This is what you get if you pay $60K USD for a first class flight ticket on Emirates

[twinrider1]

So no corporate cards or corporate travel service? Use personal cards and file the expense reports and get reimbursed?

 

[Ns1]

at the company I work at, at my level, the flights are booked through the corp travel agency and billed to the corporate card. The booking is on the company card but the FF# on the booking is mine. Hotel is also booked through the agency, but like meals are paid on personal card, expense reported, and reimbursed.

 

[Exterous]

So no corporate cards or corporate travel service? Use personal cards and file the expense reports and get reimbursed?

Thankfully I've never worked at a place that required corporate cards so its all on my own card and then reimbursed. I have the option of using a corporate card if I want but I never use it. My boss seems genuinely concerned that I am using my own card but there isn't as much air\hotel travel here as at my old job so I don't think people know much about the game. I do get to put some training costs on it though.

Boss: "Are you sure you want to put $5k in training costs on your card? I can get the department card if you want. It could take 3-7 days for you to get reimbursed!"

Only 7 days? Yeah I'm good

If I know a big expense is coming up I'll look and see if there is another card out there with a useful signup bonus.

 

[Exterous]

Booked rt's ORD-MIA-BCN and ORD-DFW-CDG for later this year. The TATL legs are on the old 777 flagship first product but we'll survive. Doubtful either will see swaps to the new 777-200 configs since AA is apparently having delivery issues with the seat manufacturer.

Still sitting on a good pile of miles but tough getting away for more time. Though HKG could be fun...

I was just thinking today about the first world problems of not getting the exact overseas country desired, having too little time for yet another TATL or TPAC, and being annoyed that certain flights have an old 777 instead of a 332.

Congrats on the trip!

 

[coxmaster]

So how does this all work? It sounds like miles being built up on work travel and being spent on personal travel.

Correct.

I picked up 200k miles last year from work, which is barely anything compared to some people.

 

[CraKaJaX]

I once met a guy in business class whose job was to fly all over and inspect or consult at power plants. He flew long haul at least 30 times a year.

Sign me up! I've got no attachments (house, kids, etc.) so that would be perfect for me right now. Did you get his card? :awe:

 

[K1052]

I was just thinking today about the first world problems of not getting the exact overseas country desired, having too little time for yet another TATL or TPAC, and being annoyed that certain flights have an old 777 instead of a 332.

Congrats on the trip!

Definitely not the worst problem to have.

Thanks!

 

[K1052]

So how does this all work? It sounds like miles being built up on work travel and being spent on personal travel.

Work travel, work expenses, personal travel, and various other mileage earning/bonuses for us.

Being one of the very few people at my company that can float large amounts of work expenses with no notice (no corporate cards) has its advantages.

 

[twinrider1]

Thanks. My corp experience has been a company card through the company travel service. One year we had a year-end review at a remote sight. Our flight back was overbooked and they offered a free flight voucher to anyone that volunteered to take a later flight. The CFO of our deal team made it clear that we couldn't keep the voucher; that it would belong to the company. Technically, yea, I get it. But c'mon! Needless to say, none of us volunteered.

 

[Ns1]

^^

wow what a shitty human.

 

[K1052]

Thanks. My corp experience has been a company card through the company travel service. One year we had a year-end review at a remote sight. Our flight back was overbooked and they offered a free flight voucher to anyone that volunteered to take a later flight. The CFO of our deal team made it clear that we couldn't keep the voucher; that it would belong to the company. Technically, yea, I get it. But c'mon! Needless to say, none of us volunteered.

Seems needlessly dickish.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Thanks. My corp experience has been a company card through the company travel service. One year we had a year-end review at a remote sight. Our flight back was overbooked and they offered a free flight voucher to anyone that volunteered to take a later flight. The CFO of our deal team made it clear that we couldn't keep the voucher; that it would belong to the company. Technically, yea, I get it. But c'mon! Needless to say, none of us volunteered.

What a shitty company.

