charging for travel

[Chad Whelan]

I am looking for advice on standard travel time charges for corporate work. This is for travel out of state that requires airfare and pertains to corporate work only, not weddings where you can build it into the rate.

For example I am scheduled to work 2 days on location, it is a 6 hour flight each way so I would be arriving a day before and leaving the day after. Door to door is easily 4 days total away from home. All of my travel expenses such as air, hotel, car, food are 100% reimbursed and I of course get paid the normal day rate for 2 days of shooting. My biggest question is what is the most proper or "standard" way of charging for the other 2 days out of the office? What if I was shooting a full day on a monday and wednesday but had off tuesday the day in between? How would I charge for that day as well?

This is for a big client I do a lot of work for who has recently been inquiring about me traveling out of state. I need to be consistent on the billing charges and wanted some input from those who may travel often or know more about corporate standards if there even is such a thing.

Thanks~

[Shaun Roemich]

My standard is 50% of full day rate for days that are SOLELY travel and "down days", unless I happen to have friends/family around that I can visit or if I can turn the day into a "fun" day for myself. On longer excursions, the option to have one day off out of seven at NO cost is part of my standard, mostly so I can do laundry and other sundry items and/or site see.

If I travel for 6 hours and shoot for 1, it's still my regular full day rate.

Of course, if I'm renting my OWN kit out as well and making money beyond my day-rate, I may choose to take the middle day off with no further costs IF it is a good client - this is a perk, not a requirement from my position.

<EDIT>

Yes... if I wasn't clear, like Chris, if I shoot and travel on the same day, it's a full day. The "six and one" was an example, not a delimiter.

[Chris Medico]

+1, I charge half day rates for travel days.

I charge full day rates if I work and travel on the same day. If travel pushes me into OT on a workday I bill that by the hour.

[Chad Whelan]

This is exactly how I billed the 1st travel shoot I did for them, so sounds like I am going in the right direction.

thank you