How do you Manage Cost and Delivery of Home Leave?

If you're like most companies, you probably view Home Leave budgeting as a time- and money-consuming challenge. Whether you use a blend of lump sum/cash allowances, reimbursement, tickets booked directly through corporate travel, or a choice between these options, difficulties often arise; they’re unavoidable!

A Carrefour parking lot in Saint-Denis, Reunion. Photo taken by AIRINC surveyor Eugene Kobiako.

A fascinating mélange of French and Creole cultures

This past quarter I surveyed Saint-Denis, Reunion, an isolated island that was a fascinating mélange of French and Creole cultures. Reunion Island is an overseas department and region of France located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and southwest of Mauritius. Its capital and economic center is Saint-Denis. Since Reunion is officially part of France, everything functions on the island almost exactly like it does in mainland France.

A mall in Astana, Kazakhstan as seen during an AIRINC cost of living survey. Photo taken by AIRINC surveyor Oscar Rasson.

A Cost of Living Survey in a digital world

At AIRINC, technology allows our dedicated survey staff to collect data and monitor changes through telephone and online research in conjunction with on-site surveys. We collect a wider range of data more efficiently using this multi-pronged approach, and by using an in-house research survey team, we collect the most objective, consistent pricing data.

How do you define a "Short Term Assignment"?

AIRINC’s Short Term Assignment (STA) survey confirmed that although the typical STA is defined as unaccompanied and 3 to 12 months in duration, many companies reported that their policies include significant flexibility around STA arrangements and entitlements. This flexibility helps to encourage mobility and control costs, but can make it challenging to determine how to structure assignee support.

A screenshot from a phone app for transportation in Jakarta, Indonesia. Here, the number provided connects the app payment method to a taxi hailed from the street. Photo taken by AIRINC surveyor Yimkwan Tsang.

Taxis vs Rideshares in Jakarta

Rideshare companies are having an impact in Jakarta, a city where traffic is ever present and getting around can be challenging. While it is common for expatriates to have a car and driver here, taxi and rideshare companies are innovating ways to capture expatriate clientele.

A Starbucks storefront in Russia, as seen during an AIRINC on-site survey.

99 Cities and an (almost) $4 difference

With stores in over 75 global markets, Starbucks has become synonymous with coffee throughout much of the world, and we collect the price of a single espresso from just about every country and territory where a Starbucks exists!

Street view of Lima, Peru during an on-site survey. Photo taken by AIRINC surveyor Oscar Rasson.

Using Data to Fine-Tune Spending

Every year companies spend significant sums of money to house employees on global assignments. There is no easy way to assess the rationality of this spending within the context of the market. This is due to the limited access to industry-wide housing data and the limited ability to effectively analyze this data.

One of many alerts posted around the V&A Waterfront Mall in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo taken by AIRINC surveyor Eugene Kobiako.

Update on the Water Crisis

AIRINC’s onsite Surveyors investigate topics of international interest, including hardship situations. My colleague, Yimkwan Tsang, wrote about the water crisis in Cape Town after her February 2018 survey. At that time, Cape Town was expected to run out of water as early as June. However, this event, known as Day Zero, kept getting pushed back.