Work Trip Dilemma

[EmmaJBas]

Hi,

I work for an overseas government.

There’s a big meeting scheduled at HQ next month. My boss advocated for me to go - great!

Catch is that it’s a 12.5hr overnight flight (Monday), straight into work (Tuesday), two full days of meetings, fly home after last meeting (Thursday).

My boss is travelling Business, me Economy.
Total journey time ~16hrs.

Struggle to sleep on flights at the best of times, will be broken and not my best self with my new colleagues and management (been here 5 months). Plus feel a bit devalued.

Proposed to fly indirect at a fraction of of the cost (in Business) but not allowed.
Choice of carrier means can’t even use my own loyalty points to upgrade.

Should I suck it up, get back in my box and feel grateful?

Thoughts welcome and don’t want to be unreasonable. Thank you.

It's usually only 4 times a year.

Hard agree. I’m at the ‘no f*cks left to give’ menopausal stage in life where I’m happy to constructively push back on anything I perceive as wonky.

Travelling earlier / staying later would be blindingly obvious and more cost effective but again is against travel policy.
I’ll still push for this though. Thank you.

Yep, a 7-hr difference. It’s the landing and working on no sleep (from the night before) that’s mildly terrifying.

Yep, it’s against travel policy (going earlier or staying on). In this case , it would be way more cost effective too. But will still push for this, nothing to lose. Thank you.

Seems strange. Not sure how it should make any difference to them. They're paying for a flight anyway. I guess they don't want to fund an extra night in accommodation?

Hard agree. But I’ll need to be less proud and intransigent and suck it up IMO 😶

It's work, not a holiday or jolly - it's not intended to be enjoyable. You should, however, be able to be productive while you're out there. So it's understandable that you're concerned the travel conditions aren't conducive, but stop framing it as if the travel itself is a perk or honour - it's not, it's just a means of getting you to be present at meetings in person.

That’s validating, thank you.
Travel policy is very hierarchical and old school. Upgrades occasionally possible. In my case as a lowly senior but middle manager, the concession was being allowed to go in the first place.
The other abhorrent thing is that we have no Travel Management Company (as suggested in our own financial guidelines) and spend way over the odds on flights.

If your boss was flying economy as well I’d suck it up, but the fact he is being flown business and you are being flown economy would make me refuse to go on principle. I’d also start looking elsewhere, I wouldn’t want to work somewhere so hierarchical. People should be treated equally regardless of position if they’re being asked to carry out the same tasks.

Can you check what your travel policy says about class of travel? Im a Civil Servant and our policies tend to either be - everyone travelling over x hours distance regardless of grade goes premium / business, or - you are allowed to book an extra night before in the hotel / take a day on the return to recover but fly economy, because the cost of this is inevitably much less than than the difference between economy and business. The only time ive ever flown a different class to my manager was due to a very short notice trip, high demand for flights and i had to be back for the weekend for childcare. Plus he was about a ft taller than me so i didnt mind deferring to him. I definitely think its worth challenging again.

If you're struggling with perimenopausal symptoms and sleep, can you get your doctor to endorse premium travel rather than economy?

Good for you.

I suspect because it’s government you’ll be told computer says no and that is that, but in a world where my office chair is assessed for ergonomics and I’m expected to use all sorts of H&S appropriate “workstation” set ups it’s absolutely absurd that sleeping upright and then performing a days work is deemed acceptable.

Saturday night stay can very often reduce overall flight cost (& entire trip!). So, while the policy is what it is re cabin class, doesn't hurt to do a couple of searches to check and if it is, no harm for you to propose / ask.

Sorry your company's travel policy is so rubbish, OP. Been in the business travel industry for a long, long time & it still shocks me to see so many companies with ridiculous flight policies, encouraging red eye straight to the office etc. Bananas!

Lots of good tips above. Have you tried approaching your boss and explaining your concern and asking if they would share the business class seat with you so you swap midway through the flight?

not that they’ll say yes, but they might feel uncomfortable enough about your very legitimate concerns and push for you to travel business class too.

The reality is that the majority of companies operate travel policies in this way - its an exception to not have cabin class hierarchy based on level of seniority, then by role type (e.g. sales, some marketing teams etc.).

When I used to do work trips short haul were economy and long haul were business - same for everyone. Can you go overnight Sunday with a recovery day?

Just for balance ‘I don’t’ if I’m travelling for work I need to arrive fit to work. No point me going if I’m not. It’s business not a holiday… you should be treated properly.

What 🤣🤣🤣

I don’t think some of you have ever lived in the real world. Who would say this to their boss?!?

This is how I would feel. All the posters telling Op to suck it up, when her boss doesn't have to aren't getting the most important point.

Why not? My DD gets upgraded due to back issues which her doctor endorses as medically necessary.

The OP doesn’t have a medical need. She just doesn’t really want to do it.

I suppose you are saved having to make small talk with your boss for 12 hours

What will the hospitality be like when you get there? I hope to goodness you're not also expected to survive on packet sandwiches and yoghurt.