Business Travel

Cutlery · Apr 4, 2023

I can't believe there's not a thread for this that I can find.

I've been "offered" (as in, I've still gotta go thru the process, but basically been handed) a job that's 75% travel. They say it's closer to 50% after no holiday weeks, no travel from mid Nov to mid Jan, but usually out for a week, 3 times a month.

My kids are older now, my dog is on her last leg (literally more than figuratively), it seems like I would be an absolute retard to pass this up.

This would be new for me, and quite the lifestyle shift. For all of you that travel for work, what is some shit you wish you had known when you started? Pro tips? Tricks?

I'm 98% sure I'm gonna take it when it finally gets to me, but I'd like to hear from some folks experienced with this what it's like living out of a suitcase in an airport for that long.

Alex · Apr 5, 2023

Get a credit card that offers great rewards on travel. You can rack up a ton of points very quickly if you're traveling that much. Pick an airline and stick with it to get status and you'll be getting free upgrades to first class and shit before you know it.

If I was going somewhere interesting I would always try to get in a day early or stay an extra day to get some form of fun tourism in. When I used to travel constantly those decompress days really ease the stress of always being on the go. So I'd get in a hike or check out a museum or see some live music if a band I liked happened to be in town.

Getting into a nice routine can be good for you. Constant biz travel can be unhealthy. Try to take advantage of hotel gyms and shit.

BoozeCube · Apr 6, 2023

I would agree with

Alex a good travel rewards card is super beneficial. Also not only airlines but if you can stick to one chain or hotels and rental cars for perks and status.

100% get your TSA precheck or Gobal Entry being able to avoid 1/2 of TSAs faggot shit is worth its weight in gold, most travel cards even reimburse this as a perk.

Cutlery · Apr 6, 2023

I was under the impression business travel is on a business credit card. At least it was when my ex wife was working for the government.

Is that not how it works nowadays? You book your own shit on your own card? If so, I've got an Amex Platinum just waiting for me, I simply refuse to pay the annual fee because I never travel now and would never make it worth it.

Alex · Apr 7, 2023

Yeah almost all businesses have you pay for your expenses and you're reimbursed anymore.

Cutlery · Apr 7, 2023

Alex said:
Yeah almost all businesses have you pay for your expenses and you're reimbursed anymore.

Must suck for the tards with shit credit/maxed out cards!

BrutulTM · Apr 7, 2023

I had to pay and get reimbursed but they made us use a card that they issued us so no rewards. People complained about it constantly to no avail.

I never traveled that much but I did enough to discover that if you eat 3 meals a day in restaurants you will gain weight very quickly.

Cutlery · Apr 7, 2023

BrutulTM said:
I had to pay and get reimbursed but they made us use a card that they issued us so no rewards. People complained about it constantly to no avail.

I never traveled that much but I did enough to discover that if you eat 3 meals a day in restaurants you will gain weight very quickly.

Thankfully I have reached the point in my life where I only need to eat once a day, so i'm not too terribly worried about that.

My current employer issues what they call P cards to managers to book travel/buy lunches and shit. I had assumed it was the same for everywhere else. In any case, I'm not super worried - Amex Platinum is 5x points on all flights and hotels, which I'd gladly take, and I've got a 30k limit on that card so I'd never run into issues.

Alex · Apr 7, 2023

Cutlery said:
Must suck for the tards with shit credit/maxed out cards!

In peak travel times it sometimes would still suck to be out like 10k anxiously awaiting your reimbursement to pay your shit off. But most reimbursement tools process fast. Within two weeks.

Falstaff · Apr 7, 2023

I don't travel that much but I have a corporate card and I have my own rewards # for the airlines and hotels that are preferred so I can accumulate my own points and use them for personal travel.

BoozeCube · Apr 7, 2023

For my consulting work the company would book our flights we would just send them a flight request for the date/time - but the status was award for ass in seat flying same with the miles.

Booked hotels/rental cars ourselves and we get reimbursed for it. Food we just had a daily per diem of $182 added for every day we were away from home regardless if you used it or not so we didn't have to mess about with receipts and shit from restaurants.

BrutulTM · Apr 7, 2023

It sounds like the ultimate travel job back at the beginning of the opioid epidemic was pharmaceutical rep. There was a guy on Rogan a while back who said he had a $17,000 a month expense account. Basically $500 a day to wine and dine doctors, take them golfing, to strip clubs, or whatever the hell they wanted. Evil as fuck but it sounded like a wild time.

