Fly_By_Wire

Really enjoyed the TR, thanks for taking the time to write up.

It's funny, I have to take a lot of e-learning courses at the Big Bank I work for (I'm in finance, nowhere near sales or the front office), and parts of it read just like the case studies in the bribary and corruption type training:
'Your sales consultant contact in Bolivia calls to offer an introduction to the UK Ambessedor, saying it may lead to more contacts and 'that's how business is done around here'....!!!

(Of course, I am in in NO WAY insinuating this is the case here, really enjoyed your style and musings!).

Hope it works out, happy and safe future travels!

Leaping_Deere

Ermm.... interesting question!

I would pay the extra £300 for an outbound flight, to use the CCR, never been in there and to experience day time flight service. on an return journey......not sure it depends on how flush I'm feeling, if I'd had a particularly productive trip.

I would pay £2000 return for one of those flash sale ticket, on a 10+hour plus flight I'd pay just over £3000 return (if such a price exists) but beyond that I stick with J.

haha I know what you mean!! Our company doesn't have any training on bribery, its very much 'you're on your own, don't mess up but if you do we ain't helping'

The lines can get very blurred. My experience of Latin American business is that its very much about people to people relationships, there is also very much an 'old boy network' less so in Brazil and Argentina as they are bigger populations but in the small countries, most people know people.

Whilst there is a lot corruption, my experience is it tends to be between private companies trying to obtain public contracts which is something we don't get into very often.

keepforgettingpassword

if you had to wear suits during your meetings and were planning on doing HBO; curious to know how you'd make that work? You seem pretty knowledgeable so forgive me if my questions aren't the norm one would find on here

1P

The innocents among us would love to know what HBO means!....

Vaterland

I'm assuming it means hand baggage only...or something along those lines.

Leaping_Deere

I'm very happy to answer questions

The Briggs and Riley bag, has a suit-er pouch. It can just about keep a jacket and trousers from creasing, but shirts, not a chance. I just have to iron in the morning.

I dont often wear a suit these days. A jacket, shirt, tie and smart black chino style trousers seems to be what Im wear now, the industry I'm in doesn't seem to mind. The trousers I can wear in the evening with a polo etc and they don't look out of place.
Correct, Hand baggage only it is, the amount of acronyms on here can be frustrating. If you fly on BA short haul or see the BA forum, the Hand baggage only (HBO) fare debacle brought this acronym into the public domain.

Duke787

Excellent trip report! How do I get your job?? Hope we see more TRs in the future

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Leaping_Deere

Thanks for your post! Well if they have an job opening I'll pm so you can send a CV

I don't travel regularly compared to some of the guys on here! Long haul wise I think I'm back to New Zealand in February, Mid west of the USA in August next year and it's looking like Iran in September next year. But usually other trips appear in that time (I didn't book this trip till 2 months ago) but usually nothing quite as elaborate as this, but I will make sure I write something when these come round.

keepforgettingpassword

Thank you for your response. My immediate concern is that I can't get away without wearing/bringing some suits (can't see myself wearing the same suit 5 days in a row). Based on that the HBO option won't work. Small price to pay I guess. Going to be doing some short haul international travel towards the tail end of my trip in Coach and I know they're very picky on how many bags one has so suitcase it will have to be.

Leaping_Deere

I see what you mean. I'm lucky enough that I was moving around enough to not wear the same combination twice in front of the same clients. I tend to find small changes with shirts and ties make a big difference visually, even though you are wearing the same jacket etc.

Sieto

Enjoyable TR, thanks! I, for one, would have preferred a few more pictures.
As someone who makes videos for YouTube too, I can say in the start it takes some getting used to, but after a (short enough) while, you get used to it. As long as you take care not to photo/video-graph crew, there's really not a lot to worry about!
Thanks again :-)

Leaping_Deere

Thanks for the comments! Next time I will take more pictures

keepforgettingpassword

Enjoyed your post enough that it'll get me off my backside to post my upcoming TR; here's hoping it's as entertaining as yours

Leaping_Deere

I know the feeling, I read some TR's that inspired me to write one so to be able to have done the same thing to other members is something I've never thought I'd do. I'm sure your TR will be

keepforgettingpassword

Thank you. Intro has been posted; here's hoping there's some interest.
I was hoping to do HBO for the trip but I just have too many days of work it'll have to be a suitcase, maybe even bring back a 2nd as I have to do some shopping for la familia