This weeks business trip zzzzzzzz

[anonymous-user]

DJRC said:

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.

fk that for a game of soldiers!!

[Super Slo Mo]

Loose_Cannon said:

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.

fair point. In my case it's like watching paint dry but people think I'm being ungrateful so I tend not to discuss much detail. Mind you I don't travel abroad much these days anyway it's mostly just within the UK.

[Cyder]

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?

I'll list some of the reasons why I need to go in person:-

Walk vehicle production lines and fix issues as they arise
Measure and check vehicle bodies and parts
Walk part production lines and check processes
Inspect test parts and test facilities
Face to face meetings tend to be far more productive and decisions happen much quicker than by phone/email
Turning up at suppliers when they're dragging feet tends to get results very quickly
Hard to drive test cars without being wherever in the world they are

[northwest monkey]

android said:

so called said:

Just woke up, 3:25am wondering where I am.

Last Sunday - Frankfurt to Philadelphia.
Monday - Philadelphia to San Francisco.
Tuesday - Sacramento.
Today - San Francisco to Philadelphia.
Thursday Philadelphia to Chicago.
Friday Chicago to Philadelphia.
Saturday Philadelphia to Frankfurt.
Sunday Frankfurt to Manchester.

So far, haven't slapped past 4:00am

Still got Delhi belly from the India trip 3 weeks ago but lost 13lbs so can nearly see my feet

They all look like interesting places except the last one on the list.
Depressingsville Uk

Unless that's the first time you've been at home for 3 weeks & you now get chance to say hello in person to your wife, give your kids a kiss at night before bed etc. Not that depressing then.

[Matt Harper]

Loose_Cannon said:

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.

No secret from me - all work. Qual market research. Airport/research facility/hotel/research facility/airport - and repeat ad nauseam. Mostly domestic (US) - but lot's of global too. I suspect I'm in the higher percentile of care-worn road-warriors on this forum. It is neither glamorous or fun. That said, I have a very, very significant cache of air miles and hotel points. My vacations, (when I have time to take them) are free of charge, wherever we end up going and my family are pretty much guaranteed 1st/biz tickets when they come over to FL to visit.

[Loose_Cannon]

Great points, for sure the grass is not always greener on the other side. Most average people's perception is that international travel is "glamorous", especially if you have worn a groove in the same old stretch of road doing the 9-5 for the past 20 years! However it must get old very quickly, just being delayed a few times on the family hols has put me off air travel.

Cyder said:

Turning up at suppliers when they're dragging feet tends to get results very quickly

I knew there would be an element of sinister international hitman somewhere! Do you have a garotte wire in your wristwatch?

[Cyder]

Loose_Cannon said:

Great points, for sure the grass is not always greener on the other side. Most average people's perception is that international travel is "glamorous", especially if you have worn a groove in the same old stretch of road doing the 9-5 for the past 20 years! However it must get old very quickly, just being delayed a few times on the family hols has put me off air travel.

You're bang on, as we said above, it does have its perks occasionally, but 90% is tedious and a ballache. Sitting in an airport waiting for a flight when you just want to be at home in bed is a depressing feeling.

Loose_Cannon said:

Cyder said:

Turning up at suppliers when they're dragging feet tends to get results very quickly

I knew there would be an element of sinister international hitman somewhere! Do you have a garotte wire in your wristwatch?

In my head I march in and say something along the lines of the following:-
I have a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you fix this problem let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

In reality I try to fix the roadblock with the supplier and then if necessary micro-manage them to get back on track.

[Le TVR]

Matt Harper said:

Airport/research facility/hotel/research facility/airport - and repeat ad nauseam.

Now that sounds depressingly familiar. I have to cover all Europe with annual visits to US, Japan, China etc. Since several years have tried to find appartments rather than the faceless hotels and that has been a real plus. Had quite a few upgrades from J to F with Air France to Asia, no doubt some relation with the obscene quantity of miles on my card.
Strangely enough, the last thing I want to see during my holiday is an airport. I'd rather just get in the car and drive.

[bakerstreet]

Origin Unknown said:

This year has been:

Los Angeles
New York
Copenhagen Denmark
Stuttgart Germany
Turku Finland
Somewhere in Sweden
Stuttgart Germany

And back to NY in a couple of weeks. Seen some pretty cool places but the truth is, the day job doesn't just stop so evenings are catching up email and trying to stay on top of what all the projects need and customers demand (I'm a project manager). Escalation calls at the airport are always fun.

The hardest bit for me personally is being away from my little ones

Yes, but a decent job with a decent salary will benefit them. I know some people will say that money doesn't matter, but childcare costs money as does university education and maybe their first car before that.

