOU but my flight out was booked for Bush even though my confirmation indicated HOU, etc.) After that, frequent travelers were given the option to book directly as long as you took a procedures course and there were no issues, so despite the stupidity of purchasing the higher price ticket and getting a credit, I wasn't going to complain and wind up having to use the corporate booking tool again.