Contents of CPA Practice Advisor - MAR 2012

Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.

Page 33 of 38

TRAVEL
staff processes expense reports and eliminates data entry (and errors) by seamlessly transferring expense reporting data into our accounting soſt ware.
Credit Card and Club Memberships T e airlines and hotel chains all work hard to get you to use their credit cards. T ey send paper mail and email daily, and they even have people standing in airports trying to fl ag down potential customers. T e credit card industry is a big money business, particularly with the large purchases travelers make such as airline tickets, hotel bills, business lunches, and rental cars. Get ing you to use their card saves them merchant fees on all these transactions. Since you are likely to use the card for other purchases, they also make money on the cards. Furthermore, the free travel you "earn" may be restricted to off -peak times, when seats would have gone unsold and therefore cost them lit le or nothing to off er as rewards. Because these cards are so profi table for the airlines, their offers to travelers are typically very at ractive. • Some Platinum American Express and other cards off er things like: Access to airport lounges
• Free checked bags • Purchase protection • Airline miles • Double points when travel is booked through them
• In addition to some or all of the above benefi ts, airline credit cards may also off er some or all of the following benefi ts: Early boarding
• A high level of frequent fl yer status with that airline • Preferred seating
By Will Fleenor
Will Fleenor is a Shareholder of K2E, LLC. Will has conducted seminars for 48 State CPA Societies, and has spoken at numerous accounting technology conferences, including speaking at the AICPA Information Technology Conference for 22 years, as well as doing training for other organizations such as the FBI. Will is a past Chairman of the AICPA Information Technology Conference, as well as past chairman of other conferences and professional committees. Will is a co-author of the Practitioners Publishing
Company's "Guide to Installing Microcomputer Accounting Systems" and has had numerous articles published in professional journals including the Journal of Accountancy, the CPA Journal, and others.
Sponsored by: y: y: 34 March 2012 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
• Access to priority lanes for security screening
• Discounts on in-fl ight food and entertainment
• Complimentary travel certifi cates for a spouse • Bonus miles for signing up With credit cards, you will need to choose the kind of rewards program that suits you best. Some people prefer cards that off er straight cash rebates. Others prefer cards that off er point systems that let you buy airline tickets based on the dollar cost of the tickets. With these two types of rewards, you don't have to worry about traveling on dates when seats are available using airline miles. Instead, you simply use your cash rebate or points to purchase tickets at current prices — there are no blackout dates to worry about. Airline club memberships also off er
a quiet, comfortable place to relax and/ or work between fl ights. T ese member- ships also provide elite access to airline ticket agents; if there are fl ight problems and you absolutely need to talk to a live agent, airline clubrooms usually provide immediate access with no lines.
Conclusion With each passing day, more good tools for travelers are being developed and released. Many of them — like the plethora of apps that exist for smart- phones — are already at your command. You just need to take the time to learn how to use them. With so many choices, the question is, "where to start?" T e answer is: Start anywhere, but just start! T ese tools can save you time, reduce stress, and help you make your travel experiences less costly and more pleasant.
Take CPA Practice Advisor with you, and you'll have something else to look forward to:
A chance to win a $1,500 travel voucher
for your next trip. Whether you're heading to sun-drenched beaches, the mountains, flying abroad, cruising the sea, heading to Disney World or any other vacation destination local or far, remember to pack the latest issue of CPA Practice Advisor or NSA Practice Advisor
r, or check us out online for the latest reviews, columns and features on your tablet device.
Send in a picture of yourself holding CPA Practice Advisor or your tablet device displaying our website or digital edition, and you'll be entered to win a $1,500 travel voucher. Submitted photos may be used in the magazine, in our digital version, on our website or promoted via social media. Individuals submitting photos may also be selected to be profiled in a feature article.
Tax season won't last forever, so make your travel plans soon…and remember:
Take CPA Practice Advisor with you!
For more information and contest rules: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/10455591
To enter, email the photo as an attachment to: editor@cpapracticeadvisor.com, with the subject line On Vaca- tion. Be sure to include your full name, contact information and location of the photo … and identify any other people in the picture with you. Remember, either the magazine, the digital edition or our website needs to be visible in the photo, as well. Deadline for photo entries: May 31, 2012