To fly or drive?

That's a bogus excuse on his part, though I understand it. You do what's better and safer for you, as long as it doesn't cost the company much more money.

 

To me, it is not fair to ask someone to drive to cover an event that is more than 300 miles away -- and 300 miles is stretching it.

 

Is a travel advance out of the question? Our guy used to let you estimate the miles for the trip in advance and at least submit that, so it wasn't totally out of pocket. And that's when gas was half what it is now.

 

The 430 miles breaks the five-hour rule, that's more like six to seven hours in a car, one-way and that's an awfully long time in a car.
You could try estimating your expenses and see if they will advance half of it. Assuming the mileage is on the cheap end, at 30 cents, that's still over $250, plus meals, and hotel and you're looking at more than $400 for the trip.
You could also travel on your boss's corporate card, so the hotel is covered before you even get there. I'd wager a dollar that your paper has a fleet fuel card, for the circ trucks, and no paper, no matter how cheap, expects the circ guys to fuel up the trucks on their own.
Why they expect the newsroom to do that reflects highly on the culture that has developed amongst editors and reporters, but that is a topic for another day.

 

no, a milage advance the day you leave is and should be embraced by the dorks cutting checks.

 

I know this isn't the best tactic always but I've always found it is much easier to do what you want to do and explain it on the back end (when you have already paid for the tickets) than to give them the choice by telling them up front.

I know it is different for me than for many at smaller papers because I have a company credit card, but when I need to get somewhere -- I book the flights and go -- then deal with whatever the fallout is at the end of the month.

Usually by then they're over it.

 

Well, however you decide to travel, Ray, go the distance.

(Can't believe it tok that long for that lame comment to be made But I'm just the man to make it).

 

My rule of thumb for driving is if it realistically is a day trip or not.

If I wanted to, could I come home after the event at a reasonable hour? For me, that is a four hour drive or less. Anything over four hours for me is a flight.

If there is no flight available or too expensive, I would go up to a six hour drive. Anything more than that is too much to ask out of journalists. I think 4 hours is pushing it in certain corridors of the country such as the Northeast.

 

Last trip I took involving a car ride of some distance and several nights hotel, I insisted that a check be cut and ready the morning I left. They did not like it, but obliged.

 

So, if I read correctly, it's cheaper to fly but they're making you drive? What a fucked up business we're in.

 

I have a lot of "tweener" trips on my beat ... ones that are like 6-7 hour drives, which I don't mind making. The way I see it: For me to fly from here to Charleston, S.C., it'll take 4 1/2-5 hours (one hour in the airport waiting to board, an hour flight from here to Charlotte to catch a connection, another hour in between, then an hour to Charleston, then 30 minutes collecting bags and getting my car rental). If it's cheaper to drive, I don't mind. Plus it gives me a little flexibility. Maybe I want to stick around on a Sunday after the football game and check the town out or head to the beach or whatever before coming back.

I drove to Savannah last year because the flights were so gawd-awful expensive ($600 plus). That was a touch over 7 hours. That's about my limit. No way I'm driving nine hours to Toledo this fall.

(And yes, the company pays for the rental and the gas. It's nice to have a corporate travel card.)

 

If it were me, I would probably drive especially if you could avoid traffic tieups around places like Los Angeles and Washington.

Flying would be one hour, but you have to take time driving to and from the airport. You would also have to go to the airport two hours before and have to deal with all of the stuff with searches at the airport. I would get some good CDs, maybe a book on CD, and drive there. You have more control over food and anything else.