In Europe, and UK particularly, and with only a few exceptions (high net worth clients) it is desirable to conceal this mode of travel from one's client 
Peter, I think that is a view perhaps coloured by your own sector and experiences. I am very up front about it as I travel to a variety of destinations where commercial flights would be incredibly difficult to use and would certainty add time and extra expense. As a result I find it is perfectly acceptable. I am not sure concealing it is going to help improve acceptance - but of course it may help your actual situation.
Clearly if you are an employee it can only be with permission.
With very few exceptions the cost of private flying will always exceed the cost of some other (more normal) mode of transport such as driving, train, ferry, airline.....however I usually include a calculation note (where the cost is reimbursible) showing the value of the time saved (which will normally tip the balance far in favour of private flying....especially if taking colleagues)
Peter, I think that is a view perhaps coloured by your own sector and experiences
FWIW, I never billed GA flying cost to a client.
What I did do, years ago when the right situation existed, was that I used GA travel to visit a customer who wanted "instant" service. One could have driven there in 5-8hrs, or flown there in 1.5hrs (a rare example with such a ratio, in the UK). The client got billed some nominal amount.
The reason for playing down the fact that one owns a £200k plane is that the customer is likely to think he is paying for your expensive hobby.
Obviously some people are happy with that, they should be, and I would be. But "we" cannot fix the culture of envy. If the people you deal with at your client are on £100k they will be fine, and will probably ask if you can take them for a flight... If they are on £20k they may not like the fact you have a plane. The customer I used to regularly visit was in Mid Wales which is not exactly a hotbed of wealth In fact I think if they closed down, the local population living off the DSS would double.
I have another customer right now, N Sea oil sector, who would be delighted if I would fly GA to Aberdeen here and now to sort out a few things...
With very few exceptions the cost of private flying will always exceed the cost of some other (more normal) mode of transport such as driving, train, ferry, airline
That's will be true in Europe - until one gets into the "Brussels mode" and flies 1st class, and then GA suddenly becomes extremely good value 
The funny thing is that if you got an HMRC inspection, they are likely to be be "most interested" in your GA travel arrangements, whereas if you drove your small business into the ground by paying £3k for a 1st class ticket, they would not be able to question it.
I have another customer right now, N Sea oil sector, who would be delighted if I would fly GA to Aberdeen here and now to sort out a few things...
We are at the front-end design stage of a subsea development tied back to a floating production unit...I have a subsea and a topside production controls engineer in my team...may be interested in your products if you plan on penetrating the O&G sector...
With very few exceptions the cost of private flying will always exceed the cost of some other (more normal) mode of transport such as driving, train, ferry, airline..
I do not agree at all. If you travel is from a metropolitan area to another airlines are fine, but..... You need to factor all costs in (hotel, billable hours....)
I had a project in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France. Near the Spanish border, not really far from Hondarribia (San Sebastian airport). Find a better mode of transport than GA. Any suggestions?
Train: Northampton - London Euston - St-Pancras - Paris Nord - Paris Montparnasse - St. Jean-de-Luz Leave the house at 6:45, Train leaves at 7:13 and arrives at 19:58. Office is closing at 21:00. No point going there.
Airline: Northampton - Birmingham - Frankfurt - Bilbao. Rental car to St.Jean-de-Luz Leave the house at 3, Flight at 6 arrival in BIO at 12:30, baggage at 13:00, rental car pick up and drive 2:00hrs so arrive at 15:00. That was Lufthansa, AirFrance takes much longer as you have to change airports in Paris and won't make the morning flight to Biarritz.
Car: Sorry, I don't even go there
GA: Leave the house at 6:00, take off at 7:00 (opening time issue), Land at 11:45 (local), rental car pickup and drive 0:30. Start work at 12:15
This was Monday morning.
The total advantage is much higher. You can charge 5 days and not 3.5 to 4.5 days.
I have another customer right now, N Sea oil sector, who would be delighted if I would fly GA to Aberdeen here and now to sort out a few things...
So why don't you?
We had a customer who saw the Directors cars out the front of our office and then categorically stated he would never place new business with our firm while the Directors drove cars like we did.
They weren't Rolls Royces either, the total cost of the 3 or 4 cars was less than a TB20
I wonder if he shuts his bank account when he sees the bank boss get a €10M bonus
Neil wrote:
We had a customer who saw the Directors cars out the front of our office
I would have told him they were other customers cars...
