Boss asking me to use miles for company travel...
 

Just got an email. The boss is asking me to use my airline miles for a trip to our user's conference in LAS.

Some background info:

* Not everyone is being asked this - including a coworker who is SUPPOSED to be traveling as often as I do - but never does.

* I spend more time on the road than anyone in the company, and NOT exactly in high style. Hampton Inns are about as posh as my accomodations get.

Frankly, I am more than just a little ticked off. A friend says that since I earned the miles on company travel, he has a point. My opinion is that these miles are SCANT compensation to the 100+ days on the road and away from my family.

Am I out of line here?

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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

This is bullsh#t, 100% BS!!

The miles belong to you, unless you signed a contract where you agreed to assign your miles to the company.

Sure the company paid for the flights originally, but you had to sit your butt in the plane and endure the time away from home!!! Now they want to be cheapskates and take away YOUR miles in YOUR account? I'd tell them to flake off.

Just say no. Tell him that if you are travelling on business, the company needs to pay for it.

If you get any flack for it, you're better off not working for that jerk anyway!!

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/mad.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/mad.gif


EDIT: some more random thoughts:

Do you really want to go to the conference? If you don't want to go, tell your boss that you'll save the company some expenses and stay at the home office.

Also, it may not require too many miles to fly to Vegas, but the principle of the thing is what makes me mad, not the amount of miles or the value it represents.

If I were you, politely decline to use your miles. I'd say "I'm travelling for the company, so I feel it's appropriate that the company pay for the trip. Of course, if the company wants to give me cash in return for the use of the miles, I'll be more than happy to consider that scenario."

[This message has been edited by UALOneKPlus (edited 10-02-2003).]

No, I don't want to go.

Miles become a bit of an issue. The conference ends Saturday, and while some are staying around an extra day to play, I want to be on the next flight home so I can salvage some of my weekend with my family - which means I am not out 25,000 miles, but 50,000 miles.

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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

That's bad news. Bottom line, you are flying for the companies benefit. You shoud not be paying for it out of your own pocket.

If I ever have a business that would require my employees to travel, I would never expect them to fund my business activities, unless they were equity holders and benefitted in some direct way from the savings.

It's really unfortunate, there are no FF seats available on the dates at which you need to travel. What a bummer.

You would have loved to use those miles, but you know how stingy the airlines are with those seats.

[This message has been edited by Droneklax (edited 10-03-2003).]

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif

Jon:

Is this the first time such a request has been made? Is the company facing financial difficulties?

I have friends in both situations: most get to keep their miles and it is almost a "sacred covenant" between them and their employers http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif - a few are required to use their miles when the boss requests them to, though.

I guess it all depends on the context of the given situation and the precedent. If this is the first time they have asked you, and you use your miles for this company trip, you certainly will be setting a precedent. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

Depending how secure you feel with your job I would your boss that it would be unfair for you to use your miles if everyone else doesn't. Your miles is, in my opinion, part of your compensation for doing your job so he/she is asking you to have less compensation then your peers.

Just out of curiosity, how does the Boss know that you've got enough miles or have even joined a FFP or that your FFP flies the correct schedule to LAS?

Maybe you're one of those Luddites that have never joined a FFP and just hang out on FT because you've got nothing better to do. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif

IMO, mile usage for business is strickly off limits unless you'd explicitly agreed to it as a part of your position.

http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...m/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...m/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...m/thumbsup.gif

If you are secure in your job you have no problem- tell the boss, HELL NO!. However, if you are not secure, then you may have to do what the company asks.

Droneklax's excuse should be considered so that you come out smelling like a rose http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...um/biggrin.gif . But what about next time? http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/frown.gif .

You know, you may want to start looking for another job, because that is one cheap company you are working for. Hey, are you up-to-date on your escorting skills? http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

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OMNI's reluctant, albeit premier, SEX deviant.
It was the wet t-shirt contest that did it, wasn't it? Well, I did for the miles.

It sounds like YOU vs THE COMPANY here.

The first question that I need to ask is, is this a small company that might be in a temporary cash crunch?


If it were me, I would assume that there was a very good reason for "the boss" to ask ($$$$). Perhaps the company is not doing so well? Perhaps there is a feeling (in management) that the company has some nebulous claim on the miles? Remember, no one is FORCING you to work there.

Back in the early 80s Exxon put out a memo that FF miles belonged to the company. One big reason that they backed off was the nightmare associated with keeping track of personal miles vs "company" miles.

I don't agree with your boss's request, either. However, if you feel that you have to comply for whatever reason, make sure they know the value of a comparable full-fare ticket and write you a receipt; perhaps you can get a tax deduction. (I'm not a CPA, just trying to think of something ideas to help.)

Not everyone in the world has the same view of miles as "we" do. Explain the situation, let him know how important the miles are for you and if all else fails then just use them, 50k miles isn't worth tension at the office.

I think this thread, since it's travel related belongs in TravelBuzz!

Oh, and by the way, I think that is complete rubbish.


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