Side note, I wish I had a job that needed travel

 

[Tommy2000GT]

If you are a frequent flyer, are airline miles worth more than cash back on credit cards that offer rewards?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

If you are a frequent flyer, are airline miles worth more than cash back on credit cards that offer rewards?

Yes. Off my Singapore redemption I earned 9 cents a point. My AA redemption is worth 12 cents a point.

Cash Back is flat 1-3 cents.

 

[Exterous]

If you are a frequent flyer, are airline miles worth more than cash back on credit cards that offer rewards?

Generally yes although there is some debate as to how much. Sure I got a great mile/cent value for my booked flight to Australia but I wouldn't have paid the $10k-12k the flight would have cost in the first place.

It also depends on availability of awards. If you have to fly to a specific place on an exact date it can be tough to get a low mileage award price. You might end up having to use a lot of miles and, correspondingly, get a terrible mile/cent value.

Thats why its not uncommon to see people say things like "I guess I'm going to Paris" when they really want to go to Spain but award space to Paris was open and Madrid wasn't* - so they have to 'settle' for France.

*Or the only available award flight to Madrid from Boston routed through Dallas Fort Worth to Heathrow airport, requiring an airport change to London City Airport before landing in Madrid - taking 33 hours out of your 5 day vacation availability.

Thanks. My corp experience has been a company card through the company travel service. One year we had a year-end review at a remote sight. Our flight back was overbooked and they offered a free flight voucher to anyone that volunteered to take a later flight. The CFO of our deal team made it clear that we couldn't keep the voucher; that it would belong to the company. Technically, yea, I get it. But c'mon! Needless to say, none of us volunteered.

The only reason I could see that would make that not shitty would be if those flights occurred during normal business hours and you would have gone back to the office for work if you took the earlier flight but, by taking the voucher and later flight, would not go back to work and would not be able to complete those same work tasks at the airport. So a pretty limited scenario

 

[Exterous]

Side note, I wish I had a job that needed travel

Its not always as fun as it sounds. I spent a lot of time 2.5 hours north of LA in a small town where the number 2 thing to do was the used book store at the Library

 

[Ns1]

Its not always as fun as it sounds. I spent a lot of time 2.5 hours north of LA in a small town where the number 2 thing to do was the used book store at the Library

I spent 7 days in Loveland, OH where the temperature was an amazing 0 degrees the whole week. Boarded a flight around 4am on January 1st for the pleasure.

 

[K1052]

Its not always as fun as it sounds. I spent a lot of time 2.5 hours north of LA in a small town where the number 2 thing to do was the used book store at the Library

Yea, most travel isn't to the glamorous places. I've seen more than my fair share of armpits over the years.

My husband however is blessed with a job that wings him to places like London, Rio, Sao Paulo, etc in paid business class and he gets to stay at the nice places. :'(

 

[Ns1]

Yea, most travel isn't to the glamorous places. I've seen more than my fair share of armpits over the years.

My husband however is blessed with a job that wings him to places like London, Rio, Sao Paulo, etc in paid business class and he gets to stay at the nice places. :'(

what does he do so I know where to go looking for jobs in a year.

 

[K1052]

what does he do so I know where to go looking for jobs in a year.

Manages a gaggle of PM's and an IT support field team that takes care of retail outlets for company named after a fruit.

 

[Ns1]

Manages a gaggle of PM's and an IT support field team that takes care of retail outlets for company named after a fruit.

I didn't know Orange was such a global company.

 

[K1052]

They are everywhere...

 

[AznAnarchy99]

So United is crap. Shows availability for Aer Lingus business in July but will never ticket the reward. Now I'm looking for alternatives.

Premium economy on Air France seems like a decent option for about 50k points and $200.

I see an Emirates first class on the 21st of July but that cuts my vacation two days short and it's mixed cabin, first and coach so I feel like that's a waste. I might give them a call and see if they can throw me on first for both legs but damn still two days short.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Found my flight home. Business on Air France/Alitalia

 

[Ns1]

Found my flight home. Business on Air France/Alitalia

well it's better than economy I guess.

You'd think with a name like AIR FRANCE they could make business class croissants worth a damn, but you'd think wrong.