My company (large consulting company) has a pretty nice travel policy. Most of the projects I've been on have involved a fairly nice corporate apartment. You can book your own flights using the company's travel portal. While lower priced options are suggested after you pick your desired airline / routing / times, there isn't a hard and fast rule that requires you to pick an alternative.

Rental cars are usually shared, but that's never been an issue, at least for me. We also get a blanket per diem regardless of the day's incurred expenses. They pay all other reasonable expenses, like cabs to/from the airport (or airport parking), checked bag fees, etc. They also allow you to fly anywhere else each weekend in lieu of going home as long as the flight cost is reasonable (i.e. about the same or less than what your flight home would've been). Best of all, things aren't scrutinized under a microscope, so you don't have to feel like you're doing something wrong / going overboard when really you're not.

I worked for a small firm with fortune 100 partners and we used our own credit cards for the hotels, car rentals, & meals, plus we got to expense our cell phones and plans as well as mifi cards. But we had a max per week that we needed to stay under or else we'd get our expenses rejected.
But the Max was around $2500 per week for flight(they paid with company travel policy), car rental, food, hotel). And we got reimbursed twice a month. So I liked it.

Only issue is if you have a credit card with a small limit, the holds can add up quick for some hotels(99 bucks), and car rentals(200-250). When you travel all week, suddenly you might have 600+ in holds outstanding. And sometimes the banks and car rental agencies try to release the hold as slow as they can.

I did work for another company where it seemed they wouldn't reimburse people for 8 weeks or longer. And it wasn't like they reimbursed you for the entire 8 week period of travel. They would finally approve week 1. I had a lot of co-workers with $10K+ outstanding on their own credit cards. Low and behold this was not a company I wanted to work for long term. If you travel weekly and the avg cost is around $1K, that adds up quick if it takes them that long to reimburse.

I'm not sure of some of the bigger firms like ACN or IBM. I heard some have AmEX cards, others have websites. I guess it would make life easier if you never had to use your own money up front. Because if it does cost $1K for hotel, car and food, and holds cost another 250, you are out 1250 for that week. Add another week, and suddenly it's $2500. If they are timely in reimbursing, no issues. If it takes a long time, suddenly you seem to be spending your paycheck to cover your own credit cards.

I work at a large firm, and we are required to put hotels, cars, and flights on the corporate AMEX. Everything else can be paid either by the corporate card or a personal one. As we do not get any points from the corporate card, I try to use my personal cards as much as possible. I actually wish I could use my personal cards for everything!

My company also allows this, but the cost of the alternate travel is considered taxable income.

I bet I can guess which "large firm" you work for...as I work for the same one. :)

Really? I would think this arrangement would be common, as those are usually the largest expenses.

The firm I work for also gives us corporate AMEX cards for expenses but we get to keep the points. :D

I think that's the optimal arrangement actually. Corporate card means I'm not floating $$$ to the company, they see where the money is going and I still get a nice pile of MR points, as well as the airline and hotel points from the bookings.

All I miss out on are potential point bonuses from using an airline-branded credit card.

Optimal arrangement for the employee :)

1) Some companies require you to use Corp Amex/other for everything, no points/rewards.
2) Some companies require you to use Corp Amex/other for everything, you pay to join Membership Rewards and keep the points.
3) Some companies require you to use Corp Amex/other for certain things, personal card for other.
4) Some companies allow you to use whichever card you want.

a) Some companies pay your expenses for you directly once you submit your expenses.
b) Some companies reimburse you after you've paid your credit card.

There are enough consultancies of varying size/scale that any number of models is common.

Mine used to do 4.b; then they switched to 2.b; now they do 1.a.

You best not be in Europe requiring the Corp Amex for everything as it will be very difficult to fulfill given the low rates of acceptance of AMX- you will be fine for car rentals, flights, and possibly road tolls- everything else good luck!

And I would be willing to bet that many of the companies mentioned (or alluded to) have changed policies as well since the original question was posed. I wonder if the OP ever got that consulting/insurance/engineering/law career of his/her dreams. :)

I have to use a corporate MasterCard for everything. No points for me. I do get to keep points from flights and hotels. Generally pretty reasonable expense policy. There are guidelines for meal costs in major international cities. You have to explain why if you go over these amount but they are reasonable, not Michelin stars but nice restaurants. Hotels are good quality and are booked via our portal (but you can also pick others via the phone if you have a reason to be in a different hotel, like being closer to the client) as are flights. You can refuse the lowest price flight for schedule or direct flight reasons.

My last comapny insisted we use the corporate AMEX for flights, hotels and car rental (in part because it provided insurance as part of the package) but I was still personally liable for the AMEX card (i.e. if there was a late payment, it was my credit rating it went against) Plenty of people in the firm did not realize the contract they signed (without reading) for the card held them personally liable, both for late payments, and also if the company went bust and there were outstanding amounts owed on the card (a very real danger where I worked!)

We have exactly the same policy.

So much in common, you and I. Drinks are on me next time you are in Boston and we can rehash GSB stories.

Mike

Deal! :)