Twind, you raise an interesting question that we should discuss: Despite the fact that I am exempt status, I am still required (for internal accounting purposes) to turn in a time sheet every two weeks. My personal policy for accounting for time has been to "start the clock" on a business trip day at the moment I arrive at the airport, and stop the clock only when I am in my hotel room for the night. So (as happened about a month ago) if I fly out early in the morning, take a meeting, then fly home at night, I count that as one long day. That particular day, I "worked" a 22 hour day.

I realize that you consultants would get shot for this type of time accounting, but what about you corporate hacks? Do you treat travel time as "work"?

My company doesn't care at all....all they care about is that I put a #45 on my time sheet...indicating business trip....doesn't matter if I worked 24 hours....

Dorian

I work for one of the largest corporations in the world and travel time is not billable on my current contract. So I have lost between four-ten hours a week in time on my own time. The only thing I do is now work on my laptop on the flight which gives me some billable time (and peace!).

What about the disruption to your lives, leaving family functions early to catch a flight, etc. Also, what about the prep time, the packing, ironing, .... I could go on and on. We do not get compensated for that time but they want a few measly FF points!

Personally, I start the clock when I call the cab and stop it when I sit in my hotel room. There must be some justice in this world.

dg1- "travel time is "fun time," no? What did you just forget?

BTW- I don't know why you don't bill for the trips to/from the airport as well- especially since of your exempt status!

I went through this same round of foolishness with the nonprofit I work for. I report to a board of 25, and some of them travel very, very little and don't have an understanding of this ff process. I had some folks who were in the "the association paid for the miles, the association owns the miles, the association gets to use the miles" mindset. I agree that my employer paid for the miles, and I am an exempt employee, (read: no comp time) but that doesn't mean I'm an indentured servant. When I, too, pointed out the number of hours outside of 40, including weekends, late nights and early mornings, that I spend travelling on lowest cost tickets, some still weren't satisfied. I finally said I'd have to revise my travel patterns and travel only during regular business hours. That wasn't holding my employer hostage, that was acknowledging that when I'm working for them, I'm absent from my family. And the bottom line is all the ff miles/points in the world can't make up for the things and events I've missed, but at least I can make a few memories with my family on the miles I've accumulated.

Ya......and what happened?

Dorian

Evidently I work for a more enlightened company which lets us keep our accrued miles for personal use. We also have a program where if we use an award ticket for business travel they will pay us 50% of the lowest price fare for that trip. I think this is a pretty fare deal.

Now I myself prefer to keep the miles for personal travel as we have family on both coasts we like to visit. At least my mother in-law in CA appreciates my forethought in this regard.

[This message has been edited by JeffS (edited 10-13-1999).]

Matt Wald says,

"That particular day, I "worked" a 22 hour day."

Matt, by chance, did that particular day include a Sam Adams at IAD with several FT's???

Well, uhm, er. I guess I did count that time as "working" but if you will recall, geo, that sam adams was after a 7am flight to NY, a fundraiser, then a 12noon flight back to IAD, on a **SUNDAY**!!!

Actually I was referring to an August St. Louis business trip with delayed connections in ORD that extended the "working day" from 6am until nearly 2am.

You guys are killing me here....you are discussing whether a lounge/beer episode was work or not..........I can't fly biz. class anymore!!!!!!!!!!!! My FF points are SUPPOSEDLY my employers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Focus!!!!!!!!!

Dorian

C'mon, Dorian, you've answered your own question! Become a self-employed insultant. That way, your ff miles really WILL belong to your employer (I wonder if he will let you fly business class...)

Dorian -- "and what happened?"
I spent some time (quite a lot, actually) explaining the ff system, how many miles it takes to get comp tix, how long it takes to accumulate the miles, etc. Most folks who don't travel have some notion that you're showered with free tickets that you can use at any time for any flight, upgrades and the like. Fortunately, I called on the most reasonable minds, explained the situation, and got our personnel policy changed to clarify I could use the miles I accumulate. And now I keep my mouth shut so the topic doesn't come up again!

Matt,

Ya, I know.....I'm just having trouble coming to terms with going from a great income to 'none'!

Dorian!

You know what amazes throughout this thread?

It is really unbelievable how each of our companies treats FF miles so differently! I really can't believe a 'standard' hasnt' developed!?

Dorian