Does this prospective job involve sales/entertaining customers? I have a friend who has done a lot of that and it wasn't quite pharmaceutical rep level but he has some wild stories about vomiting in inappropriate places, strip clubs, damaged hotel rooms, etc. Another guy I knew actually reported his rental car stolen because he was so drunk he couldn't remember where he left it. Travel is one thing, but if sales are involved it can go to another level.

Alex · Apr 7, 2023

I travel for sales but I've never really done anything degenerate with clients. I've just been able to eat at REALLY nice restaurants on the company's dime. Which is good enough for me.

Captain Suave · Apr 7, 2023

Cutlery said:
a job that's 75% travel.

Go for it if you really like airports and hotels. Personally, I'd take the pay cut not to be on the road. I worked for AT Kearney after college and noped out of that lifestyle as soon as I realize how much it sucked for me.

Cutlery · Apr 7, 2023

Captain Suave said:
Go for it if you really like airports and hotels. Personally, I'd take the pay cut not to be on the road. I worked for AT Kearney after college and noped out of that lifestyle as soon as I realize how much it sucked for me.

Ain't a pay cut for me...would literally be doubling my base salary, and also be the next natural step in my skillset.

I told the GF about it and she said I was fucking crazy for thinking about leaving her alone that much. I told her she can either be okay with it or not, but it's irrelevant because I've gotta take the job. Not taking it would be suicide for my career. Can't just be passing over jobs like that where you have a buddy vouching for you and pulling you into.

My plan was this is a one or two year thing, after that, I move into something that requires less travel - either up because I'm good at what I do, or take a small pay cut for convenience to stay home. I figured in every new job, you've gotta pay your dues - the fucking rookies always get the shit end of the stick. If the shit end of the stick means being a Delta Platinum member and earning a free hotel night every week and being able to take the kids on real vacations for essentially free, that's a whole lot better than the shit end of the stick was at my job.

And no...it's not customer facing. I'll be traveling wearing jeans and a t-shirt, just the way I like it.

Falstaff · Apr 8, 2023

Sounds like this solves your girlfriend problem.

Cutlery · Apr 9, 2023

Falstaff said:
Sounds like this solves your girlfriend problem.

It'll solve it in one way or another.

She came around pretty quick on it, however. Realistically the money I'd be making would be about what we both make right now. And when you explain that to them and explain "alright, how much more do I need to make for you to do nothing but take care of the house and kid and dog and we can live comfortably?" it starts turning the tradwife wheels pretty hard. It's not out of the realm of possibility to be a few career jumps away from being able to do whatever I want, so it's an easy sell.

Plus if you don't like it...no problem, I'm sure I can find someone who will!

Lanx · Apr 9, 2023

Cutlery said:
I told the GF about it and she said I was fucking crazy for thinking about leaving her alone that much.

are there kids involved or just a whiney bitch?

Cutlery · Apr 9, 2023

Lanx said:
are there kids involved or just a whiney bitch?

The kids are mine, not hers.

Oldest is a non issue...22. Youngest will be 12, and requires little supervision since she's out riding bikes and whatnot at that age.

Don't take it too literally - she did just have a moment of neediness and came around on the idea quite quickly. It just was her initial reaction.

Lanx · Apr 9, 2023

Cutlery said:
The kids are mine, not hers.

Oldest is a non issue...22. Youngest will be 12, and requires little supervision since she's out riding bikes and whatnot at that age.

Don't take it too literally - she did just have a moment of neediness and came around on the idea quite quickly. It just was her initial reaction.

we had a luggage thread

Carry-on luggage?

Is anyone particularly happy with their carry-on luggage? I've bought a small one a long time ago, but Lufthansa managed to break it after making me check it... I had a 21'' that was supposed to conform with airline requirements, but when I stuffed it full, it was actually a little too thick...

www.firesofheaven.org

i believe

sleevedraw used to be a salesman, maybe get a few tips since you probably should upgrade to something more robust and easier to move

maybe also get an airtag or 2

Business Travel

Kill All the White People

Still a Music Elitist

The Wokest

Kill All the White People

Still a Music Elitist

Kill All the White People

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Kill All the White People

Still a Music Elitist

Ahn'Qiraj Raider

The Wokest

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.

Still a Music Elitist

Caesar si viveret, ad remum dareris.

Kill All the White People

Ahn'Qiraj Raider

Kill All the White People

Kill All the White People