As singers, we travel a lot.  Some like to travel, some hate it, but we can all agree, it’s exhausting, expensive and stressful.

We also feel different about the kinds of travel we experience. Traveling to a vacation for example is different than traveling to a gig.  

Where flying to a gig is concerned, here are some things I’ve learned over the years that may be useful to you.

Flights 

When you get a gig as a principal artist,  some companies may not even address travel or lodging and simply negotiate one lump sum fee with you or your agent and leave you to figure out all the other details.   In many other companies, it is standard practice to have your travel and lodging covered in addition to your fee.   These tend to be the smaller companies but not always. Some companies will give you an allotted amount for your travel, either giving you a check at the first rehearsal or along with your first show fee, covering up to a certain predetermined amount, depending on if you are flying or driving.  The amount they cover is often different for flying or driving.  Other companies will insist on arranging travel themselves for a variety of reasons. I worked for a company who had a board member who was a high-level executive for a major airline, so they flew all the artist out on standby tickets every year. 

Assuming you have a choice, my recommendation  is always book your own flight if given the chance, even if it’s a little more work for you.

Here’s why:

•  If you are given a certain amount to spend on a flight, say $400-$600 dollars, and you find a flight that’s significantly cheaper than your travel allotment, sometimes you get to keep the extra.

• You can have more flexibility in choosing the day you fly, the time you fly, and the airline with which you fly. 

• If you are a rewards member of a particular airline, make sure that you fly that airline whenever possible to build up your miles, points, or whatever you may accrue.  Most cities have one major airline that flies more than another out of your city.  It’s usually best to use that one to give you the most flexibility and benefits. You’ll be surprised what kinds of significant bonuses come with staying faithful to one airline. 

• You get to pay with your own credit card and earn miles, points, or other rewards in addition to being reimbursed (More on this in the best credit cards for singers blog post*).  If you have a credit card with your preferred airline, you can receive some excellent benefits and bonuses. 

My experience has been that many companies, when coordinating travel, will say in the contract something to the effect of “We will cover the cost of airfare up to $500.”  Some will give you that $400-500 on the check along with your first fee, paid at the agreed upon time in the contract (usually at the end of the first gig).  Others will give you a separate check upon arrival at the first sing through or meet and greet, or at a later date before the first performance.

Companies  may ask you to send proof of purchase for your flight and reimburse you immediately even if you book the flight months before the actual gig, so make sure you have access to a receipt or a credit card transaction.  Others will ask you to send your preferred dates and times to travel and your member rewards information etc. and book it for you after you have selected what you need. 

 Some companies will not give you the option, but just ask you to select your preferred travel time based on a list of options that they send you.  In these cases, you often have to go in and adjust the reservations after they are made by selecting your seat, changing the contact information so you can get updates about the flight, add your known traveler number, passport information (for international flights) etc.  

Bottom line? Book yourself when you can to maximize options, flexibility and benefits.  When in doubt, ask if you can book yourself.  Many times they will let you do this anyway, even if they have offered to do it for you.  

Many singers have frequent flier miles with multiple airlines, which is often unavoidable.  If you start building with one main airline, however, you’ll find that the benefits often outweigh the $50-100 dollars you might save on a slightly cheaper flight. 

Want some tips on finding the best deals when booking flights? See the blog post “Finding Affordable Airfare.”

Driving

Whenever possible, I actually much prefer to drive to a gig over flying.  Sometimes it’s just too far away for me to make it work, but there is nothing quite like having a car on a gig.  I find the freedom to go where I need to go when I need to go there is a huge stress reliever.  In addition, it’s great on a day off to be able to drive somewhere away from rehearsals and performances to clear your head and see some of the local sights. 

A few scenarios in which driving may not be the best idea are when you are working right downtown in a city like New York or Chicago, where public transportation is excellent and you most likely won’t go so far from where you’re working that you can’t catch a train or a subway line. 

Companies sometimes offer the option to drive and sometimes no.  When they don’t, it’s always worth inquiring as to the possibility.  Often, they will give you all or a portion of your flight allotment to go towards a travel stipend. Regardless, a travel stipend for driving your own vehicle is common. 

In some scenarios, if you are driving, companies will house you a little farther away from the rehearsal and performance space simply because you have a way to get there. 

I’ve often thought, “oh, I’ll just rent a car when I get to the gig,” only to find that it’s quite cost prohibitive.  

Some companies will rent a car for you to share among cast mates who are staying nearby.  This works well and does still allow you more mobility than having to Uber everywhere you need to go, especially when shopping isn’t near by, but a personal vehicle offers the most flexibility.  

In addition, it also allows for a lot more flexibility when it comes to packing.  You can bring anything and everything you need, as opposed to trying to cram everything into your checked bag or trying to decide if it’s worth paying the fee to check a 2nd bag, unless you get one or two free with your airline specific credit card. 

All in all, driving to a gig is usually a fantastic way to ensure you can do things in the way you need to do them to feel as comfortable as possible while you are on the road.