Do the Hotel Points and Air Miles Belong to the Employers?
The employer reimburses the hotel and airfare. Couldn’t they request that all points accrued while on business trips by their employees be used only for business trips? After all they paid for them. And it is not like people would start resigning because they don’t like the new policy (I wouldn’t) not to mention that it would be enough a few companies to start this trend and then almost everyone would follow them.
During a company event we had a brainstorming exercise, and the team I was in was tasked with finding ways of reducing the costs. One of the ideas that was put forward was for the company to rent apartments instead of consultants staying at hotels. And I was about to suggest, just to see the reaction: “The air miles earned while on business trips to be used for business trips and not for personal use.” However, I did not want to become the most hated man in the company :).
I wonder whether there has ever been an attempt by a company to ask their employees not to use the points earned on business trips for personal use, but use them for company’s benefit.
Twitter @curbexcitement
IT is very similar to the issue when you have a horrible night stay in a hotel and the hotel wants to not charge you for the night. That thought process rewards your company paying for the stay … It does not make up for the Horrible stay or sleep you personally had. Your would not be benefiting from the fact that of not being charged for the room! Your Company wins and you lose!
You might not resign, but I certainly would.
My company has loyalty accounts for all the hotels and airlines but gives us the opportunity to enter our own in. If we do, we get the miles/points. If we don’t, then the company gets them. Personally I like this arrangement but I can certainly see why a company would set up rules around them. It’s a huge perk for the employee.
Our company was looking to make everybody book travel via Egencia (business form of Expedia). They weren’t taking points for business use, but travelers would have end up with less points becuase of the third party booking issue. Just the complaints from that has seemed to stop the project in it’s tracks.
I used to work for a (British) company that insisted that airmiles collected on company business should only be used for business travel.
However, I have never heard of it being enforced – or, for that matter, anyone using airmiles for business travel. In reality it would be very difficult to enforce, as the company would have to be given access to an employee’s personal airmiles account in order to prove that the particular miles used were from business travel rather than personal travel.
The company I work for (a Fortune 100 company) had a policy that all miles/points earned were the property of the company, and this was strictly enforced. Fortunately, the policy changed about 10 years ago, and we can now keep our miles. We still have to book all travel through the designated travel agency, however.
Don’t the airlines claim to own the miles anyway?
My hubby is an exec for a large retailer with a bulls-eye as its symbol 🙂 They do not allow their employees to keep their airline miles…they belong to the company and are used by the company. However, they get to keep their hotel points. Stinks, but it is what it is…when you have 30,000 people at headquarters those miles add up for the company. Sad face.
Who should keep Employer or Client who is billed for Travel & Lodging expense? I will stop traveling if I don’t earn the benefit. I don’t knw about you.
In most cases employees travel during week-ends and often at night and few get to travel business or first, so it’s the least a Company can do to let the employees keep the miles in order for them to enjoy a free trip with the person who’s been left behind.
I work for a Fortune 50 company and current policy is all airline miles belong to the company.
Company books all airfare through corporate travel. They setup a FF account with each airline for each traveler, since the airlines won’t let them consolidate the miles. The company tracks all the accounts and issues FF tickets to others as miles accrue enough in any account for a free ticket.
Hotel and Car programs remain with employees.