Rewards miles from work.... wwyd?

[rockundergirl]

I wouldn't feel too good about this either, it's weird. But I have to say that I agree with the previous posters who said to get the exact cost to transfer the miles that would belong to him and present it to him. I also suggest getting a check for that amount from him BEFORE you make the transfer or not only will you be loosing your miles but you're be paying a fee to do it! I honestly don't think he'll ever give you that check since it ends up costing so much.

He is well aware of the cost, I was told to use the company credit card to pay the fee. I'm starting to think this is about him having enough miles to reach the elite status that gets you all the perks... free upgrades to first class, free food, unlimited access to the vip lounge. I found out he has asked others to do this to. Sadly I'm the only one with any marketable amount of miles to use.. I do most of the travel... Plus this is company of followers, he could prob tell people to go wash his car and they would..... grrr

 

[MommaSnowwhite]

In most cases transfered miles do not count for elite status. It sounds super crappy to me.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

[snip] I'm starting to think this is about him having enough miles to reach the elite status that gets you all the perks... free upgrades to first class, free food, unlimited access to the vip lounge. [snip]

Transferred miles won't count towards his elite status. Annual elite status is usually owned earned through BIS miles (with some limited number of miles from credit card miles in some programs). The only exception is on AA, where all miles currently count towards lifetime status, but that wouldn't apply here.

And if you have earned elite status with your flying, don't cut off you miles to spite your boss. That alone has value to you when flying on your own nickel. -- Suzanne

 

[jessandtwo]

How does he even know you have miles? Was it a requirement to sign up for a frequent flier number for you to travel?

 

[rockundergirl]

How does he even know you have miles? Was it a requirement to sign up for a frequent flier number for you to travel?

I talked about it in front of him. (dummie move i guess) I just never dreamed he would ask for them.. just speaking a matter of fact about it with a co worker.

 

[Ava]

As others have said, this really stinks. If you don't want to rock the boat with him I'd do the transfer, but ask him to please clarify the policy for miles earned on business travel going forward. If you are not allowed to keep the miles earned for personal use, how would he like them to be handled (i.e. used to purchase tickets for other business travel only, not earned at all, etc.). It can't be financially beneficial for him to pay to transfer your miles to his account all the time, and if it were to happen on a regular basis it could raise red flags with the airline & cause your frequent flier account to be cancelled.

I work for a large company and all business flights have to be booked through the company travel department; the flights are paid for directly by the company, but employees are allowed to keep any miles earned. We also have to use a corporate credit card to pay for hotels, meals, etc while on business travel, so we can't earn any rewards from business travel except for miles. The only exception is if an establishment doesn't accept credit cards, then you'll be reimbursed by check for those expenses.

 

[robinb]

I think in the future that I would donate the miles earned from each trip so he doesn't get his grubby paws on them again. Next time he asks for them I would brightly say: "Oh! I don't have any left. I didn't even know I could transfer miles until I transferred the last batch to you. That's when I found out that I could donate my miles to Make A Wish. I love what they do for sick kids, don't you?"

But I'm mean that way.

 

[CherylA]

I think in the future that I would donate the miles earned from each trip so he doesn't get his grubby paws on them again. Next time he asks for them I would brightly say: "Oh! I don't have any left. I didn't even know I could transfer miles until I transferred the last batch to you. That's when I found out that I could donate my miles to Make A Wish. I love what they do for sick kids, don't you?"

But I'm mean that way.

I LOVE this and I don't think it's mean at all if you actually do donate the miles

 

[MomToOne]

I'm starting to think this is about him having enough miles to reach the elite status that gets you all the perks... free upgrades to first class, free food, unlimited access to the vip lounge.

Transferred miles - just like purchased miles and miles earned from cc charges - won't work for this. As a PP pointed out, only "BIS" (bu**-in-seat, or I've generally heard it as "AIS" - a**-in-seat ) miles count towards elite status. If you think this is where he is going with it, find the info online that says only BIS miles count (usually buried in the ff program handbook) and have it printed out and ready to go. Then ask him why he wants the miles. If he indicates this is his goal, tell him it won't work and hand him the printed info (I doubt he'll just take your word for it if he's being such a jerk).

 

[robinb]

I LOVE this and I don't think it's mean at all if you actually do donate the miles

I would absolutely donate them. It would be part of my post trip routine. Fill out the expense report and log into CO to transfer the miles earned to MAW. Each time I would get double satisfaction ... (1) from helping MAW and (2) from sticking it to the boss.

 

[SandrA9810]

how long ago was this conversation with the boss?? If other's have said that they've already used their miles, then you can politely explain that there's only X amount of miles available for transfer after a recent booking, before he asked you for them.

 

[rockundergirl]

Transferred miles - just like purchased miles and miles earned from cc charges - won't work for this. As a PP pointed out, only "BIS" (bu**-in-seat, or I've generally heard it as "AIS" - a**-in-seat ) miles count towards elite status. If you think this is where he is going with it, find the info online that says only BIS miles count (usually buried in the ff program handbook) and have it printed out and ready to go. Then ask him why he wants the miles. If he indicates this is his goal, tell him it won't work and hand him the printed info (I doubt he'll just take your word for it if he's being such a jerk).

