Combining Business and Leisure Trips

More business travelers stay on after the work is done

By Betty W. Stark, Business travel consultant and columnist, Stark Consulting

After a grueling week of on-the-road client meetings or sales calls, days spent cloistered in seminars or wrestling with knotty service issues, there’s nothing that feels better than shucking the ties of responsibility and stowing the laptop for a few days. Staying on after the work is done is a rapidly growing trend, with over 60 percent of all business travelers tacking on time after a business trip to unwind and rejuvenate.

Sounds like a great idea, you say? Indeed! But before you ease out of the work week and into a comfortable weekend package at a hotel or resort, make sure that you’ve covered all your bases.

With advance planning you can:

1. Avoid running afoul of your company’s travel policy.
2. Have rental car and leisure trip insurance in place when time runs out on business insurance.
3. Avoid running afoul of the IRS.
4. Find the best deals for business travelers on break.

Know in advance if there are company rules that govern extensions

Before you decide to treat yourself to a respite or invite your spouse, kids or significant other to join you at an out-of-town destination, make certain you know in advance if your travel policy governs such an extension. Does the policy encourage or prohibit tacking on a few days at your own expense? What credit card will you use to charge your added hotel nights and meals? These questions are best addressed before you leave on your trip, to avoid repercussions after the fact.
Try: If you’ll stay on at the hotel where you did business earlier in the week, be sure the front desk knows to charge your personal credit card, not the company card, for the extra days. For credit cards that let you earn points redeemable for hotel and resort stays and cruises, look into the Chase Travel Plus Platinum Visa Card and a selection of hotel rewards credit cards.

Know if you’re still covered after the business clock stops ticking

Will your company’s car policy cover your rental car after your work is done? What if something is stolen from your hotel room during your leisure extension? What if you are injured or become ill? Will you still be covered by company policies? Better find out in advance!
Try: If you need your own insurance after your business trip ends, look into services from Access America and compare quotes from several insurance companies quickly at Insure My Trip. Learn more about various travel insurance policies here.

Know the IRS rules for what you can and can’t deduct

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) spells out in detail what travel expenses you can--- and cannot---deduct. If your “leisure” extension is strictly that, it's on your own nickle. If it's a mix of both business and pleasure, some though not all of your expenses might be deductible.
Try: Thoroughly review IRS Publication 463 rules that apply to travel and deductibility. Keep thorough expense records to substantiate your claims. If you’re in doubt, seek professional help from a CPA.

Find the best deals for weekend getaways

Hotels in urban areas often drop their rates on weekends by as much as 50% to encourage business travelers to extend their stay. When you make your hotel reservation, ask about weekend rates, which generally apply Friday through Sunday nights. Package deals aimed at business travelers are becoming more common too.
Try: Check Hotels.com , Hotwire.com and Travelocity for hotel deals at your destination (navigate to the “City Breaks” and “Top Deals” tabs). Look into Site59, Luxury Link, and Andrew Harper e-Auctions (membership required) for last minute luxury and deeply discounted packages. Consider a Hilton Bounce Back Weekend Package. Join hotel frequent stay programs like Best Western’s Best Business Worldwide, Intercontinental Hotels Group Priority Club Rewards, (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites among others) and the Marriott chain’s Marriott Rewards program to earn points and tap into their members-only packages. To find out what’s going on around you, check out City Guides.

Introduce yourself to the manager at hotels that you frequent. You’re more likely to snag special weekend deals and no-cost upgrades.
Most companies prohibit strictly personal expenses on company credit cards. Check into whether your company allows it before you do book an after-business weekend.
If you’re flying to your destination on a company-financed airline ticket, make sure that the fare to stay a few extra days or to travel on to another destination for the weekend is either the same as or (ideally) less than the cost of your business-only trip.
Think about booking a suite or extended-stay corporate apartment if your distant assignment will be lengthy. The added space means your family can visit you without the need to book an extra hotel room.
Consider booking your entire business trip (air, car, and hotel) as a “vacation package.” The overall cost can be less than doing it piecemeal; you might save enough to cover the cost of your weekend getaway.