Travel Expenses: Dumb Things your Company has Done
#406
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSN
Programs: Delta DM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,987
The same reason why they don't pay for anyone's cheap breakfast at home but do pay for their cheap breakfast on the road. Same reason why they pay for your <any derisive adjective> dinner on the road but not at home. Because I can get the eggs I like for $7/dozen at Whole Foods but can't pay $1.75 for 3 of them while I'm in a Courtyard on the road at my company's request.
#407
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
That has nothing to do with quality or breakfast. Your employer does not likely make your mortgage payment, but pays for your hotel, does not make your car payment, but pays for a rental, and does not pay for lunch / dinner at home, but does so when traveling.
#408
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,364
That falls into the same category as any other upgrade whether it is a hotel, rental car or flight. Either pay for it yourself or negotiate your designer breakfasts beforehand.
Every company I've worked for has always had "that guy" who can only fly business, chafes if the sheets aren't 1,000 count, despairs when sharing a cab with a co-worker, has a receipt for every tiny thing and believe it's his absolute right to gourmand dining when traveling. When I'm traveling I try not to be "that guy." YMMV.
Every company I've worked for has always had "that guy" who can only fly business, chafes if the sheets aren't 1,000 count, despairs when sharing a cab with a co-worker, has a receipt for every tiny thing and believe it's his absolute right to gourmand dining when traveling. When I'm traveling I try not to be "that guy." YMMV.
#409
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: RNO
Programs: AA/DL/UA
Posts: 10,766
Your car payment does not change if you're gone for a few days, or even a few weeks.
When you go on a business trip, you get FREE meals, and you can collect points for the airline trip and hotel stay. It's actually a money-maker.
When I traveled for business all the time 20 years ago, I collected hundreds of thousands of FF miles and hotel points. I used them later for lots of free trips by air and lots of free stays in a hotel.
People who complain about the free hotel breakfast and want to charge a more expensive breakfast have an attitude problem. If they're important enough to the company, fine. But if you're replaceable, think twice. For crying out, is your breakfast demands really going to make a serious dent in your bank account if you pay for it yourself?
#410
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
It's the same with on-demand movies. If the free TV channels in your room aren't suitable to your ratified tastes don't expense a pay-per-view movie. Pay for it yourself.
#411
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,358
let's get back on track about dumb things employers have done wrt travel expenses --
in the early days of affinity programs, policy memos regarding "theft" of mileage (company paid for the ticket, therefore company banks the miles) and dire warnings about disciplinary action were of course front and center, but nobody in Travel Accounting gave a rip about hotel programs ... I have more than a few former co-workers who hit Lifetime Platinum with Marriott over maybe a six-year period of monthly (sometimes 2x/month) SEA<-->BWI trips
in the early days of affinity programs, policy memos regarding "theft" of mileage (company paid for the ticket, therefore company banks the miles) and dire warnings about disciplinary action were of course front and center, but nobody in Travel Accounting gave a rip about hotel programs ... I have more than a few former co-workers who hit Lifetime Platinum with Marriott over maybe a six-year period of monthly (sometimes 2x/month) SEA<-->BWI trips
#412
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSN
Programs: Delta DM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,987
Your mortgage payment does not change if you're gone for a few days, or even a few weeks.
Your car payment does not change if you're gone for a few days, or even a few weeks.
When you go on a business trip, you get FREE meals, and you can collect points for the airline trip and hotel stay. It's actually a money-maker.
When I traveled for business all the time 20 years ago, I collected hundreds of thousands of FF miles and hotel points. I used them later for lots of free trips by air and lots of free stays in a hotel.
People who complain about the free hotel breakfast and want to charge a more expensive breakfast have an attitude problem. If they're important enough to the company, fine. But if you're replaceable, think twice. For crying out, is your breakfast demands really going to make a serious dent in your bank account if you pay for it yourself?
Your car payment does not change if you're gone for a few days, or even a few weeks.
When you go on a business trip, you get FREE meals, and you can collect points for the airline trip and hotel stay. It's actually a money-maker.
When I traveled for business all the time 20 years ago, I collected hundreds of thousands of FF miles and hotel points. I used them later for lots of free trips by air and lots of free stays in a hotel.
