TFK International Business Travel Thread

Thatā€™s the one - airport genie.

38 mins from my Dublin 6 bedsit to my gate this morning. T2 short term car parking and fast track security. Seamless.

:eek:

Brian - how close to your bedsit was your car parked?

I presume this was merely a jape of some description, BT surely lives in a loft or penthouse?

Iā€™d imagine Brian is living in one of his investment properties while his mansion on Ailesbury road or some such is being renovated

surely youā€™d just get a cab and submit expenses?

The implication here that thereā€™s something noble about ketchup is awful. Sounds to me like Tinnion prefers a Russian dressing to an over-the-counter mass produced ketchup. That level of sophistication doesnā€™t surprise me.

Prefer to drive myself. Takes a few minutes off the journey each side. Plus you donā€™t have to make small talk with anyone.

Overnight trip this time. Going to a nice restaurant in the City with my client this evening. Iā€™ll be having filet mignon with chips and red sauce this time chaps.

I disagree. The implication was that ketchup was very normal, bog standard and therefore beneath him. As it was a discussion from a while back iā€™ll probably leave it go.

Nah mate, Farmer was having a go at him for not having a palate that could handle ketchup. However, as it was a discussion from a while back Iā€™ll probably leave it go.

[quote=ā€œbriantinnion, post: 849461, member: 6ā€]Prefer to drive myself. Takes a few minutes off the journey each side. Plus you donā€™t have to make small talk with anyone.

[/quote]
yeah driving to the airport and parking in the short term is the way to go - no taxi arriving early or late, listen to the morning news, then on way home no small talk, no queues, music or newstalk on the radio

Sounds like a bizarre attitude. @Farmer, settle this please.

Ah that was ages ago mate.

Let them be, theyā€™re dead and gone. Theyā€™re with Oā€™Leary in the grave.

All

Some details just to wrap up my recent trip:

  • Had filet mignon for dinner.
  • Returned to my hotel at around 10pm and watched Shame on Netflix. Great movie. Iā€™d like to think Iā€™d have ended up like Brandon had I stayed in New York.
  • 7.30am flight from Heathrow to Dublin. Wheels on the ground in Dublin at 8.40am. I managed to get back to my bedsit, have a shower, stop off for a coffee and get in to work by 10am. Seamless.

I donā€™t want to count my chickens just yet as thereā€™s still two months to go but the efficiency I show in my trips means Iā€™m surely a contender for TFK International Business Traveler of the Year 2013.

@Bandage is probably my closest contender at the moment.

[quote=ā€œbriantinnion, post: 849885, member: 6ā€]All

Some details just to wrap up my recent trip:

  • Had filet mignon for dinner.
  • Returned to my hotel at around 10pm and watched Shame on Netflix. Great movie. Iā€™d like to think Iā€™d have ended up like Brandon had I stayed in New York.
  • 7.30am flight from Heathrow to Dublin. Wheels on the ground in Dublin at 8.40am. I managed to get back to my bedsit, have a shower, stop off for a coffee and get in to work by 10am. Seamless.

I donā€™t want to count my chickens just yet as thereā€™s still two months to go but the efficiency I show in my trips means Iā€™m surely a contender for TFK International Business Traveler of the Year 2013.

@Bandage is probably my closest contender at the moment.[/quote]

Brian, do you think costs could have been saved if you tried to get a late flight out of London hence not having your company to incur the hotel expenses?
i am aware people like us ONLY use London City and there may not be a late flight back, in that case and if reasonable networking opportunities arose then staying the night was a correct decision.
Did you avail of a prostituteā€™s services in the room?

[quote=ā€œmickee321, post: 849889, member: 367ā€]Brian, do you think costs could have been saved if you tried to get a late flight out of London hence not having your company to incur the hotel expenses?
i am aware people like us ONLY use London City and there may not be a late flight back, in that case and if reasonable networking opportunities arose then staying the night was a correct decision.
Did you avail of a prostituteā€™s services in the room?[/quote]

There was no flight late enough that would allow me to have dinner with my client so I had no choice but to stay overnight. Iā€™ve said this several times before, whilst itā€™s an additional expense for my employer, you canā€™t put a price on building a relationship with your clients. Too many companies these days are penny smart and pound foolish.

I donā€™t know how I ended up going through Heathrow this time, I just asked the relevant people in our admin department to organize the trip. I didnā€™t mind regardless as flying Aer Lingus isnā€™t too bad and I get to add more Gold Circle points.

As for your final question I did not avail of any services like that Iā€™m afraid. I was quite content with watching Shame.

[quote=ā€œbriantinnion, post: 849894, member: 6ā€]There was no flight late enough that would allow me to have dinner with my client so I had no choice but to stay overnight. Iā€™ve said this several times before, whilst itā€™s an additional expense for my employer, you canā€™t put a price on building a relationship with your clients. Too many companies these days are penny smart and pound foolish.

I donā€™t know how I ended up going through Heathrow this time, I just asked the relevant people in our admin department to organize the trip. I didnā€™t mind regardless as flying Aer Lingus isnā€™t too bad and I get to add more Gold Circle points.

As for your final question I did not avail of any services like that Iā€™m afraid. I was quite content with watching Shame.[/quote]

When booking corporate travel it is good to use AEtraveller to book flights with your company issued AMEX corporate credit card
This way you dont need to go through some admin
Think of the savings if the admin is fired, an idea for the EOY review perhaps to fill the cost saving bucketā€¦

[quote=ā€œbriantinnion, post: 849885, member: 6ā€]All

Some details just to wrap up my recent trip:

  • Had filet mignon for dinner.
  • Returned to my hotel at around 10pm and watched Shame on Netflix. Great movie. Iā€™d like to think Iā€™d have ended up like Brandon had I stayed in New York.
  • 7.30am flight from Heathrow to Dublin. Wheels on the ground in Dublin at 8.40am. I managed to get back to my bedsit, have a shower, stop off for a coffee and get in to work by 10am. Seamless.

I donā€™t want to count my chickens just yet as thereā€™s still two months to go but the efficiency I show in my trips means Iā€™m surely a contender for TFK International Business Traveler of the Year 2013.

@Bandage is probably my closest contender at the moment.[/quote]
Get a new shirt, underwear and socks in London (couriered to meeting if necessary) and shower in the hotel. Would have given you an extra hour so pays for itself and for your employer who you would have expensed for it.

[quote=ā€œbriantinnion, post: 849885, member: 6ā€]All

Some details just to wrap up my recent trip:

  • Had filet mignon for dinner.
  • Returned to my hotel at around 10pm and watched Shame on Netflix. Great movie. Iā€™d like to think Iā€™d have ended up like Brandon had I stayed in New York.
  • 7.30am flight from Heathrow to Dublin. Wheels on the ground in Dublin at 8.40am. I managed to get back to my bedsit, have a shower, stop off for a coffee and get in to work by 10am. Seamless.

I donā€™t want to count my chickens just yet as thereā€™s still two months to go but the efficiency I show in my trips means Iā€™m surely a contender for TFK International Business Traveler of the Year 2013.

@Bandage is probably my closest contender at the moment.[/quote]
I donā€™t know Brian. @mickee321s trip to Houston is the standout trip of the year for me so far. These humdrum trips to London do nothing for me.