Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cruisemonkey]

Background -
I'm an EPIC, GET who has just 'signed on' for another year (starting Sept.).
After a mind-boggling (and completely unnecessary) exercise in 'jumping through the hoops' of K-bureacracy, yesterday I officially extended my 'Period of Sojourn' for another twelve months.

Story -
I mentioned to my CT/handler that I would book my flights ASAP - because Aug. is 'high season' and in a couple of weeks there will be no seats on (or even close) to my dates of travel. My CT produced an 'information' form on the process of booking flights through the Government Transportation Request (GTR) process. I read the form and replied to my CT -

CM: "This is insane.. it involves: the GET, two different offices of the airline (Korean Air or Asiana - no other choice) and three different levels of government. As per my contract, can I just deal with my travel agent and submit: the invoice, a copy of the tickets and the boarding passes for reimbursement when I return in Sept.?"

CT: (Makes a phone call to the POE) "I'm sorry, you must use the GTR."

CM: "Do you know what my contract 'says'?"

CT: "No... but school inspector say you must use GTR."

CM: "Why?"

CT: "School inspector say without GTR, Korean people pay too muchee."

CM: "OK, I'll try it... It'll be a 'pain in the ass' but at least I won't have to wait until Sept. 25th to get my money back."

To make a 'long story short' - yesterday, I booked flights as per the GTR process; during which the ticketing agent told me "I can give you the flights you want but they're very expensive." I replied "I don't give a shit about the price... I'm booking on a GTR... as long as the flights are 'economy' and the 'most direct' between 'A' & 'B' on those dates, that's all that concerns me." She replied "Ohhhh... OK, no problem!"

Total cost (with taxes, fuel surcharges etc.) for the exact, same flights:
my TA (Xanadu) - W1,042,400
GTR - W2,998,800

Who pockets the difference?

[CentralCali]

Nobody's "pocketing the difference." The airline is getting paid the rate they charge for a particular seat to a particular destination, but just not at a discount. Not all seats on the flight are discounted. The school inspector is getting nothing for it and your school's financial director is getting nothing for it. It's all going from the tax coffer to the airline.

Your school inspector is a moron. She apparently doesn't understand the distinction between government-funded travel (general) and reimbursable travel (a specific type of government-funded travel). The former is that which requires the traveler to book the flight through the government's red-tape-laden system. The latter is that which requires the government to pay for the cost of the trip (up to a stated maximum amount) after travel.

You said your contract provides for reimbursable travel. Why, then, did you even bother with your co-teacher? You know what your contract says and so does the school's financial director. Heck, the director has a nifty little book that tells him exactly how to process your reimbursement!

[Ramen]

Don't you wish you can pocket the difference?

[cruisemonkey]

CentralCali,

"Who pockets the difference?" was a rhetorical question.

I regard this exercise in stupidity as my small part in trying to keep the K-onomy vibrant!

The proverbial 'dong will hit the fan' on Monday morning when Korean Air faxes the fare certificate to the POE. My co-teacher will sheepishly approach me on Monday afternoon with the suggestion that I buy the tickets through the TA.

[Ramen]

[cruisemonkey]

She's young and female - it doesn't matter.

[CentralCali]