I have brought loved ones on business trips several times, as have almost all other business travelers I know. As long as they pay their own way, I’ve never thought there was anything wrong with bringing someone along. After all, it’s not costing your company anything extra for someone to share your hotel room or rental car! But a recent discussion on a message board made me realize that not everyone agrees with me.

According to some opinions, if a company sends you somewhere and you don’t spend all of your time working, you are stealing from the company. Another comment was that it may not be unethical, but if having family on a trip distracts you from doing your job then it’s wrong. While I still don’t think bringing family or another loved one on a business trip is unethical, I do see the point that if it’s going to take your energy from the task at hand it’s not a great idea.

So, Readers, what do you think?

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During one of my many trips this summer I did something I’ve never done before: I paid for someone else’s room with my credit card. And it did NOT go well.

Normally I book hotels through my company’s corporate travel site. This time, though, the hotel had a really great deal on their website that wasn’t available on the corporate site, so I booked there. Because I was traveling with a coworker, I went ahead and booked their room too. The fine print said that the offer was refundable until the day before we arrived, and that the credit card was just to hold the room. Nowhere did it say it was nonrefundable—in fact, it said the opposite.

When I checked in, I made sure my co-worker (who was arriving later) could check into her room without me. The clerk assured me it would be fine, but stupidly I did not ask if the room would go on her credit card. (I also checked to make sure that the lounge access that was supposed to come with my rate was showing up. It wasn’t, which should have given me the first clue that things may not go as smoothly as planned.)

The stay was actually quite pleasant, and the work part of our trip went quite well. The weirdness started after check out. As I was about to head to the airport, I got a text from the Home Warrior. “I was checking our credit card balance, and it looks like you were charged twice for the hotel. Can you fix it?” I only had a few minutes, so I ran back inside to find out what had happened. The manager on duty couldn’t tell me, and said he was only showing one charge. I pulled up my credit card account online, and showed him the two charges, but he was sure it was a mistake and would be fixed within a couple of days. Since I was out of time, I had to let it go.

As you probably figured, in a few days, it had not been fixed. I called the hotel again, they again couldn’t figure out what was going on, and said it must have been an error and would be corrected soon. They also gave me the contact information for their billing department, but said they were all “in a meeting” that day. I tried for three days to call the billing department, and could never get an answer. I was extremely frustrated, and swore I would never stay in this particular chain again. Ugh.

Finally, when I had basically lost hope and was trying to figure out how to dispute the charge with my credit card, I got an email from my co-worker (remember, the one whose room I paid for?). She asked me if my hotel bill had been weird, as they had only charged her $300 and she had been expecting $800. She looked at the statement in detail and realized there was no room charge, only charges for incidentals. Aha! Mystery solved. I hadn’t been charged twice for my room—I had been charged for both rooms! All I had to do was get them to refund my card and charge her room to her card, right? Hah. I should have known better! They kept telling me there was no possible way they could do that—the rate was non-refundable. Oh, and since I had gone through a third party (the hotel website!) there was nothing at all they could do. OMFG.

How did we finally resolve this? My co-worker submitted her expense report, got reimbursed, and wrote me a check. Drama! The moral of the story is that I will not try to hold a room for a coworker unless I am guaranteed by the hotel, in writing, that I will not be charged. Ugh.

Readers, have you ever paid for a coworker’s hotel room? Were you able to get reimbursed?

If you’re friends with a coworker, a driving trip can be super fun. You have time to visit, catch up, go over whatever work stuff you need to, and in general have a good time. However, if you don’t get along with a coworker, a two hour drive to see a customer can be like a trip to hell. Dreading the drive is certainly understandable, but there are ways to make it less hellish.

Plan talking topics ahead of time. I know this seems a little bit weird, but if you’re concerned about awkward silences plan some conversational topics ahead of time. Maybe ask her about herself—where is she from, where did she go to school, why did she major in what she did, what are her hobbies, etc. Or have specific items in mind regarding the work you’re about to do.

Turn on music. Maybe if you discover a shared love for the Beatles you won’t hate her as much. Or the music will drown out his ongoing chatter about his stamp collection. Talk radio can get controversial, although I’ll often put on NPR for the news.

