Chamor

eng3

Even if they post the travel policy, you don't know how the policy is actually implemented/enforced. Many companies may say "lowest fare". The most restrictive company may force you to whatever flight the travel agent chooses for you. Others give alot of flexiblity for what they consider "lowest fare. Gov't has city pairs and lowest fares. Your specific manager may be very restrictive or very flexible. You wouldn't know til you started. Sometimes I've asked on interviews when I speak to actual employees but even where I work, I'd say most people are not very familiar with the travel policy and have the secretaries book travel vs doing it themselves.

Chamor

deleted

BThumme

HotelHacker

My dad worked in the oil business and they traveled in J for long-haul international flights. He did extensive travel in Europe for a few years and I even got to go myself a couple of times.

I traveled some for my last job dealing in software. They had a strict no business/first policy. Most of the travel was domestic anyway but there was a supposed trip to Australia in the future--about a 15 hour flight IIRC. Left that job before that ever came about though. Probably would have stuck around a little longer since I like the change of pace but traveling wasn't a big portion of the job and the rest wasn't so great.

All too often, those of us in the "technology" biz are finding that we're not even worth having our own cubicle (something about an "open floor plan...") Flying in Business class? Fahgettaboutit!

timfountain

Yep, agree. That's my life, and for those of you who say "you need to change to an employer who treats you better" etc. etc. I work in high tech and none of the 4 companies I have worked for over the last 34 years have ever paid for anything other than cheapest fare. no business for any length of flight. There are exceptions, but my overriding impression is that pointy-end fliers are either high level management, owners/partners or spending other peoples money.

Gig103

My employer would buy a "customer of size" two Y seats before a single F seat even if 2x economy cost more and it was a domestic flight.

malmostoso

I used to work for an automotive giant in Europe, and when I joined the company the travel policy was Y for anything below 6 hours and J above. We had an in house travel agent with two actual people sitting in the office, which limited the choices that were offered to us.

Then 2008 struck and we moved to an all-Y policy. I don't need to tell you how employees felt, especially because long haul travel was still expected.

Around 2010 the old policy was brought back and we shifted to Egencia, along with an unwritten policy of "if it were your money, would you book it?". By that point I had read enough FT to know how to manipulate the stupid Egencia website to spit out the fares I wanted, and I managed to build status and a healthy stash of miles.

I currently work for an international organization where the policy is "flexible J all the time", but only a tiny fraction of the employees actually have a need for travel, and any travel has to be approved from the high ups, so nowadays I cling to my cheap *G and live vicariously reading the forum. To be honest I miss being in the front of the plane, but I really don't miss work travel.

LIH

In investment banking I rarely had clarity on travel plans until inside a week and often inside 48 hours. There were years that I was a GS and had a YBM-up rate below 50%. Issue was compounded by a lot of hub-hub travel for sure.

mtftw

Our policy allows for travel above economy only if it's cheaper than econ fares. I have still not ever found a route where that has been the case, but I fly 100% domestically.

rj_flyer

Best part of our policy: I get to book my travel, like others have said we're Y even if its Transpac, however I can't complain as OT normally kicks in about early afternoon on Wed/DT kicks in mid Friday.

We use Concur but even that can be beaten, the rules run against your search, so search first on google flights then limit your search in Concur to the exact times and you don't get the policy restrictions. I am also at the benefit of truly last minute fares, as I've gotten into the office early in the morning and have been told I'm going to XYZ later that day with a part.

I've found traditionally UA keeps a few seats open up front (to hopefully sell but don't) which normally benefit the 1K/GS customers who end up on the upgrade list at T24 who are on Y, B, & M fares. My CPU percentage this year is 53% with 7 CPU-able flights and 3 on the RJ200.

seenitall

There's the published policy and the department specific "social" policy. I work for a very large corporation. It's published global policy is that Business is only permitted for flights longer than 8 hours. But everyone works within a particular department, each with their own mission and extremely varying needs for travel. In my department, travel is quite frequent, but also generally quite discretionary. To ensure that our given travel budget allows us to succeed maximally at our mission, we generally have a "social policy" of flying TATLs (which generally are 8-9 hours) in Y -- especially since TATL J is frequently 4-6 times Y in price. So while the travel office wouldn't look at you twice if you booked J, your immediate co-workers would. And wouldn't you know it, after flying dozens of TATLs in Y (and some in J), J really isn't that much superior to Y for an 8-hour flight -- and certainly not 4-6 times superior. That said, I will only book a 12-16 hour TPAC in J, or I just won't go.

nomad420

I know being self employed it is easy for me to say this but it seems many here need to discuss travel policy with their prospective employer at the time of recruitment. If you know the job will require global travel I would develop an argument and a plan regarding you travel "requirements". If they want you bad enough they will agree. In "The Valley" they are paying 6 figure salaries everywhere so what is a potential bump for a good prospect of lets say $25/year over normal travel rates for up-class travel. This is nothing on the greater scheme of things, it is a tax deductible business expense. If you have talent and they want you they would put the agreed up-class travel policy in your employment agreement or they are fools. Good people are hard to find!

tods27

Our policy is Y only for domestic and for international, you have to do 2 6+ (might be 8+) hour trips before you can fly in J. Of course, I like to joke that that 3rd meeting in Europe is the one that you suddenly aren't needed for when you insist on flying J.

Often1

There are two issues here.

Some companies forbid F/J simply as a matter of principle. Cost is a factor, but even when F/J is a relatively cheap or even negative delta, they won't permit it.
Others require a flexible ticket. There are people who do not have fixed travel and thus may well make 3-4 changes across a 7-10 day multi-city trip. They also have significant accounting issues in dealing with billing travel to a client and then dealing with travel credit. Thus, if they pay for flexible Y, the question is not whether one could fly in F/J for less, but whether one can fly in F/J on the same terms.

I am amazed at the number of companies who persist in small dollar pettiness. It is an eye-opener as someone who has been the beneficiary of flexible travel policies which focus on reasonableness rather than bean-counting.