'What do you think you're doing? You're not one of the big shots': Employee books expensive flight to abide by stingy boss's travel rule

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Aug 9, 2024 3:00 PM EDT

After their boss vetoed their preferred method of travel, this worker got the last laugh. 

If you can travel for business and manage to have a good time simultaneously, you certainly should! Work travel doesn't have the reputation for being a grand vacation. It seems like a lot of workers are forced to take red-eye flights, and then work a full day in another city, all while battling jet lag. They might be put up in a hotel and given a little bit of money for food each day. Even so, there isn't often much time to actually explore the place you're traveling to, since you're still expected to work full-time and collaborate with your peers in that new location. 

This worker was trying to figure out their travel logistics for a trip: should they take a scenic train route, or a short flight? Their boss had to have a say in it, and he was pretty impolite towards his employee while telling them how wrong they were. This person really did get the last laugh though, costing their company a lot more than if they had just been allowed to book their trip as they intended. 

Next, check out these folks who were rather uninformed about some crucial things in life, like the cook who "once served 'rare' chicken." 

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    Cheezburger Image 10386551040
    via Josh Nezon on Unsplash
  • 02
    I can only book travel in coach class? Okay.
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 03
    Shortly before COVID brought all manner of traveling work to a screeching halt, I was finishing up a job and getting ready to book my travel home. Normally everyone would just fly, and in my case that meant a nice short trip of about two hours in the air. However, this particular location and the route back home for me had an extremely scenic
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 04
    train route that took about 12 hours. And as a bonus, I could get a sleeper car for a pretty cheap price. Less, even, than the flight. I asked my boss if I there was any reason I had to fly instead of taking the train, as the latter would save them money, and he said it would be fine. I didn't waste his time or mine by mentioning any of the
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 05
    above details. I simply booked my ticket and immediately sent in the receipt for reimbursement. Not 20 minutes later, I get an email. Paraphrasing: "I is this? I thought you said you were going to book travel that would save us money. What do you think you're doing booking a sleeper car??? You're not one of the big shots out
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 06
    here. Send me a new receipt for your coach class accommodations." Okay, as you wish: cue MC. Since this happened so quickly, I was able to cancel my $150 train ticket without issue. And since there was no way I was taking a 12 hour train ride in coach instead of a two hour flight, I booked my air travel like I normally would and
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 07
    immediately sent in the $450 receipt for my coach class flight. I got yet another email asking me what the I was doing. Now, I'm good at booking travel and I know how to find good prices. I knew that there wasn't a cheaper flight to be had. So I wrote back "sorry, this is the cheapest coach class flight I could
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 08
    find. If you can find a better one, please let me know before the 24 hour cancellation window closes and I'll be happy to book that instead." Clearly frustrated, they told me to stop playing games, cancel the flight, and just buy the train ticket.
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 09
    I didn't. I took the flight home and got reimbursed per company policy for my coach class flight.
    via u/AlwaysTheNoob
  • 10
    mario_almada Hahahaha I did the same thing! I booked a bus ticket home for a 10 hour bus ride home. It was an executive type bus that caters to business crowd. I'm talking all first class with huge chairs that lay all the way down to sleep.
    via u/mario_almada
  • 11
    Got an email within minutes of booking that they were not paying for first class accommodations and to book coach. Turned around and booked coach flight home and ticket went from 190 to 450 dollars. them!
    via u/mario_almada
  • 12
    Dear_Analysis_5116. So busy watching how the pennies are spent that they lose sight of the dollars.
    via u/Dear_Analysis_5116
  • 13
    mizinamo That's like saying "No, you may not book a room in hotel A, because it's €82 a room and our travel policy only allows €80 a room in that city. But you may book a room in hotel B which is €79 a room and get reimbursed for the
    via u/mizinamo
  • 14
    €14 each way taxi trip that you need because that room is much further away from the office."
    via u/mizinamo
  • 15
    jayste4 Similar thing happened to me years ago. I found a first class airline ticket for less than coach. I booked it, was told nope, then I had to rebook and pay more for a coach ticket. Clearly, it wasn't about the money.
    via u/jayste4
  • 16
    Pywacket1 They bitched about a $150 ticket? That seems cheap for 12 hours, especially for a sleeper car.
    via u/Pywacket1

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