My company has PD rates by country. Some of my colleagues were NOT happy when they traveled to Switzerland; they all complained and re-negotiated the PD for Switzerland.

I've always been able to eat lunch under $10 in the US and dinner under $15. But IMO traveling for biz, as exciting as it may sound in the beginning, is ultimately a PITA. Being on the road you're away from family/friends, end up missing various events, etc. This has to be compensated somehow. Miles and hotel points are nice perks, but not quite enough IMO.

As such, I am surprised to read how stringent various entities (Gov't agencies or companies) can be with expenses. In fact, I'm surprised that people still agree to travel under those circumstances. I get flight (always Y unfortunately), accommodation + a fixed PD rate, depending on country. I keep whatever I don't spend out of my PD, which is basically my incentive for traveling. Take that away and I'm putting myself on the "unwilling to travel" list.

Ten years ago, this guy came into the bathroom and started cleaning while I was still showering. I've always assumed this was accidental, and he seemed more embarrassed than I was when I cleared my throat and enquired about this housekeeping schedule. But now I wonder if this was all a means of commenting on my shower that seriously exceeded 5 minutes.

I became too fancy for my own good and stayed at the Palace on my triumphant return to MAD as a grown up professional. The noise from weddings kept me up all night on the Friday and Saturday. Maybe I'll give the Gonzalo a try again next time.

WOW-what is your cholestorel level?????? :D:D


By the way-private sector here-this is my deal...
currently
Hotels-Anything under $300/nt-unless a conference
Air-Refundable (Yups) on anything +4 hours
$40/day meals for self-must have rcpts
reasonable meals for others

Last year (prior to CH11 BK)
Hotels-anything went
air-refundable on ALL flights
meals for self:
$10 bfast
$20 lunch
$60 dinner
We got this whether we used it or NOT!!!

Meals for others
unlimited

Our company is:

Hotels: max $200/night net
Meals: up to $50/day total.

kevinsac, your expense situation sounds nightmare-ish. I would not want to deal with anything close to that.

Here's my company's policy (private sector, but my group doesn't really follow the official policy to the letter either...)
-Per diem using the govt rates (varies by city). Clients can request actual expenses only if they like.
-No receipts for per diems, you claim the full amount and pocket what you don't spend. I was working in LA for a few months and per diem there was $64 a day and I barely spent close to $25 with very healthy/clean eating (whole foods, healthy snacks, etc)
-Official policy is that if a meal is provided, you don't claim the per diem for that meal only. Everybody I know still claims breakfast (basically free $ every morning) even if they get a free one through Marriott lounge, etc. I think the only way you get in trouble for that one is if it's written into the hotel rate.
-Hotels we don't really have guidelines for aside from excessive ($300+ night).

Edit to add- flights are always Y/refundable in my specific group since we travel on very short notice and plans change all the time

Geez, I'd like to work for your company.

I worked for a company, it was in the South, that set the M&IE at $35 anywhere in the U.S. and $60 abroad. When I went to London, I submitted my expense report with the M&IE as stated at the State Department site. MY supervisor stormed into my office, "What the h3ll are you trying to do?) I said "this is the official M&IE" He told me he wasn't going to approve it. I asked him to decline it and write me a memo why he was refusing it. He wouldn't decline in writing. Finally, I relented and complied. It's not fair when an employer arbitrarily decide on a flat rate for the whole world. Breakfast at the hotel would have eaten up half my M&IE.

When I worked for a certain hotel company, we'd get comped rooms at our corporate managed properties, and $60 per day US, $100 abroad.

Not really a good deal when you think about it, since we'd get the worst rooms (since the rate runs as $0.00), and no points. About the only bonus was that we'd be allowed to eat for free at the hotel employee cafeteria if they had one, and we'd be entitled to use any employee meal discounts if the property offered it.

This was great at 90% of hotels, but horrid at the 10% that offered nothing.