ATOT business travelers

[paulney]

A client requested a couple of particular contractors we use for an offsite project. Typically we deal with local moves only, and reimburse contractors for mileage. In this case the scenario we have is:

- our people fly to Denver
- meet with foreign guests at a certain facility
- spend some time with them there
- fly to Las Vegas
- stay there overnight
- spend some time with the same foreign guests at a facility in Las Vegas
- fly back to Bay Area

Client wants an estimate of the costs. How do I calculate per-diem rates, price of the airfare which fluctuates every day, and all the other stuff? Dinners, lunches, yada-yada. Some of the meals will be provided by the client.

How do the big companies normally go about these expenses?

Thanks.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Aside from holidays, if you book during the week, airline prices don't typically fluctuate more than $200 for a round trip if you're booking reasonably far (at least 2 weeks) in advance. Depending on your rate agreements with hotels, those are generally between $90 and $140 per night before taxes.

Normally we just rough cut it, explaining that actual expenses will vary based on the specific dates.

If I had to guess, and this is based on the rates I usually get, I would say you're probably looking at:

$300 flight to Denver
$300 flight to LV
$300 flight to Bay Area
$120/night for Denver hotel
$150/night for LV hotel

And then the usual ancillary costs for food, taxis, etc.

ZV

 

[paulney]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

And then the usual ancillary costs for food, taxis, etc.

ZV

Thank you for the explanation!

Regarding the expenses for food, taxis and stuff - do you get an allocated amount per day from the company, and, having exhausted that, pay for the rest yourself, or do you expense everything that incur costs in?

Thanks.

 

[Descartes]

Per-diem rates are available from the GSA here. This is the standard table most use for reimbursement.

As to everything else, it's generally the actual cost. That includes flights, taxis, etc. Lodging, meals and entertainment are available in the per-diem rate table by city. This is pretty reasonable as a gauge, but our contracts generally allow +/- 20% from the per-diem depending on the city (e.g. cities like San Diego have events where costs are higher).

 

[paulney]

Great, this will help a lot!
Thank you, guys!