Tune them out. Worst case, stop listening and just look at the scenery, or pull out some work to do. The old “I have to finish this report by today,” thing would work just fine.

Offer to let them drive. Unless you know he is a terrible driver, ask if he wants to drive. This lets him feel like he’s in control, regardless of whether he ends up driving or not, which some people really need.

Know your route. Before you go, look at a map and make sure you know where you’re going. The last thing you want is to get lost and have to spend more time with this person.

The Road Warrior suggested taking out your aggression with a rousing game of Slugbug. Funny, but maybe not the best idea. Traveling with difficult coworkers can be hard, and being stuck in a car with someone annoying for hours at a time can be really hard. Try to be patient, and know that at the end of the night at least you’ll have your own room to rest in.

Readers, what are your best tips for traveling with annoying coworkers?

It’s summer, the time of high temperatures, long days, and family vacations. The Home Warrior and I are going to South Texas to visit my grandmother for the upcoming long weekend, and then in three weeks we leave for Puerto Rico for a week (yay!!!!!!!!!). But in between those times, I have my first business trip to Chicago. As you may remember, my sisters both live in Chicago, so this is pretty darn exciting for me. (Also kind of surprising that it took five years to get me to Chicago for work, when I’ve gone to a lot of major cities. But whatever. I’ll take it.) Trying to figure out how I’m going to balance quality time with my sisters and all the meetings and work I have to do is requiring a lot of thought and planning. It makes me wonder about the people who bring family along with them on work trips–how does it work? Do you feel distracted while working? Do you do the same quality of work you would do without someone along? Or better or worse quality? I’m curious, so let’s do a poll! Thanks for participating.

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Adding your boss or coworkers to a business trip can be fraught with issues. Traveling Together is a series on Road Warriorette about avoiding the pitfalls that crop up when traveling with others.

Traveling with coworkers can be tricky, but that can be multiplied if you are traveling with your boss. If you are traveling with your boss, you have to be on your best, and most competent, behavior. You want to come across as low maintenance as possible, and this can extend from your suitcase to your dinner orders (remember When Harry Met Sally? Don’t be Sally!!) to your clothes. Here are a few tips to look calm, collected, and like you know what you’re doing.

• Be competent! This touches everything you do, starting with your suitcase.Know the airline’s guidelines so that if you are carrying on, your bag is within the correct size requirements. Also, make sure you can lift it into the overhead bin without throwing out your back or making weird noises.
• Be productive. While on the plane with your superior, working is never a bad thing. If that’s not an option, look at a magazine that you could show your grandparents: Real Simple, In Style, something in that vein. (Not People or Us Weekly, please! Unless you’re sure that your boss shares your obsession with Brangelina.) Another option is to read a book. You don’t have to try to come across as a pseudo-intellectual, but please don’t read anything that looks like a trashy romance or something called “How to Get Your Boss’s Job”. This is a great excuse to finally get a Kindle! No one knows what you’re reading.
• Know where you’re going. When you arrive, make sure you know where you are going and have a plan for getting there. You don’t necessarily need to do anything above and beyond what you would do when traveling alone. Just make sure, for example, you know the address of the office, what car rental company you are using, and the general location of your hotel. Long ago, I was traveling with a coworker and I couldn’t remember the name of my hotel, I just knew it was some kind of Marriott. I had to call all over the city to find my reservation (because I didn’t have access to my Rewards number or my confirmation code), and then it turned out my hotel was literally on the airport property. Way to look competent!!
• Look professional. During any downtime that you spend with your boss, wear something comfortable but cute and well put together. It’s pretty unlikely you’ll have to wear a suit to dinner (unless of course you’re going straight from the office), so maybe a pair of slacks or dark jeans, a nice top, and cute shoes. Don’t wear anything that would make someone think you are going to a bar: nothing revealing, no too-tall shoes, etc.
• Don’t get drunk! I hope this would go without saying, but just in case. Please, please watch your alcohol intake. Getting drunk and throwing up in a cab with your director looking on makes an impression, just not the one you want. (I saw this happen, and trust me, four years later we still talk about it.)
• For more reading….. Check out the discussion on whether or not to give your boss your upgrade, just in case that situation comes up. Also, all of the tips from last week about traveling with coworkers still stand, and are even more important on trips with your boss.