People who complain about the free hotel breakfast and want to charge a more expensive breakfast have an attitude problem. If they're important enough to the company, fine. But if you're replaceable, think twice. For crying out, is your breakfast demands really going to make a serious dent in your bank account if you pay for it yourself?
If it is below THEIR acceptable standard then THEY should pay for it not demand their employer pay for a second meal because they are a fussy eater, believe chain motel buffets are beneath them or can't get their day started without "organic/pasture animal proteins."
It's the same with on-demand movies. If the free TV channels in your room aren't suitable to your ratified tastes don't expense a pay-per-view movie. Pay for it yourself.
It's the same with on-demand movies. If the free TV channels in your room aren't suitable to your ratified tastes don't expense a pay-per-view movie. Pay for it yourself.
And mostly, I don't pay for it myself because my company is run by visionaries who understand how to take an idea to market. And if they've got employees willing to go on the road 30 weeks a year to deal with demanding customers while simultaneously programming AI/ML algorithms, then they probably are gonna let those people eat breakfast where they want.
#413
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSN
Programs: Delta DM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,987
let's get back on track about dumb things employers have done wrt travel expenses --
in the early days of affinity programs, policy memos regarding "theft" of mileage (company paid for the ticket, therefore company banks the miles) and dire warnings about disciplinary action were of course front and center, but nobody in Travel Accounting gave a rip about hotel programs ... I have more than a few former co-workers who hit Lifetime Platinum with Marriott over maybe a six-year period of monthly (sometimes 2x/month) SEA<-->BWI trips
in the early days of affinity programs, policy memos regarding "theft" of mileage (company paid for the ticket, therefore company banks the miles) and dire warnings about disciplinary action were of course front and center, but nobody in Travel Accounting gave a rip about hotel programs ... I have more than a few former co-workers who hit Lifetime Platinum with Marriott over maybe a six-year period of monthly (sometimes 2x/month) SEA<-->BWI trips
#414
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,364
If it is below THEIR acceptable standard then THEY should pay for it not demand their employer pay for a second meal because they are a fussy eater, believe chain motel buffets are beneath them or can't get their day started without "organic/pasture animal proteins."
It's the same with on-demand movies. If the free TV channels in your room aren't suitable to your ratified tastes don't expense a pay-per-view movie. Pay for it yourself.
It's the same with on-demand movies. If the free TV channels in your room aren't suitable to your ratified tastes don't expense a pay-per-view movie. Pay for it yourself.
This is is not the same as a pay per view movie. A person doesn’t need a movie. They do need food.
#415
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 2,187
At the end of the day it all boils down to how important the employee is to the company. If you make 6 or 7 figures, your employer is unlikely to worry about breakfast expenses on the road; if you become useless or redundant, it won't matter what kind of breakfast you have – he will let you go.
#416
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: AA Plat, UA 1K>Plat>moving to Silver
Posts: 2,083
My company does not complain about the small stuff. On the other hand, it only pays for nonrefundable economy flying for everyone, without regard to length of travel (upgrades are on you), and expects people to not pay more than necessary for hotels. Since a lot of those are conference hotels, they are still sometimes fairly expensive. They would not complain about a breakfast or a latte. I believe they consider traveling to be a burden on the employee and are reasonable about expenses. That said, I have had a long practice of not putting in for reimbursement on every little thing. No papers, lattes, metro tickets, fast food or the like. Stuff I might have bought for myself if still home. I want a clean expense report that gets approved with a 4 second look. So mostly airfare (I attach boarding passes and write on them "Upgraded at my own cost"), hotel, some more expensive meals and meals with clients, taxis and ubers, and that is about it.
Also, if the hotel for a conference is expensive, I will sometimes pick another within walking difference if it is as good but substantially cheaper (and I tend to prefer the boutiques over the chains). No one is making me do that, but I am aware there are budgets, and I don't want to be that guy who is known to travel expensively.
Also, if the hotel for a conference is expensive, I will sometimes pick another within walking difference if it is as good but substantially cheaper (and I tend to prefer the boutiques over the chains). No one is making me do that, but I am aware there are budgets, and I don't want to be that guy who is known to travel expensively.
