This weeks business trip zzzzzzzz

[DJRC]

Welcome to my life.

Last yr was 60 flights. My average for the last 5 yrs has been about 40 a yr.

The two weeks I worked from home last month because of the fractured feet was the first time in 5 yrs I have spent 2 weeks at home.

[jazzybee]

75 flights for me last year - trying to keep it under 50 this year. Last year was a little too tough.
My flights are now mostly short-haul jumping around Europe with the occasional US trip.

[Mike22233]

80 last year for me

(joke: just playing 'eleneriffe')

[smifffymoto]

I don't envy you lot one bit,it sounds a stty merry go round.

[F3RNY7]

Christ. I do Bristol to Derby every month or so (one day) and that pisses me off no end.

[MarshPhantom]

Why do you people need to so much travelling, something I've never really understood.

Friend of mine used to work in New York a fair bit, but sounds like get to New York, do the job, come home again.

[Puggit]

Does anyone else collect the data?

[Origin Unknown]

The logo for My.flightmemeory.com is a man saying "st, I have no idea where I am or what time it is". I suspect that is fairly accurate given the number of trips you've done there Puggit.

[gradeA]

So far this year I've only done Norway, NI, ROI, Denmark, Spain and ten days in Malaysia. Got three days in Austria coming up next week though, then a week in Belfast, three days in Romania and a week in Netherlands. Plus various stuff around the UK - nothing like some of you guys though!

I at least get to choose my hotels and where I eat/drink (no budget restrictions either - within reason!) so I do get a little variety. Managed to get four hours at a surf beach/bar on Tuesday in Spain which was a welcome break. Am trying AirBnB for the first time in Austria next week though, so hopefully it'll be a nice change from faceless hotels!

[DJRC]

I do my trips as I have two control centres in Europe I have some responsibility for, a HQ in the Uk and then another 5 Telem, Tracking, Control Facilities around the globe (one of which is currently shark attack central, so no sunny beach, sea & surf perk there!). And various suppliers.

As Pug well knows I largely live in Europe and my travel escapades can often form hilarious (for those reading) ranty travelogues as I attempt to get back to the UK from various frozen places in Alpine regions during the winter months.

Yep, thats right folks - business travel/work also happens in winter, esp. for those of us based there. In some ways that is the hardest misconception, esp for folks based in mild UK, that business travel is some kind of Spring - Autumn activity involving only sunny places (as everywhere *foreign* is sunnier than Britain). For any idea of how stty this life can be, factor in trying to fly in and out of somewhere when its -20, blowing a blizzard and you have a car or train journey involved in that.

Sometimes it is great. Flying in and out of Rome when you can spend a weekend there in Spring or summer on expenses *is* a very good perk in life. Snap being able to spend your weekend in Pescara. The other side of that deal though is you might (as I famously once did) have to travel halfway across Switzerland to Geneva airport to fly out, only to find the entire place locked down, nothing flying because they are useless French gits and then travel the entire length of the country back on the train to Zurich to fly out somewhere because they are ultra efficient Nazis. Thereby criss crossing a country 1.5 times before you have even started your real journey out.

Ive only got another yr of this in me if Im honest. I want to settle down to some kind of normal life again soon. The current plus point about being kept in the UK for a while is that as part of the expenses package, work are currently paying the fuel on a 5.5ltr AMG V8

[Matt Harper]

I don't even like thinking about the number of segments I fly over the course of a year, but it's typically 5-6 per week, almost every week.
What really gets up my nose is when I have to sacrifice chunks of my weekend (head out on Sunday afternoon/evening) to be at work early on Monday and often not getting home until piss-takingly late on Friday.

[schmalex]

I'm, hopefully, about to accept a new role to get me back to travelling some more.

At my previous employer, I was responsible for sales in EMEA and APAC, so spent an awful lot of time travelling long haul. I left there about 4 years ago to join a big multinational, where I now just have clients in the UK (mainly the M4 corridor). It's driving me stir crazy to be honest. I miss my wife & son a lot when I'm away, but I have to have broader horizons to stay sane!!!!!

[so called]

Puggit said:

Does anyone else collect the data?

