Business travellers forced to cheap seats

[NM]

From news.com.au:

COMPANY executives are being told to fly economy, share hotel rooms and eat cheap, coffee shop breakfasts in a new age of austerity.

Companies have cut travel costs aggressively in response to the economic crisis, slashing about 20 per cent off national corporate spending since January, reports the Herald Sun.

 

[wtolmie]

From news.com.au:

Our travel policy was changed from flying J on international to Y, but you can "request" J if a single flight is >10hrs. Its not worth the hassle of having to get Exec Committee approval. Using E/F to select seat where there is empty seats or exit rows always comes in handy.

As for hotels, same.. we were requested to consider cheaper hotels. In Thailand where I come to Rayong on business and stay in Pattaya, we used to stay at the Hard Rock, but now stay at the Mercure for 1/2 price and same std facilities.

If you shop around, one can always save $$$$ and maintain std.

 

[anat0l]

We always travel in Y for our policy (in fact, almost always BFOD). The difficulty now is getting approval for travel - domestic isn't too different, but international is markedly more difficult (though not horkingly impossible).

Hotel room sharing OTOH is something that hasn't been considered yet, for probably a good reason. Exceptions may be if travelling in student capacity rather than staff capacity.

 

[JohnK]

I think the changes are a good move although I do not necessarily agree with sharing a hotel room.

When I was travelling for work it would always be in WHY and the hotel rooms were 3-4 star. Personally I never felt as if I was missing out on anything and I saw overseas travel as a bonus with an opportunity to visit countries/places I have never been to before.

 

[cove]

For our group meetings we have regularly used 2 bedroom,2 bathroom apartments and it has worked out well dollars wise.

 

[simongr]

I don't share a bedroom with "strangers" when I am at home so don't expect to do so when travelling.

Personally (and I have said this many times) if travel was only in whY for long haul I wouldnt take the job.

 

[Evan]

I don't share a bedroom with "strangers" when I am at home so don't expect to do so when travelling.

Personally (and I have said this many times) if travel was only in whY for long haul I wouldnt take the job.

I would in future say the same about travel having done so much in whY now or work for myself where its my choice.

I can imagine the sexual harassment claims starting if people started sharing rooms, thats just silly, opens the company up to a lot of problems. And sure it is logical men and women will not share but to me its also logical 2 people would never share anyway.

Reminds me in one trip that me and another guy (good mate) were traveling and rocked up at the hoten in HCMC and proceed to get checked in, and they have stuffed the booking up and ask/assume we are shareing a single room, we just look at each other and shake our heads.... no way ! and very promptly tell them to fix the situation !
We could have shared if there was really no options in that hotel but it was a 5* hotel that stuffed a booking up, so make them fix it !

I feel sorry for anybody that shares a room with me and is not a willing participant

 

[oz_mark]

I have often done the coffee shop breakfast anyway. Not because it's cheaper, but the coffee is generally better than what you get at a hotel breakfast.

 

[Grooba]

Flying Economy - yep always have and still do. Nothing changed.
Sharing Hotel rooms - never have had to and never would, no matter the economic climate.
Eat Cheap - nothing really changed. Company policy states we have $X for breakfast, $X for lunch and $X for dinner. X hasn't changed (yet).

Agreed with oz_mark about coffee shop breakfast / food, always so much better than hotel food. Essentially I find hotel food pretty much the same everywhere I go so will always try and eat outside where possible.

 

[dajop]

We are forced to share room for "conferences" and I find it awful. They tend to put us in Shangri-La quality places (last two were anyway), and frankly, what's the point of staying 5 star if you have to share a room? I'd rather have my own room and stay 3 star. Or stay at home.

I am OK though if sharing a 2BR apartment, that is not so bad, especially if there are separate bathrooms. But when the bed is 30cm away that's just plain wrong.

As for travel we've just implemented a three month world wide travel ban, requiring 4 levels of approval for any travel (and yes that includes if one of our field reps wants to stay a night at a motel in Wycheproof or the like...). Also any travel that is approved, regardless of length, must be in Y during those three months. (desperately trying to reach year on year profit growth targets .......)

 

[Evan]

I so wanted to say something about bringing a girlfriend back to you room with these sort of arrangements... but i will keep it G rated

Really i can't imagine any company would be silly enough to open the can of works and put co-workers in shared rooms (ok shared 2 bed apartments i think is acceptable to a point)

What are the legal departments thinking !

 

[oz_mark]

I've had it happen on a conference (where the company running the conference organised the accomodation). While I ended upsharing with a collegue, others were sharing with people they did not even know.

I don't like the idea myself.

 

[JohnK]

I would never share a room with a work colleague or total stranger or even good friend. Even when I go on organised tours I pay the single supplement.

I shared a room with a friend once, I wanted separate rooms but he wanted to save a few hundred dollars, and I vowed never again. I will only share a room with immediate family or my girfriend/fiance/wife.

 

[oz_mark]

or my girfriend/fiance/wife.

All at the same time could be worse than with a stranger

 

[v8Statesman]

All at the same time could be worse than with a stranger

Or a lot better

 

[JohnK]

All at the same time could be worse than with a stranger

At this stage in life I would take either.

 

[Grooba]

I've had it happen on a conference (where the company running the conference organised the accomodation). While I ended upsharing with a collegue, others were sharing with people they did not even know.

I don't like the idea myself.

Don't you just hate when the "other company" organises travel/accomodation... I fear this in my work, the client has the right to book our flights (as they are going to get the bill anyway) and when ever they do we always get DJ, to which none of my colleagues appreciate.

 

[simongr]

when ever they do we always get DJ, to which none of my colleagues appreciate.

And what do you think the odds are that their staff fly QF

 

[garyjohn951]

I think what this thread shows is after many years of over spending company's are looking at the dollar. Travelling Y is better than being on the dole.

I agrre thou sharing of rooms is out.

 

[Evan]

I think what this thread shows is after many years of over spending company's are looking at the dollar. Travelling Y is better than being on the dole.

I agrre thou sharing of rooms is out.

I would not say its over spending, Lets for a moment assume the travel is really required and not optional. Some of my manager literally use business class as there hotel room ! they shower on site or shower on arrival and immediately start work. For lower staff like myself we have a whY only policy but we travel on work time and have a day off as appropriate.

I can see how having an important person travel at night and work the next day makes better economic sense than having that person not working that day.

Having said all this what i see some of our managers do i could not care if its in F all the time i would not want to do it !