Local assignments: we invoice for all travel-related expenses such as gas, tolls, parking, cabs, or other fares. We cannot factor them into the package price (in other words, not charge them separately) as they vary greatly. It would not be fair to those who are more local to pay more than needed. Typically, the travel fee is $30-100. The proximity to one of our studios is not quite a factor, by the way, as we may still be traveling to you from a distant previous engagement.
Remote assignments: we are eager to keep the costs to the rock bottom: instead of a typical approach of charging an inflated fixed fee to cover all realized and unrealized expenses and—righteously so—time away from business, we only bill for some of the actual costs. Yes, the list may get long but it will end up being cheaper to you.
Clients are responsible for all travel and accommodation fees including those in NYC (e.g., a cab to/from the airport or a long-term parking there). When transporting heavy equipment, the airline will impose an extra bag fee. The cheapest flight option will usually work out even if it means a wee-hour, red-eye, or a long connection.
Running the business always pulls us back to the studio and we usually minimize the stay even if it's a sunny beach in the Hawaii. There were cases when Ed flew in and out within same day for a 2-hour session. Most would have taken the opportunity to rest and enjoy a new city, perhaps. A typical exception is extending our business trips to
India. We'll stick around and pay for anything unrelated to the assignment, including extra nights.
We do not require any premium accommodation and we opted for some untraditional options in the past (because it's an experience!!). And, we more than welcome accommodations with clients' friends or family members instead of hotels. Also, we never bill for food. We are low-maintenance.