I'll have to try that.

Normal year is about 3 months in UK, 3 months in Germany, 1 month in India and 5 months in North America.
this week is 9 including heading home at the weekend.
The 1 weeks India trip was 12 flights.
They very quickly add up.

[Loose_Cannon]

MarshPhantom said:

Why do you people need to so much travelling, something I've never really understood.

Indeed, years back Tomorrows World intoned that global telecommunications would put an end to this "wasteful" past time. So in this era of video conferencing does a handshake and eye contact really make a worthwhile difference to a meeting?

[5potTurbo]

OP: I hear ya!

Fri 15/05: Lux-London: worked in London office
Fri eve-Sun a.m.: stag weekend in Brizzle
Sun p.m.: train Brizzle to LHR via Paddington
LHR-Toronto, arrived 2130 local
Rental car from Enterprise (Ford Edge), drive to Niagara Falls, arrive 2300 local
Mon a.m.: drove to Buffalo, NY for meetings
Mon p.m.: drove back to Toronto Airport
Tue: 07:00 local flight to Tampa
Rental car from Thrifty (Ford Edge)
Meetings all day
Wed: Meetings all day
Thu am: meetings
Thu p.m.: Tampa - Chicago
Rental car from Hertz (Chevy thing...), drive to St.Charles, IL
Fri "working from 'home'" (my brother's house!)
Sat p.m.: drive to O'Hare
Fly O'Hare to Frankfurt
Sun a.m arr. Frankfurt
Fly to Lux, arr. 10:00CET

Monday: Bank holiday. Rest? No.
Back in the office.


Before the Summer holidays (mid July) I've still 2 trips to Laaandon, Le Mans 24H, Foo Fighters at Wembley, Istanbul/Ankara, Tblisi, Astana & Moscow, New York & Boston.


Oh, cock.

[Flying Penguin]

5potTurbo said:

Tblisi, Astana & Moscow

Oh, cock.

These 3 in particular

[Super Slo Mo]

Loose_Cannon said:

MarshPhantom said:

Why do you people need to so much travelling, something I've never really understood.

Indeed, years back Tomorrows World intoned that global telecommunications would put an end to this "wasteful" past time. So in this era of video conferencing does a handshake and eye contact really make a worthwhile difference to a meeting?

Some assumptions there. How do you know people are travelling merely for meetings? A lot of us travel to 'do stuff' then move on.
In other cases, if you're doing product or software demonstrations or trials you really need to be there in person.

[5potTurbo]

Flying Penguin said:

5potTurbo said:

Tblisi, Astana & Moscow

Oh, cock.

These 3 in particular

Not been there before so I can't tell!

[//j17]

Loose_Cannon said:

MarshPhantom said:

Why do you people need to so much travelling, something I've never really understood.

Indeed, years back Tomorrows World intoned that global telecommunications would put an end to this "wasteful" past time. So in this era of video conferencing does a handshake and eye contact really make a worthwhile difference to a meeting?

Actually it's global telecommunications that CAUSE me to travel. The Internet connected everything together...and companies realised people were getting in who shouldn't so locked-down a lot of their networks, often to a crazy level*. And of course the stuff I'm working on is always on the wrong side of the lock-down so sometimes need to be physcially on-site or getting a 'special' laptop shipped to me from the client.

• One of my clients has different systems on different wireless networks inside the building, so even the perm. staff need to keep swapping WiFi connections to do their jobs! Crazy fools.

There ARE up-sides to business travel of course, like getting free flights and hotel rooms in Edinburgh during the Festival and flying business class to go skiing for £30 thanks to Avios.

[Loose_Cannon]

Super Slo Mo said:

Some assumptions there. How do you know people are travelling merely for meetings? A lot of us travel to 'do stuff' then move on.
In other cases, if you're doing product or software demonstrations or trials you really need to be there in person.

Yes there are some assumptions, mostly as people are seldom very forthcoming as to the reasons why they are travelling so much! Whether it's simply privacy, or to retain an "international man of mystery" air, or perhaps they just don't want to be seen as bragging on forums I'm not sure.