G.R. Patterson III wrote:


xyzzy wrote:

So the client never has an opportunity to audit the expenses you charge
to them? Talk about trust.


Trust has nothing to do with it. The expenses are part of the cost of the
product. If the company doesn't want to pay it, they don't buy the software.

earlier in the thread he wrote:

Typically, they pay
refundable Y fare rates. It's spelled out in the P.O. what we will
expense
to the client and what the cap is.

That clearly implies that the airfare is not built into the cost of the
product, but is billed to the client as a separate line item.

I'm not questioning whether they should buy a jet, but I am questioning
his assertion that as long as his consultants use discretion, the client
won't know they flew in on a private jet.

Audits and paper trails aside, when I have gone on customer engagements
I am always asked about my flight arrangements. Usually it's just the
customers' guys being friendly, looking to swap travel stories with road
warriors. Often I'm asked because it affects when meetings are
scheduled too. Unless they start telling lies in response to those
harmless queries, a practice that is hard to maintain, there is simply
no way that "discretion" will keep the clients from knowing they flew in
on a corproate jet. Especially since he's talking about using it to
small towns without good airline service.