Well this makes me happy , I was mainly worried about losing the status , that has the most value to me since it gets me other deals and makes life at the airport better.. The money value of the miles I'm transferring really only adds up to a few 100 anyway .. It would be smarter of him to have me keep them and make me use them for work travel .. oh well for all I know he wants to used them for travel with his wife... I don't care.. I just know from now on I'm going to be a penny pincher about work expenses... ( in the past i have not bothered with little things.. for example.. If a food bill comes under like 6 dollars, or I like to tip big.. so i used to do it out of my own money.. not anymore) How ever I bet those little things add up to over 100 a month.. which i will now be submitting receipts for... i hate being petty over money ( since to be honest I am compensated well for my work).. but sometimes people want to make things that way... KWIM?

 

[dodukes]

If you absolutely had to I would "under" the miles I really spent on work. Assuming he doesnt know you could have signed up for the program "late" as in only the last year. I think its a ****ty thing to do and I would write to continental stating what he is doing but then again sometimes I can be spiteful!...lol

 

[robinb]

Well this makes me happy , I was mainly worried about losing the status , that has the most value to me since it gets me other deals and makes life at the airport better.

Even though he told you to use the company credit card to do the transfer, I would still prepare a document so he knows exactly how much it's costing him. Make it seem like you're looking out for him and the company because it was going to be so much money for such a small return. When you give it to him say off-handedly "I'm just glad I'm not losing my elite status. I was worried about it and when I looked it up the CO website says that the status stays with the person who flew and doesn't go with the miles.". You may end of keeping your miles after all.

I just know from now on I'm going to be a penny pincher about work expenses... ( in the past i have not bothered with little things.. for example.. If a food bill comes under like 6 dollars, or I like to tip big.. so i used to do it out of my own money.. not anymore) How ever I bet those little things add up to over 100 a month.. which i will now be submitting receipts for... i hate being petty over money ( since to be honest I am compensated well for my work).. but sometimes people want to make things that way... KWIM?

Yes I do. You go girl!

 

[melancholywings]

What ever you decide to do I would nicely also let him know in the future you won't put company miles on your personal account - then ask him what he'd like done in the future. That's your personal life.

 

[Karenj2]

I'm sorry to hear that - I have a "flip side" kind of situation... I arrange events @ hotels for our company, and as such we get rewards points for all hotel rooms booked. Even though we use a corporate credit card and my manager doesn't usually attend the event, she gets the rewards points for the event, which she uses for personal purchases at Christmas. I think the points should be used for work-related expenses.

I even discussed it with her briefly, when (due to the economy) we weren't having events - I suggested that we use the points on hotel rooms so that we could host another event, but she nixed that idea.

We usually use the chain of hotels for which she has a rewards number - one time there was no hotel from that chain in the area we were going, and so *I* signed up for rewards (thinking, if she can do it, why can't I), and then she asked me to sign her up as well.

 

[dis-happy]

Who's the accountant at this company? If I'm reading this correctly, he's doing something illegal---using the company credit card to pay for the transfer of points into his personal flight account. Unless he's also using those points to book travel for company business, he's doing something shady. This is not a proper business expense. I would certainly write something up and save a hard copy detailing and confirming what he wants you to do to CYA down the line.

 

[Aristomommy]

I would have said that I had used them already, but now that I know you want them, I will transfer future ones to you. But sounds like you already agreed to this, so just transfer them and enjoy the personal miles you have earned. This sounds petty coming from your boss, especially after earning them over 2 years time.

I don't think transferred miles can be counted toward elite status? At least the programs DH and I have been a part of do not allow miles purchases or transfers to count toward it. But I could be wrong, since now our biggest travel is by car and we have mostly hotel perks.

 

[tinatark]

Who's the accountant at this company? If I'm reading this correctly, he's doing something illegal---using the company credit card to pay for the transfer of points into his personal flight account. Unless he's also using those points to book travel for company business, he's doing something shady. This is not a proper business expense. I would certainly write something up and save a hard copy detailing and confirming what he wants you to do to CYA down the line.

I think he is the owner of the company - so the "company" credit card is his.

OP, I would ask him to have a corporate credit card issued in your name for future travel purchases, as well as other items you've paid for and been reimbursed for later.

You using your personal means to pay these expenses has given the company float time, and until he asked you transfer them to him, the miles should have been considered a "perk" for using your personal funds to pay company expenses.

 

[dis-happy]

I think he is the owner of the company - so the "company" credit card is his.

OP, I would ask him to have a corporate credit card issued in your name for future travel purchases, as well as other items you've paid for and been reimbursed for later.

You using your personal means to pay these expenses has given the company float time, and until he asked you transfer them to him, the miles should have been considered a "perk" for using your personal funds to pay company expenses.

Even if he's the owner, he still has to keep his business records properly, and separate from his personal items--he can't just use a company credit card showing a business expense for his personal gain and not account for it. And with 15 employees he's probably an S-Corp. The IRS frowns on what he is seemingly trying to do.

I used to do books for a company owned by a woman who tried to pass off astrology readings as a business expense.