LAX_Esq

Wife just had an interview and got a verbal offer for a position with a F500 company. The position will likely require about 4 trips to Asia a year for 1-2 weeks each. They didn't give her a number yet, but the position will probably pay in the lower-mid 100s.

Wife didn't think to ask during the interview (and it may have been awkward to ask), but the first question I had was whether this travel would be in J. 4x/year to Asia in Y would be a non-starter to me.

Obviously nobody on here can say for sure, but this forum has a lot of collective knowledge about corporate travel. So, I thought I'd ask. For an employee at that pay level at a F500 company, is there any reasonable chance they'd make her fly Y and not pay for J?

Jaimito Cartero

It all depends on the company.

I don’t think there should be a problem asking about their travel policies. Some folk are fine flying Y. Some people are not. Unless you are accompanying her on all the flights, why not let her decide? I’ve flown a million+ miles in coach. Much of it longhaul to Asia. Still alive.

Visconti

Generally, I'd say F500s will offer J, but may be limited to a specific carrier.

chrisl137

It's worth asking someone once the offer comes in, preferably someone in a similar position who knows the actual policy as opposed to what HR might read somewhere. I'm not in an F500, but our policy will book you J for over something like 10 hours flight time (not block time), which I think covers just about all TPACs from LAX, but a company with a slightly different threshold or an all Y-cabin policy could leave her in Y unless she has the status and instruments for upgrades.

LAX_Esq

Thanks all. We've flown Y to Asia, Mid East, etc. for vacations. We're still alive, too But flying for business, where you're expected to be alert and highly functional the day you arrive, that's a different story...

MSPeconomist

If not J, will they let her go a day early? Or purchase premium economy if available? Four coach trips annually to Asia from LAX won't result alone in high status or TPAC upgrade instruments.

Depending on the destinations in Asia, I'd ask some additional questions about the travel policy (after getting an offer). Do they allow car service or provide a car and driver? What type of hotels? Guidelines for restaurant meals?

LAX_Esq

Good Q's to find out about and look for.

Going a day early wouldn't be appealing to me; it would just make make a long trip longer, and you'd probably get stuck working that day anyway (responding to emails, getting on calls, etc.).

I'd imagine that any F500 would pay for Western business chain hotels (Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, etc.). I'd also imagine that the meal guidelines are sufficient to allow for hotel meals in Asia. Isn't that all pretty standard in any big F500 / corporate job?

Why does the car service vs. car and driver vs. taxis/Uber matter? I can't imagine they're going to force her to take a moto or auto-rickshaw

Repooc17

Should be spelled out in the company travel policy. Our company, for example, has strict Y cabin with the exception of flights to/from Asia, where PE can be expensed. No J/F.

LAX_Esq

F500? Even for senior management types?

Repooc17

Correct.

travelinmanS

You’ll have to ask the company. Many companies are Y only and many others offer J for all flights over 4 hours. Not asking before taking the job is being willing to accept Y only as a possibility.

Toshbaf

Not that many years ago, there was first, business, and coach. Now that has been renamed business, PE, economy though business is more plush than first used to be, at least the seating.


That's more age related. An employee in their 20's can fly economy and still be very productive despite a red eye.

I found that economy on a daytime JFK-LHR flight (or EWR, ORD, BOS, IAD, YYZ to LHR) results in higher productivity than a red eye in J. US to the Asia Pacific region are all such long distances that daytime vs. red eyes don't apply.

Companies can be strange. Some spend more than others. Some treat it like they are spending someone else's money. If one is measuring only dollars and cents, then will J result in measurable increases in productivity that exceed the cost of the J ticket? Some employees may try to retaliate and spend money in other ways. If so, are they bad employees? Or bad but tolerated because good help is hard to find?

safari ari

My previous F100 company wouldn't pay for J at all unless you were a certain management level, even on International itineraries. My current job is the opposite where anything outside of NA is allowed for J no matter the level. So you can't just assume based on the company "prestige" that it is standard across the baord.

theshaun

Seems OP is more concerned than the person doing the actual travel.

hhdl

Yeah, my employer is F100 in a good year. Policy is Y regardless of distance, though you're allowed to upgrade on your own dime.