Traveling with Company Money

Traveling for work can be both an exciting and daunting task. You’re getting paid to go to a new place, see new things and check another destination off of your bucket list, but you are also suddenly faced with decisions that you’ve only ever had to make with your personal money like “Which flight should I book?”, “Should I check a bag?” , “Should I rent a car?”, “ Which hotel should I stay in?” “How much should I spend on food?” The list goes on and when you are traveling for a new company or traveling for the first time on the company’s dime these questions can become extra stressful.

I know your pain all too well, on my first work trip, I was so excited I was getting to travel to a new place and getting paid to do it, it was a dream come true. Only 2 years into my career and I was booking my first trip with company money. I didn’t know who to ask for help, so I decided not to ask anyone (rookie mistake). Of course, that led to more than one mistake that could have been avoided. To help you avoid making the same mistakes as me, I’ve put together a list of my top 12 tips for work travel.

General Tips

Tip #1: Check your company’s policy. If you work for a company that has more than 50 employees, chances are there is an employee handbook and in that handbook that you’ve never opened is likely a section on company travel that will list how much you can spend on food during your travels, how much you should spend on your hotel, and yes which class you should book your flight.

Tip #2: If you would not spend your own money on it, do not spend the company's money on it. This applies to flights, hotels, rentals, and food. What that means is you shouldn’t suddenly start paying for upgrades that you would never buy with your own money. Get the same hotel room and flight class that you would get if it were your own money.

Tip #3: Always remember to take photos of your receipts and submit your expense report as soon as possible. If you do not have a receipt, then you are spending your own money.

Booking the Flight

Tip #4: Pick an airline and stick to it. Most regions have a dominant airline. Pledge your allegiance to that airline and join their travel rewards program, unless your local airline is a very low-end airline that tends to be unreliable, in that case, go ahead and choose the next most popular airline ideally Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, or United Airlines. Airline loyalty programs are great for getting free upgrades and free flights for your personal travel.

Tip #5: Please do not upgrade your flight just because it is company money. Unless your company policy explicitly says that you should buy a business-class or first-class flight, you should book economy seats for domestic flights (generally companies have different rules for international flights). Chances are if you see a higher up in business-class or first-class seats, they’ve used their own money or flight credits to upgrade their flight. This rule is especially important if your coworkers are going to be on the flight with you. Always remember that even though it may only be an extra $50 to upgrade your flight, that $50 is company money and company management doesn’t like employees that waste company money.

Tip #6: Try to avoid checking a bag unless you meet one of the following criteria.

1. You get free checked bags (Delta offers free bags with different loyalty levels and on southwest bags fly free)

2. You are traveling for 3 or more days.

3. You are required to bring bulky supplies for work (Posters, Cameras, samples etc.)

4. You need equipment for your health (CPAP Machines, Insulin etc.)

Checked bags just make your travel day longer and you run the risk of the airline losing your belongings, even the best airlines lose bags from time to time, so avoid it if you can.

Tip #7: Avoid inconvenient flight times whenever possible. Try to pick a flight time that makes the most sense for what you need to do. Taking a red eye flight is not usually necessary, so you do not have to force yourself to take it. Traveling extra early or extra late can complicate things. If your meeting starts early in the morning, fly in the night before if you can. If your meeting ends late, it's okay to fly back the next day. No need to kill yourself to try and save the company money.  maybe say it differently like better use of the company money fresher better performance.

Booking the Hotel

Tip #8: Do not pick the five-star hotel just because it's a five-star hotel. Tip #4 rings true for hotels as well. Choose your favorite hotel brand and stick to it. I do not recommend staying in a very low end hotel or upgrading your room.

 Tip #9: Choose a hotel close to where you are going, this might sound like common sense, but sometimes hotels that are miles away from your destination can be cheaper, but the added commute time isn't worth the money, especially if you've never been to that city before. Traffic is a real problem in most major cities, and you don't need anything that encourages running late.    

Renting the Car

Tip #10: Rent a car if you MUST. If you're not going to be doing a lot of driving, you can skip the rental car. Rideshares are a cheap alternative and often the drivers will give you recommendations on what to eat while you're in town or sites that you have to see. Don't worry, you can expense your rides to and from the airport, meetings, and food. It gets a little sticky with leisure activities, so you're going to want to check your company’s policy. If you're traveling with other people, check with them to see if anyone has rented a car. Usually, you can skip some of the ride costs and just ride with your coworkers.

Tip #11: If you rent, check with HR or your company's travel agent to see which rental car company is preferred. Usually, they will have a discount program arranged. Again, avoid the unnecessary upgrades. However, make sure your rental matches your work. If you are visiting a construction site, you might be better off driving a Toyota 4Runner than a Corolla.

Eating the Food

Tip #12: The best part of company travel is the food, but don't forget Tip #1 and Tip #2. Check your company’s policy on meal prices and try not to spend over that amount. If there is no rule, then stick to Tip #2, don't buy something to eat at a restaurant that you wouldn't order at that restaurant with your own money.

With these 12 tips, you're ready to travel with the company’s money like a seasoned professional. Although you're traveling for work, if you can, find some time to explore the place you're visiting whether that’s trying the famous foods or visiting tourist sites. Work travel is a fantastic way to see parts of the world that you would normally never go to.

Happy Travels,

~Ms. Sunflower

If you find this blog post helpful, like and subscribe for updates.