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It sucks. I travel but not that much. I travel every other week for about 2-3 days. My kid is grown so not much of a big deal but I am very happy I did not have to travel until he was in high school.
Here in Alaska we have a lot of "slope workers". They work in the oilfields on the North Slope. They usually work a "2 on, 2 off" schedule. Two weeks there, working 14 hour days and then they fly home and are off for two weeks. Some do a 3 on, 3 off.
And our Correctional Offices do a 1 on, 1 off. They work 7 12 hour days (so home just in time to go to bed) and then get a week off.
So the schedule you describe isn't too horrible.
Sure. I've had lots of years where I did 100K miles with an airline and made their top frequent flyer level. With email, cell phone, GoToMeeting/WebEx, conference calls, and videoconferencing, you can manage groups across the country without needing constant face time. It's way more of a PITA when the groups are spread around the world but you can't possibly do that with 4 road days per week so this is clearly domestic.
And yeah, school vacations. It's pointless to fly somewhere as a manager when 2/3 of the staff are off on spring break with their kids. Ditto peak vacation times in July/August.
I don't know the last time you actually flew for business travel. In 2017, Sunday flights go out 100% full or the airline cancels the route. If there's weather, it's not like you have a heck of a lot of options to go out earlier unless it's $1,000 in up charges and change fees for a full fare coach ticket where the airline is willing to overbook the flight. The corporate bean counters have a cow if you do that and it's not mission critical. Face time in front of a key customer? Sure. To go sit in a conference room across the country with a bunch of direct reports where half of them don't make it in because it snowed and they never heard of snow tires? Nope. Those flights are booked 2+ weeks in advance or some bean counter is going to refuse the travel authorization without some VP-level approval.
My experience is very different from yours. School vacations and summers had nothing to do with work. Work happens 24/7/365. The company never shuts down. My husband would still be traveling if he didn't burn out from it. Clients don't want conference calls. They want bodies on site. He often said he could stand there and chew gum all day and that would satisfy some clients. Others wanted to see bodies at laptops for a minimum of 10 hours a day. They'd give them a hard time if they only worked 12 hour days.
I flew a few weeks ago for work. I've been on Sunday flights that weren't full. Flight wasn't canceled. The plane needs to be at the right airport for it's flights the next day.
Many meetings aren't on conference calls in my industry or my husband's industry. When either one of us is on site, it's all face to face with the clients. He has had plenty of flights that were booked less than a week before he flew. Happens all the time because someone decides at the last minute to have a meeting or wants a room full of people for whatever reason.....someone wants to order a catered lunch? Who knows! No VP approval needed. Accountants also didn't say no to flights. The clients get what they want. They are paying for these trips!
Yes, they do. Company Holidays mean no one at the company is working. Some companies have tons of them, some don't. In any case, except a few fields or working internationally, you don't schedule a trip on December 23rd when most of your employees and customers will be out. Again, it depends on the field. But, if you're seeing white collar employees (IE, not working in a manufacturing or retail environment) or white collar customers (again, not on call to troubleshoot problems at the factory) they do matter.
Company holidays? My husband has worked for some massive companies and not one has a company holiday. He works in IT and has worked through many holidays including on the actual holiday.
At this point in time, if given the choice between flying an hour & a half and driving 7 hrs, I'll always drive. Driving entails the same downsides -- unhealthy food and hours of sitting -- but for me it is also much less stressful. It's not the airplane so much as the airports.
The length of the flight itself seems to not matter so much. It is the travel and parking at the airport, and then having to wait until you are seated. Being crowded in there with people who don't shower and have kids kicking your seat. Airports themselves also have a terrible smell from the planes.
My first thought when travel comes up for business is, can this be done over the phone or online, and is travel by train there possible.
I wouldn't take this kind of job for either myself or my family. Since you will be back on Thursday, I would assume that you would be traveling within the US or at least within North America. I could not imagine traveling for most of the week through the dunk and disgusting US airports that are probably one of the worst in the world for the Western country. Nor would I be able to observe weird, obese Americans that fill those airports without going crazy.
And for family life, you might see that your wife will stop being supportive in about a month after she realizes that you gone on the school nights and she has to deal with your daughter every day. You evening calls to your family could consist of angry outbursts from your wife and crying from you daughter who missed you.
Now a dream job for me would be some international travel once in a couple of months. I am yet to find that...
Do. Your wife is onboard and your child isn't in school yet. No activities to miss. You have a plan and a timeline.
Charlygal - I like your response: short and sweet.
UPDATE*
I had a couple of phone interviews with the hiring manager AND the predecessor to this position. I passed on both interviews and have a video interview with the Vice President of the company (couldn't meet physically due to their traveling schedule). The predecessor and the hiring manager told me that I would need to schedule for two weeks (Mon-Thurs) out of the month and would some times require me to be at other locations for an additional week if necessary. The predecessor also mentioned that he had FIVE kids! He also stated that his wife traveled also and they were able to manage.
Charlygal - I like your response: short and sweet.
UPDATE*
I had a couple of phone interviews with the hiring manager AND the predecessor to this position. I passed on both interviews and have a video interview with the Vice President of the company (couldn't meet physically due to their traveling schedule). The predecessor and the hiring manager told me that I would need to schedule for two weeks (Mon-Thurs) out of the month and would some times require me to be at other locations for an additional week if necessary. The predecessor also mentioned that he had FIVE kids! He also stated that his wife traveled also and they were able to manage.
Notice he's the predecessor? He could be blowing smoke your way. You'll never know what his family is like. His wife could have divorce papers sitting on the dining room table.
If both parents are traveling, that means there are NO parents with their children. That's incredibly sad! What if something happens to one of them? How can a parent get home quickly if there's an accident, injury, or emergency surgery?
Notice he's the predecessor? He could be blowing smoke your way. You'll never know what his family is like. His wife could have divorce papers sitting on the dining room table.
If both parents are traveling, that means there are NO parents with their children. That's incredibly sad! What if something happens to one of them? How can a parent get home quickly if there's an accident, injury, or emergency surgery?
I don't think he is blowing any smoke. He is following the steps I'm planning to take. He was in that position for 3 years. They also alternate so one of the parent is almost always at home. He has also moved onto being the plant manager; thus, he has checked all the boxes to be in line to become a VP or Director. I think if it was really bad, he would have quit the job a long time ago.
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