How to get work to reimburse for mileage redemption?
 

I have miles I'd like to use for either business class or first class, but the work requires a few things for reimbursements

1) they will reimburse economy
2) they will reimburse whatever dollar amount appears on the e-ticket

Given these constraints, how can I get the work to reimburse me for economy price, while riding in business or first?
Which airline will allow me to do this?

As far as I can tell, I can either purchase a full price economy and upgrade using miles, or book a flight in economy or J/F using miles and somehow try to get partial reimbursement, but that will only work if some dollar amount appears on the e-ticket.
I don't know if the partial reimbursement will work if the dollar amount is for the J/F ticket, rather than Y.

What country?
From where to where?

LAX to Seoul

And possibly seoul to lax

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.

Hardly fraud...if he's cleared the concept with work. Sounds to me like he might have - hence the report on what they will reimburse (Y) and what they require ($ amount)

He uses HIS miles for whatever class of travel.. THEY pay for an economy ticket. No harm no foul. Only different in degree from buying the ticket and being reimbursed surely?

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.

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!

Don't forget that a few employers object to business travel in business class (or FC) on principle, even if the employee pays the additional cost.

OP should start by reading any rules about business travel and travel reimbursements before even raising questions with the employer. I'd be surprised if many large employers would agree to "reimburse" the coach price when the employee uses miles for an award ticket in business class.

LOL. Defraud?
I've talked to the person who reimburses.

Buying an economy ticket and upgrading with miles seems to be the only option then.
But with booking class requirements and the annoying premium economy in flights like LAX-ICN in Singapore Airline, I'm not sure if this will be a good use of miles.

I guess I could fly Korean air, but the booking class that allows me to upgrade is about $2700 (nearly a business class ticket price), while cheapest is $1700, so I'm not sure if the work will let me do that.

This sounds like success.
I will have to check with work whether this is possible or not.
It might be frowned upon though.

Since you are in conversations with the person in charge, you might bring up the idea of purchasing the economy ticket, printing off the receipt, then cancel w/in 24 hours. Then you purchase the award ticket. If they need an actual receipt, you now have one.

Interesting idea.
I'll mention that and see if it works.

Please follow the redirect to MilesBuzz for further discussion.

~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk

However, once you cancel that ticket, it ceases to be a receipt for some amount that you actually paid on behalf of your employer. In some companies, requesting reimbursement for a plane ticket that was cancelled and refunded rather than flown would be grounds for termination.

Yeah, that's why I suggested running it by the person in charge of the reimbursements.

Yes, that's the problem. I doubt an employer would allow/approve of an employee buying a more expensive ticket than necessary so the employee can upgrade themself. Lowest available coach fare is pretty standard.

Pre-arranging with whoever review/approves timesheet/expense, and documenting the lowest applicable coach fare at the time of purchase seems to be best.