This discussion inspires me to want to try and lead a change effort at my employer. Here is my contribution to this post:

Information Technology Company
1000-5000 Employees
100-500M$/YR Revenue
air reservations, employees are expected to book the lowest logical coach airfare for the specific itinerary
All travel should be in the coach class of service.

As a consultant, I have had to do the LAX-SYD and ATL-JNB round trips this year in Y. It usually makes me unproductive for 3-5 days, most of the time I am in front of customers after 1 day of recovery. I usually feel very miserable after these trips, specifically suffering from headaches, nausea, and back pain.

For personal travel I have done DTW to NRT in both Y and J (used miles to purchase). I experienced no health issues when I completed the trip in J.

Happy to oblige. My billing rate for that extra day with hotel, meal expenses when added to a flexible Y fare would probably approach if not exceed the cost of a business fare. But if you're good with me sitting pool side for a day on your dime I am too. :)

Any flight over "big water" (the Atlantic or Pacific) warrants an upgrade to J, even for junior staff.

Our Veeps fly in J or F, always.

Then I'm really going to make you mad. ;) Not only do I insist on business class on all foreign trips (which really is irrelevant because I always work outside the US - nature of my business) but I insist the client pay for 2 days at a hotel on arrival before I start working. I arrive Friday to start work on Monday and he has to cover the hotel starting Friday. He doesn't pay my daily rate, but all my expenses those days. Logic is that I need to "un-jet lag" before I show up on Monday.

Going out the client pays for Friday night the last week. If I want to stay after that, it's on my dime.

Now, to make this relevant to the OP, the business I consult for is international oil upstream. And there are buckets of money being thrown around in that business. So the travel policies can be pretty loose.

I'm a business owner and my policy is to go first class all the way.. for myself!!!

And the policy for your employees?

I found the same thing (especially back pain), and that was on "good" economy international flights. (Add in no day of recovery - land, go downtown and go into a meeting - and maybe a bad experience on the overnight flight in economy, and it is even worse.) That is when I started using miles to upgrade for international business trips, and sometimes even paying to upgrade out of my own pocket (though always looking to minimize that). There is no doubt that it pays off for me - colleagues and clients don't complain, while the additional billings and consequent compensation effect more than offset the cost.

Me too. I've been through a lot of booms and busts in the last 35 years and right now with Brent Crude tumbling toward $80 and below companies are shedding expensive consultants as fast as they can.

I've done ORD-LHR in Y and it wasn't so bad when I had an entire row of 3 seats to myself and could lie down (with some discomfort). Glad it was only a 6-7 hour flight, so I got by, but business class is definitely favorable. This was purely due to project budget constraints. Otherwise, my company's policy is J for overseas travel of 5+ hours (mainly to ensure the NYC-LON flights for execs qualify), regardless of level. We do have to use preferred airlines, where possible, but there are no rules about having to take lowest fare, connections, etc, although everything goes through at least 1 level of approvals and have to enter business justification (from drop-down).

The company I consult with right now is expanding so it's not as bad. In fact, they just this week signed me for another year.

But I understand your pain. In the late 90s when oil plunged I was working in Kazakhstan and Urals Blend dropped to $7/bbl. Management sent everyone on my team home, except me, and I was tasked with jerry-rigging some processes together that would hold them through the down turn.

I love $100 oil. :cool:

Sounds like some of us need to find jobs in the oil consulting business!

Nope. Not a good idea. Stay away. (not that I'm afraid of competition or anything)

Fortune 100 technology company. J is allowed for flights over 7 hours for VPs and above only. Economy Plus/Economy Comfort/etc. isn't even allowed unless you're Director or above. Even more senior ranks permit F/J for shorter flights.

Really - I was in Sunbury last week and it was still teeming with consultants. Those 101 week contracts are still prevalent.

Was on the bus to FCO last year and was talking to a woman that said that her company makes her fly business or first (whatever the highest class is) because if they are upgraded the company would have to claim that for taxes. Did I hear this wrong or is this pretty common? Thanks