The goal is to exude confidence and competence at all times. I know it doesn’t seem fair that someone could be judging you during “off” times, but that won’t stop them from subconsciously doing it. If a behavior could even remotely be considered questionable, don’t do it. But this is a time that you can show how skilled you are in areas your boss doesn’t usually get to see–so take advantage!

Adding your boss or coworkers to a business trip can be fraught with issues. Traveling Together is a series on Road Warriorette about avoiding the pitfalls that crop up when traveling with others.

Sometimes traveling with a coworker can make an otherwise monotonous trip fun. Or it can make an otherwise productive trip really, really awful. These are all issues that I have personally experienced, but there are many other potential problems. A few tips for minimizing the things that could go wrong:

• Don’t overindulge. Winding down at the end of a long day with a glass (or two, or three…) of wine can be fun. But don’t get sloppy. It doesn’t look good, and can lead to a multitude of problems and make the next day really painful. Plus you will be more likely to share too much personal information if you drink too much. Which leads us to…..
• Avoid oversharing. Traveling with someone creates a sense of intimacy. Working together, flying together, and eating meals together can foster a sense of closeness that may not hold up once you’re back in the office. Remember, the person you are traveling with is still a co-worker, and just because you are with them for three days solid doesn’t mean they need to know that you and your spouse are trying to have a baby, or that your husband cheated on you, or that you’re looking for another job.
• Maintain boundaries. During a trip this year, my coworker got a little drunk and told me long stories about marital troubles, going on in detail for a while. It was kind of awkward for me, to say the least. When you are the recipient of oversharing, exiting gracefully can be a challenge.  If it seems like things may be getting too personal, try to steer the conversation back to neutral territory, and wrap up as quickly as you can.
• Get your work done. Just because someone is traveling with you doesn’t mean your working obligations just go away. You will still need to check email, finish documents, and prepare for the next day. Make sure you’re not sacrificing work or sleep for socializing.

Readers, what issues have you encountered when traveling with coworkers?

Adding your boss or coworkers to a business trip can be fraught with issues. Traveling Together is a series on Road Warriorette about avoiding the pitfalls that crop up when traveling with others.

One of the most awkward things in travel can be sharing a hotel room with a co-worker. With companies trying harder than ever to save money, this is unfortunately becoming more and more common. Here are some tips on how to be a good roommate, and how to survive if the other person is not so considerate.

• Share the space. Don’t take up all the room in the closet, drawers, or bathroom counter.
• Stay neat. I wasn’t able to do it in college (sorry college roommate!), but keeping your stuff contained and in one area is key to a harmonious hotel room sharing experience. Don’t leave your clothes lying all around the hotel room–try to keep them in or around your suitcase. Don’t scatter your toiletries all over the bathroom counter–your contacts holder and toothbrush can easily go back in your travel bag each morning after you’re done with them.
• Ask for more stuff. Call the front desk and ask for more hangars, towels, pillows, or anything else the two of you need to be more comfortable.
• Work somewhere else. Scope out a separate work space, just in case you can’t work in your room. The hotel lobby, a lounge, or a restaurant are all possible alternate mobile offices. Same goes for personal phone calls–it may be better to chat somewhere besides your room.
• Stay quiet during sleeping hours. If you have radically different sleep schedules, be quiet when your roommate is a asleep. Don’t turn the overhead lights on. Bring a book light if you need to read before bed.
• On the flip side. Bring things that will help you sleep in case your roommate isn’t as polite as you are. Earplugs, eye mask, headphones with white noise app, or whatever else you need.
• Spend as little time as possible in your room. If your roommate is a total stranger, or if you truly don’t get along, it may just be easier to treat your room as a place to sleep and spend most of your time elsewhere.
• Figure out a morning schedule. Do you get up early? Do you shower at night? Figure out, ahead of time, ways to share the bathroom in the morning so that you both can be ready on time.

Sharing space is challenging, but it can be done. The two keys are to be cognizant of how whatever you do affects your roommate, and to be prepared for your roommate to not be so thoughtful as you. That way no matter what you will be able to sleep and get your work done.

Readers, any other tips for sharing a room with a coworker?