• 22 Oct 2008 at 9:39 AM

The Hits Just Keep On Coming

This is wild. Merrill Lynch, UBS, and JP Morgan have apparently been instructing their senior bankers in Asia to fly coach on flights up to five hours, and cut back on non-essential travel to Vegas, if possible, according to Bloomberg. No word on reductions in travel expenses from Citi, presumably because the ban on color-copies has been enough to do the trick, profitability-wise. These restrictions sound severe, and we completely agree that they are perhaps a bit extreme, but we will remind you that once Ryainair CEO Michael O’Leary’s pioneering efforts come to fruition, coach, while pedestrian, really won’t be so bad.

Comments (16)

  1. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 9:44 AM

    Some recent cost-cutting initiatives at Citi (specifically the Tribeca office)
    - No more plant service (fired the guy who goes around and waters the plants)
    - No more shuttle service between 388 and WTC Path station.
    - Fitness center was outsourced for about 1/3 of the cost.

  2. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 9:45 AM

    Citi has always been 5 hours before you can upgrade.

  3. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 9:50 AM

    They are getting ready for the next wave of ALT A defaults – then on tho th POA’s!
    http://tinyurl.com/558bbd
    Not even close to bottom yet…

  4. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 10:11 AM

    Nothing new, JPM has had this for as long as I can remember

  5. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 10:13 AM

    What, aren’t people allowed to walk in NYC? Is it really bad that people don’t have a shuttle service? Plants? There are trees and shrubs in NYC? Fitness…wouldn’t walking everywhere cover that. Out here in Alabama, I don’t understand you Yankees.

  6. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 10:14 AM

    Holy god bankers will need to sit in back with the untouchables!
    This is truly a travesty

  7. Posted by Anal_yst | October 22, 2008 at 10:24 AM

    @ 5
    Fair point, but its about a mile walk, in dress clothes, with about 50,000 other people bumrushing you. Probably not exactly what you want to be dealing with if you want to show up at the office looking like you didn’t just get in a fight.
    On the other hand, most people could use at least a mile walk/day, the same fatasses that take up 2+ seats on the subways

  8. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 10:34 AM

    Every company I’ve worked with and worked for has had a similar restriction in place long before the economy tanked.

  9. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 10:34 AM

    Why is this newsworthy? WGAF??

  10. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 11:35 AM

    I’m working at a major fund in Los Angeles – all flights except for senior management are coach now. My trip to London (11 hours) is in coach.

  11. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 12:14 PM

    I flew to Japan once in Economy Plus.
    I paid for a business class upgrade out of my own wallet on the way back.

  12. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 12:19 PM

    11 Really? I fly to Japan a few times a year in coach. And sleep most of the time. You’re gonna have a tough time in life bud if (when?) the axe comes.

  13. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 12:34 PM

    you pansy-assed whiners ain’t seen nothin yet from Citi. If you think having to fly coach is a travesty, just wait for the major slash ‘n burn of bodies coming your way. Eat those peanuts you pussys.

  14. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 12:34 PM

    you pansy-assed whiners ain’t seen nothin yet from Citi. If you think having to fly coach is a travesty, just wait for the major slash ‘n burn of bodies coming your way. Eat those peanuts you pussys.

  15. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 2:21 PM

    I would imagine that they’re trying to avoid the AIG gaffe, much more than cut costs.

  16. Posted by guest | October 22, 2008 at 3:44 PM

    I had to sleep in sheets that were less than 500 thread count once.
    I still have flashbacks.

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