invisible

This is the hack which can be done with Concur. Default setting at Concur is the time is set to +/- 8h at departure/arrival. This will obviously display the cheapest flight available for the date/route and will lead to the situation that for example for SIN-SFO cheapest (and compliant with company policy) flights are with Chinese carriers with 1-2 connections inside China or Philippines Airlines with 20h connection at Manila (check the thread about worst airports lists here).

So the trick is to define departure/arrival time and set +/- 2h (minimum available on Concur) with the search. It will filter out all the junk and list only the flights matching search criteria. This can further refined by creating trip template and defining source, destination, airline and even flight number there and use that template for search.

However, a word of warning - if company does T/E audit and has overview of what fare were available at the time of booking but not booked, it might lead to quite unpleasant consequences. But I have not seen such situation yet, as long as concur displays that the flight is according to the policy, you should be fine.

jrl767

Proudelitist

I just file exceptions, and explain them. If a routing requires a 20h lay over but is the cheapest, I just say that conflicts with the meeting schedule and that a 20h layover adds further expense (meals, hotel) and time because it's almost a day. It's always been accepted. That exception box has become my friend!

BThumme

See, my former employer said that it draws attention to you, and you never want attention drawn to you. Because my manager would be the first approver on an exception (and then up one or two more levels, I don't know), that would also draw attention to them...something something makes me look out of control or what not. Logic goes out the window.

I would just filter the searches like above and go with that.

invisible

Exactly. Plus there are companies/industries and whole geographical places where getting attention to yourself for this reason is not going to be good for you.

So if you can spend just 10-15 min more of your time on this but avoid involving other people in the approval process, why don't do this in the first place?

jrl767

OpenSky

I can "concur" that being an external consultant, often with support of C level, helps.
Though I was once an employee, I can justify anything.

It doesn't take much justification to not want to fly United, American or Delta sometimes. I need to get to Milan from New York, and I want a full day in the office. Leaving at 6pm ( United) does not allow for that. Leaving at 10pm does. Thats it, EK JFK-MXP, end of story. That flight leaves at 10pm

US Flag carriers, which I personally hate to fly, going to Europe, all have departure banks that leave early in the evening, 6pm-9pm. Foreign flag carriers, often have multiple departures of the day, and often tend to leave later. All the US carriers leave Europe between 8am and 12 max, European time, except London. going to US. I like to leave London as late as possible and only BA has the latest flight of the day.

This is easily justified, since I am sure the clients want to avail to the maximum work day, especially since they are paying for it. I'm just maximizing my work day.

Most travel management programs has a human travel agent backdoor that can easily book directly to a GDS. I sometimes use that also.

As long as the expense does not go over budget, and is not glaringly out of wack, i.e Booking EK F JFK-MXP at a significant expense, when only J is allowed, i have never gotten into trouble for booking what I want. The key is to have enough funds in the travel budget line, and i have control of that also.

Proudelitist

My company is large, everyone hates Concur, and the culture tends to support subverting it's robot like habits. If we didn't we would all be flying on Spirit. My manager and his manager and even his have no problem with exceptions, because exceptions are the rule.

donb25

Does anyone know what the Samsung Electronics America (SEA) policy is for business class travel? Employee level, flight duration? Etc... Please PM me. Thanks

StuckInYYZ

You're more likely to find the answer in Samsung's HR portal. Travel policies are often nuanced and it is best if you get it from the horse's mouth than from a third party. Covid and other things have likely influenced it as well.

Duke787

+1. Also best bet is to talk to someone who actually works there. The policy and reality aren't always one and the same (said from experience -- the consulting firm I worked for out of college had a policy that allowed J for flights over 4 hours but in reality that was only permitted for senior partners).

csycsycsy

Hi, apologises if this is the wrong thread to post in.

I'm looking for advice and/or experiences from FTers on Y travel policies but are allowed to self pay the difference for booking into a higher cabin.
HR has said they have no experience with this and but have no objections in principle.
Do I just print screen/email what the Y itinerary would have cost, at the time of me booking the W/J?
Do I then need to give/send those to HR asap?
My FFP does not give extra miles/status points for post purchase cash upgrades, and I want the miles/status points for W/J so using miles to upgrade is not optimal.

Thank you!

stifle

This is entirely a question for your employer, and particularly the department that will process your expense claim.

csycsycsy

Hi stifle, thank you. I just went to ask and hr/expenses don't know what paperwork will be needed.
I think I'll do a free 24hrs hold that generates an airline email-quote.

Thank you

findark

I would recommend a setup where you send it along with the real receipt with your expense report (i.e. attach ticket receipt in J and final screen in Y to your expense report).

This is a favorable setup for you; it may or may not be favorable for the people in accounts payable, but if they approve it then it's not your problem. I had an employer that was okay with this and did it that way for years.