Almost 60 percent of travelers who fly for business belong to a frequent-flier program, according to the Travel Industry Association of America. Still, in much of the corporate world, luxury is routine. The prime justification is the need to impress clients, potential clients or peers. If you re meeting another high-level exec, there s a certain standard that says you need to be at the Four Seasons, Bohan says. They face a host of routine indignities that corporate travelers could never imagine.
Paperwork is high on the list.
One Army procurement analyst reports being required to submit five copies of all travel voucher documents, including all receipts. Heaven knows who keeps them all, he says. Many travelers have experienced the frustration of trying to get state taxes taken off a hotel bill. And many cite what they call a penny-pinching mentality. In some locations, reports Federal Aviation Administration employee David Downey, getting a room at the per diem rate is impossible, so he has to pay more and then request reimbursement for the difference.