Top freebies while on the job

Three extra perks to be aware of when traveling

When working as consultant you realize that the job comes with a few more perks than just the advertised benefits. That is especially true if you travel a lot. In all cases you will be getting miles, car rentals, and hotel points. If you are lucky you will be also getting points on your credit card that you use to pay for the travel. There are a few rules to stick with in order to maximize profits.

BRAND LOYALTY - points and status

Always stick with the same brand and book it under all circumstances. If you start with Hilton, stay with Hilton, even if it means driving a bit more. Once you reach your Diamond Status, you get extra 50% of points for each stay. Same happens for airlines and car rentals.

PROMOTIONS - double points, free nights

It is a great idea to look around what promotions are currently available, as well as some insider tips on what upcoming promotions are on the radar. Sometimes there are targeted promotions, but if you do find out about it through lets say message board, you can call the customer service and many people reported luck in getting those promotions applied to their accounts.

PER DIEMS - food reimbursement

Nobody ever talks about it during interview, and its an important aspect of travel. In some places you get $50+/ day for food only... I don't think there is a real need to spent 50 bucks a day on food. At the end of the month it adds up to a nice chunk of change, and its all cash after all.

There are other ways to get more perks such as signing up for the credit cards that offer points and miles. In the end it is possible to save up enough points through out the year to go for a very nice vacation for free anywhere in the world, and still have extra cash left from per diems for the expenses during the vacation. Think about extra $3-4k a year, and that is all after taxes.