On a slightly different note, think of their smiley faces when they walk down main street at Disney in Florida for the first time. All costs money and if it means flying round the world for a few years, then I suppose its worth suffering.

I have several friends who have done a lot of travel for work and most say that two to three years was their limit. They got fed up with living out of hotels, airports and and not having a proper office. Being lonely was another factor.

I don't travel for my job, but if I was offered another job with a decent salary increase, which meant I had to travel, then I would do it for the sake of the family. My OH's maternity leave ends in Octiber and I'm having a few sleepless nights worrying about cost of childcare/holidays etc etc.

[so called]

Le TVR said:

Strangely enough, the last thing I want to see during my holiday is an airport. I'd rather just get in the car and drive.

I'm with you there.
July will see me hang up my Lounge passes for the Tuscan and a four week driving trip down to Spain

[DJRC]

Loose_Cannon said:

Great points, for sure the grass is not always greener on the other side. Most average people's perception is that international travel is "glamorous", especially if you have worn a groove in the same old stretch of road doing the 9-5 for the past 20 years! However it must get old very quickly, just being delayed a few times on the family hols has put me off air travel.

Cyder said:

Turning up at suppliers when they're dragging feet tends to get results very quickly

I knew there would be an element of sinister international hitman somewhere! Do you have a garotte wire in your wristwatch?

BUT - there are regular and frequent threads on here and in other forums about travel and the amount of travel some of us do on business. In none of those threads will you find anyone saying how glamorous or "international man of mystery" the whole shebang is.

You even ignored my post earlier in this thread which gave you a rough schedule and reasons for my travel which was actually as one of the guys who has to implement this whole "international telecoms infrastructure system".

None of us find it glamorous. None of us find it fun. None of us look at airport lounges (1st, business or otherwise) and think "Yay, this is the life!". None of us book into either another hotel or a hotel we have booked into on numerous dates and are happy we are back there.

[oyster]

Not glamour exactly, but for those who do lots of work travel, it's important to maintain a veneer that it's a massive slog and a chore because otherwise accounts will scrutinise expenses a lot more.

I don't travel much now, but when I did I remember making it out to be a tedious life, even after having stepped into the arrivals lounge at LHR for breakfast and a massage having had an overnight upgrade from J to F. It's better to just say it's a horrible existence!

[brickwall]

I did 50 work flights in 2013, most 35 of which were in a 4-month period.

Zero work flights in 2014.

I can tell you 2014 was a LOT more enjoyable. I'm just about to start the merry-go-round again, though where 2013 was European travel, this time it's transatlantic. Joy.

[Cyder]

So I came into the office today with my passport and suitcase.

Friday lunchtime I was told I was going to Germany today, don't know yet what time the taxi is picking me up from work, where I'm staying, how I'm travelling to the hotel, what the meeting agenda is, or even if I'm staying there until tomorrow or Wednesday.

On the plus side I do like German beer.

[so called]

Cyder said:

So I came into the office today with my passport and suitcase.

Friday lunchtime I was told I was going to Germany today, don't know yet what time the taxi is picking me up from work, where I'm staying, how I'm travelling to the hotel, what the meeting agenda is, or even if I'm staying there until tomorrow or Wednesday.

On the plus side I do like German beer.

I know that feeling of "who's doing what" ?
With you on German beer as well

Been planning to attend a meeting in Sterling VA for Tuesday next week but just been told I need to be at a a different meeting in Hyderabad, India on the same day
Looks like 48°C instead of 28°C.

[DJRC]

India is in the grip of a horrendous heatwave currently - don't envy on that one!

On the plus side of long haul travelling - Im off to St Lucia with the on Weds, feet up in Biz class with work well and truly told to fook right off. The amusing thing is we are flying out of Gatwick Weds AM and I arranged a job interview for myself in Crawley, late afternoon tomorrow with full disclosure that Im going on holiday the day after and therefore Ill be attending in casual plane attire

[Kudos]

I do about 100 business flights per year, mostly Europe but the odd Middle East. All paid for by me

Is getting a bit tiring lately, I think as I'm not enjoying the work, however I get bored if not away for a week or two.

I'm at home tonight which is unusual on a Monday. Am enjoying that a lot!

[Mr Gearchange]

I did this sort of nonsense for 5 years - missed my kids young years and was constantly ill.
Never again.

[Puggit]

Greetings from Newcastle. With 45mph winds forecast at both NCL and LHR tomorrow, place your bets on how late I'll be home?

[DJRC]

And you can't even blame Alex for any delays Pug