Qualifying for Trips

[PaperHanger]

And you should get down to the redneck riviera sometime ;-)

The resorts are very nice where you mention, but their surroundings are not conducive to exploring. I would get bored and feel a lack of value of traveling abroad, only to stay on propery the whole time.

And with the wife along, I wouldn't be able to blend in, or run for my life if needed lol.

Places I would go?
Hawaii
Costa Rica
Bermuda
Virgin Islands
Bahamas
Even Cuba (via flight connection in mexico)
Fiji (with ample time there vs the long flight)
These are places the Mr and Mrs can rent a jeep and go exploring.

I've been to some of those places, and spent some time sailing the keys, that's when we wrecked in Cuba lol, and spent a week there trying to get home...I've been out there before, those were my adventure years,
Now are my married with kids years, and just saying, with an East Cobb wife in tow, I'd just rather not.

Unless you insist on huge waves, or 50' visibility under water, there honestly isn't anything better than the gulf coast of florida.

 

[WCMason]

You should get out more...

The resorts I have seen in Jamaica and Mexico are very nice. And generally the insurance companies are booking quality resorts at that. There may be barbed wire, and their may be locals mistreating the local strays, but you aren't going to see either. There will be plenty of vegetation to hide your view of the locals.

But if I had the choice, Jamaica would be the last on my list of places in the Caribbean to go. A Latin country or the Bahamas would rank higher.

Good evidence that we all like different things. Aetna's trip for next year is Nicaragua, which I'm sure will be great. But Latin American beach resorts for me don't compare to the great cities of Europe. I'll take the Four Seasons on the bank of the Danube in Budapest or the Ritz Carlton on the Mediterranean coast of Barcelona over any beach resort. But I'm sure I'll enjoy the tropics as well.

 

[VolAgent]

Good evidence that we all like different things. Aetna's trip for next year is Nicaragua, which I'm sure will be great. But Latin American beach resorts for me don't compare to the great cities of Europe. I'll take the Four Seasons on the bank of the Danube in Budapest or the Ritz Carlton on the Mediterranean coast of Barcelona over any beach resort. But I'm sure I'll enjoy the tropics as well.

Not so fast.

I never said anything about Europe. I would love to visit Europe, particularly Paris and Rome. I was just talking about the Caribbean. Only two times I felt scared, one was when we hired an independent tour guide who took us 30 miles in the Belize jungle to see some ruins. And really, it was just because it was an old van, a narrow two lane highway and way out there from the port. The second was Jamaica, and that was as soon as a I left the ship when I saw the vultures looking at the fresh meat.

Everyone in the Caribbean sees American tourists as a payday. The problem is in Jamaica they don't put up any pretense. They are so busy trying to scalp you. At least in Mexico and elsewhere, they get the idea of repeat business. They are making money, but you feel valued, appreciated and that you are getting a fair bargain.

 

[jdeasy]

Make sure it's a location you really want to go to, because they 1099 you on the trip value.

And you'll probably have to push most business to that carrier to qualify.

Personally, if it doesn't have a beach involved outside the continent ( like Hawaii or bermuda), I'd rather save the taxes and go to Destin or Panama City, but that's just me.

Fiji? Sounds good on glossy full color brochure, but I hesitate on the flight time...maybe if I bought an extra few days that'd be worth it.

My wife got excited a couple years ago about maybe taking a vacation in Jamaica or mexico, but I felt why go to a 3rd world country for a resort that is substandard to what we have here, and dangerous to boot. Spend a whole week confined behind barbed wire and watching locals throw rocks at malnourished dogs is not my idea of fun.

I'm pretty spoiled, having grown up in NW FL, very little comes close to the emerald coast imo.

Not all companies 1099 for the trips.

 

[PaperHanger]

Yeah, European beach vacation, french Rivera, Mediterranean, that must be nice.

But that's how far you have to go, to get one over on the emerald coast.

I mean, the sand is ground quartz for cryin out loud! Everywhere else is just ground up rocks and dirt! Lol

I grew up there, but wasn't until I went to some other places that I realized how nice it really is.

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Not all companies 1099 for the trips.

Wow did not know that...I suppose that would make a difference.

Someone had a trip to Canada a couple years ago. ..no I won't pay tax to go to canada, thx ;-)

 

[jdeasy]

Yeah, European beach vacation, french Rivera, Mediterranean, that must be nice.

But that's how far you have to go, to get one over on the emerald coast.

I mean, the sand is ground quartz for cryin out loud! Everywhere else is just ground up rocks and dirt! Lol

I grew up there, but wasn't until I went to some other places that I realized how nice it really is.

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Wow did not know that...I suppose that would make a difference.

Someone had a trip to Canada a couple years ago. ..no I won't pay tax to go to canada, thx ;-)

That makes a huge difference. Why go somewhere you don't care about and then have to pay taxes on it?

I knew of one company that took agents on an Alaskan cruise. Next year they got $10,000 1099's on it.

One company has a meeting or two during the trip and others said that's why they don't 1099.

I asked one of the VP's about it and he said that wasn't the case. They just chose to not 1099 agents for the reward trips.

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

Not all companies 1099 for the trips.

Some years ago, companies would 1099 you, but would also award a cash bonus to take care of the taxes. Called "grossing up". That was when the business was classy...

 

[PaperHanger]

Wow $10k 1099 is pretty stiff

I've been to alaska, the lure is salmon fishing...I don't suppose they'd let someone troll a line behind the cruise ship?

:-)

And I should add, that was a great trip to alaska...went with my dad, slept on a mattress on the floor in a house with no tv, drove around and fished all day...we brought home about $1k worth of salmon and halibut each.

Some locals let us use their smoker on some of our fish, when we returned there was a note on the door "went to dress a roadkill moose, back in a few hours"
We got back and the guy was pointing to a bucket of organs saying "just look at that liver, mmmmm"

Great trip!

 

[Gooner]

Good evidence that we all like different things. Aetna's trip for next year is Nicaragua, which I'm sure will be great. But Latin American beach resorts for me don't compare to the great cities of Europe. I'll take the Four Seasons on the bank of the Danube in Budapest or the Ritz Carlton on the Mediterranean coast of Barcelona over any beach resort. But I'm sure I'll enjoy the tropics as well.

Stopped reading at this post...yuuuupppp.

 

[TwiLight]

The 1099 can be wrote off if you attend the meetings in everyday. If you miss them, you will be paying the tax man.

The Plus one you take is not usually a write off.

Went to Japan/S.Korea in 1993 on a 10 day trip. $15k was the 1099 on a single. That was a lot of $$$ back then.