Job Discussion Forums

hieroglyphs · Joined: 27 Aug 2011 Posts: 16 Location: Seoul Korea

When a university pays annual plane fare back to your point of origin (as is standard in Middle Eastern jobs), do they give you cash? What I'm wondering is: Can I take the cash, and not go back?

Middle East Beast · Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 836 Location: Up a tree

Yes, or no.

It depends on the contract. Some employers give you a ticket to your home of record. Others give you cash and you do whatever you want with it. I've had it both ways in KSA, and I definitely prefer the cash. One of my employers would give you a ticket on Saudi Arabian Airlines only. That stinks. But you could work out a "deal" with the on-site travel agency to trade it for another ticket. It was a complicated process. Cash would have been much better.

MEB Cool

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Some employers offer cash - but only 50% of the fare quoted by their tame in-house travel agent.

posh · Joined: 22 Oct 2010 Posts: 430

My employer gives you a ticket back to your 'origin' which is stated on the contract. It is flexible however in that say your origin is London and you want to go to New York, they'll check the airfare to London then you pay the extra it will cost to go to NY.

BTW, prices at Haj skyrocket. I usually fly Dammam to Amsterdam for about 500GBP, but right now that price is about 1100GBP. This is because they know so many people will travel at this time.