#417
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
If it is below THEIR acceptable standard then THEY should pay for it not demand their employer pay for a second meal because they are a fussy eater, believe chain motel buffets are beneath them or can't get their day started without "organic/pasture animal proteins."
It's the same with on-demand movies. If the free TV channels in your room aren't suitable to your ratified tastes don't expense a pay-per-view movie. Pay for it yourself.
It's the same with on-demand movies. If the free TV channels in your room aren't suitable to your ratified tastes don't expense a pay-per-view movie. Pay for it yourself.
#418
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
Your mortgage payment does not change if you're gone for a few days, or even a few weeks.
Your car payment does not change if you're gone for a few days, or even a few weeks.
When you go on a business trip, you get FREE meals, and you can collect points for the airline trip and hotel stay. It's actually a money-maker.
When I traveled for business all the time 20 years ago, I collected hundreds of thousands of FF miles and hotel points. I used them later for lots of free trips by air and lots of free stays in a hotel.
People who complain about the free hotel breakfast and want to charge a more expensive breakfast have an attitude problem. If they're important enough to the company, fine. But if you're replaceable, think twice. For crying out, is your breakfast demands really going to make a serious dent in your bank account if you pay for it yourself?
Your car payment does not change if you're gone for a few days, or even a few weeks.
When you go on a business trip, you get FREE meals, and you can collect points for the airline trip and hotel stay. It's actually a money-maker.
When I traveled for business all the time 20 years ago, I collected hundreds of thousands of FF miles and hotel points. I used them later for lots of free trips by air and lots of free stays in a hotel.
People who complain about the free hotel breakfast and want to charge a more expensive breakfast have an attitude problem. If they're important enough to the company, fine. But if you're replaceable, think twice. For crying out, is your breakfast demands really going to make a serious dent in your bank account if you pay for it yourself?
#419
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Programs: Aeroplan, IHG, Enterprise, Avios, Nexus
Posts: 8,355
I am vegetarian, and do not eat things if they contain or are cooked with meat. There are thousands of others like me, either for religious reason, or personal choice. I stayed at one hotel that had a hot breakfast buffet - great, I thought, there are fresh eggs, potatoes, toast, as well as yogurt and fruit. Then I realized both the potatoes and the eggs were cooked on the grill top with the bacon, and the yogurt contained gelatin. The restaurant declined to do any eggs cooked to order in a separate area. While I could eat the toast and fruit, neither of them contain protein, and thus aren't really a suitable breakfast. I simply went down the street and bought a breakfast containing eggs and expensed it without issue. If an employer questioned it, I would have a problem - if I was, for example, Jewish or Muslim, would they really expect me to eat items that contain pork fat?
I have had a long practice of not putting in for reimbursement on every little thing. No papers, lattes, metro tickets, fast food or the like. Stuff I might have bought for myself if still home. I want a clean expense report that gets approved with a 4 second look. So mostly airfare (I attach boarding passes and write on them "Upgraded at my own cost"), hotel, some more expensive meals and meals with clients, taxis and ubers, and that is about it.
Also, if the hotel for a conference is expensive, I will sometimes pick another within walking difference if it is as good but substantially cheaper (and I tend to prefer the boutiques over the chains). No one is making me do that, but I am aware there are budgets, and I don't want to be that guy who is known to travel expensively.
Also, if the hotel for a conference is expensive, I will sometimes pick another within walking difference if it is as good but substantially cheaper (and I tend to prefer the boutiques over the chains). No one is making me do that, but I am aware there are budgets, and I don't want to be that guy who is known to travel expensively.
High flyers who refuse hotel chain breakfasts with claims of picky eating habits and tender tummies in the belief their employer should pay for breakfast bistros suitable to their refined tastes should never work for government if expenses are subject to freedom of information. The indigestion caused by having your line-by-line spending habits in the media will outweigh the temporary digestive upset of even the worst hotel buffets.
#420
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: MSN
Programs: Delta DM, Bonvoy LT Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,987
High flyers who refuse hotel chain breakfasts with claims of picky eating habits and tender tummies in the belief their employer should pay for breakfast bistros suitable to their refined tastes should never work for government if expenses are subject to freedom of information.