Billing for weekends away....

[AnthonyQuinn]

I travelled extensively for my last client for over a period of 5 years. But my experience is of only one client. The rules followed were as follows.

1. You will travel on a weekday (unless there are exceptions due to flight schedules).
2. No billing for weekends.
3. Hotel, Flight and expenses covered (Upto £28 of subsistence expenses a day)

Billing for weekends is laughable to be honest unless some business is actually being conducted.

and the day rate should stay the same. Neither reduce nor increase

[Sockpuppet]

Billing for weekends is laughable to be honest unless some business is actually being conducted.

I think it depends on the relationship.

Agree that all travel days are billable (unless this is your regular commute) but special travel is certainly billable regardless of if you work or not as they are asking you to do it.

Hotels and flights should be covered. See if client can book hotel as they will usually have agreements with Hilton, Marriott etc that means the rate is a lot less. Also look to see how much the cost is. 4 weeks away in asia can easily burn £1500 a week onto a credit card for just the hotel alone. If its 4 weeks in the same hotel I'd negotiate with the hotel and ask for a invoice direct to client co.

Are you going to work weekend? Like AQ said unless your working you may not want to invoice. Though depends on the ballache factor your are going to be away from home for 4 weeks.

Don't forget to include incidentals that you will spend such as cleaning clothes, taxis, wifi access at hotel, phone calls etc as these are all going to add up and cost more.

[craig1]

Hotels and flights should be covered. See if client can book hotel as they will usually have agreements with Hilton, Marriott etc that means the rate is a lot less. Also look to see how much the cost is. 4 weeks away in asia can easily burn £1500 a week onto a credit card for just the hotel alone. If its 4 weeks in the same hotel I'd negotiate with the hotel and ask for a invoice direct to client co.

I have in my standard consultancy contract that any overnight stay rates are automatically considered "reasonable" to the amount of the closest Marriott Hotel standard room B&B rate plus evening subsistence OR Marriott Hotel DB&B without evening subsistence. Saves any messing around when it comes to invoicing and approving acceptable rates plus it encourages them to let me use their negotiated cheap rates as these often come with the "priority free upgrade" box ticked on the local Marriott system.