VivoPerLei

My company also insists on booking our travel, but I make it as easy as possible on them by finding flights I want that are in line with the lowest available fare and sending them the itinerary. Most of the time it works

LondonElite

This.

Is it an option for you to say to your boss "I'd really prefer non-stop on airline x, and more than prepared to pay out of pocket the (minor) difference."

You may find that she realises this is petty and concurs with you than direct flights are more sensible.

sonofzeus

I stopped reading when she conceded: this is just a silly rant.

MaxBuck

Another perspective: I booked travel a number of years ago, once, for a subordinate. The reason? I had promised a particularly anxious client that I'd have someone there to meet them at a time certain (or as certain as scheduled flights permitted). So I needed to make sure the arrival time was consistent with that promise.

That subordinate proceeded to go on a petulant tirade when I informed him I'd made the reservation for him. "What right do you have to dictate the time of my travel" and similar whiny BS. The fact we had a needy client and possibly limited available seats on a flight 2 days out carried no weight with this person.

Just one more reason I'm glad I have no employees.

BearX220

Um... you hate it when your employer won't overspend unnecessarily on your travel to subsidize your airline status plays? Be happy you don't work for me. Enabling that stuff is your problem. There's no value in it for your employer.

chgoeditor

I think this is unnecessarily harsh and the veracity is questionable. OP would have preferred non-stop flights but instead got connecting flights which -- unquestionably -- mean she's spending more time in the air and less time at the office or at home. If it reduces her time in the office, then there is a tangible loss of value to the employer. And if it cuts into her non-working hours, the employer may have a policy that awards some form of comp time -- also something with a tangible value.

I know we're a forum of mile-crazy people, but there are some good arguments in favor of traveling efficiently. Some efficiencies may be financial, and others may be mental or physical.

Doc Savage

Making someone spend many extra hours traveling to save $25-50 is stupid, even if it is a minimum wage employee, which is definitely not the case here.

ScatterX

I didn't notice anyone suggest the company should pay more, solely for the personal benefit of a traveler. Perhaps I missed it.

Most people, both on the company and the employee side of the equation, should understand the goal is to maximize value, not minimize costs. @:-)

Point in case... the OP's travel was made (by somebody else) in such a way that it seems like a very silly way to save $$$. It also seems like the OP's preferences were summarily discarded without an explanation (maybe being rude is part of their company travel policy). Regardless, being penny wise and pound foolish is bad policy. Companies that have a "cheapest fare, no matter how stupid it might be" might end up saving $10 but might demoralize an employee for a significant period of time. They deserve to have employees that hate the stupid policies and the people that enforce them.

On the other end of the spectrum, I was recently very pleased and amused by a organization that proudly displayed the following as its #1 rule:

Kagehitokiri

OP is willing to pay, and do the work/research

FTers are different from average person

avsfan733

I am of two minds about this...

1) People usually listen to reason. IF you comment that the extra time you spent is far better spent serving the company I would wonder if that makes any difference. (this is especially true if you are bill hourly or are paid hourly)

2) I have generally found (and I know there are threads on this on FT...that companies of people with absurd travel policies sometimes are in need of 'training'. This training can easily come in the form of making their bad policies demonstrably more expensive, using their metrics and rules, than simply doing it the logical/reasonable way. Buying short connection time, multistop, nonrefundable itineraries instead of the incremental nonstop? You better believe I am not running through the airport when my incoming flight is delayed.

Dadaluma83

Thankfully I am now in a position that doesn't involve travel so I can now say I am 100% leasure, but of course being able to book your own travel has it's downsides, especially if you don't travel alone and go with colleagues to conferences and they insist on all going on the same flight.

In my last job I had to travel about once or twice a year for a conference. Two other people went with me, but since I was the only one that cared about FF miles and points I suggested the flights and they all went along with it. Well last year our US airways flight was cancelled, and instead of getting to our destination at about noon like booked, we ended up arriving at 2 am. So naturally both my co-workers were upset with me because I booked that airline just because I have a frequent flyer account with them, and said from now on we can only fly Southwest. Obviously to infrequent travelers that airline for some reason always stands out as the one airline that never cancels flights. Thankfully that was the last work trip I took and am now in a different position where there is no travel, and for leasure travel I have all the power to select my own flights, hotels, and my own destination even. ^

nlkm9

Yes to both Doc--I dont want to jinx it tho--

so where did you hear its proper to refer to folks as a he??

nlkm9

Yes to both Doc--I dont want to jinx it tho--

so where did you hear its proper to refer to folks as a he??

nlkm9

wow! some of you are harsh-I was responding to someone elses post that they had a several hour connecting nitemare so their company could save $25. I do not expect to fly first class, but to spend an entire day traveling, risking delays because having connecting flights increases that risk, and wasting my day in such an unproductive manner, just to save $38-50 to me is ridiculous. Just my opinion. And I have no issues paying certain costs out of my pockets, like paying extra for an aisle seat. sheesh. tough crowd here

nlkm9

Thank you--quite true!!