Interesting about the imprest tales.
I had to return one following a few days away in Europe, and a few days later got a telephone call from accounts to say that my imprest was .10p short and could I come to SHQ and pay it. I asked if they were ‘joking’ and was eventually ordered to go down there and pay it by my boss.
Now fast forward 5 years, and a few days around Europe with a B757. After much counting of money I was £5 adrift, but took the remains back to the airline’s cashiers and confessed to the short fall. They pointed out that they didn’t even both to check the ‘workings’ as long as it was with a small percentage of the total issued, it was just not an efficient use of their time.
Another example of the different approach was a weather diversion to a provincial airport in northern France.
‘How do you pay the landing fee captain?’ says the airport manager.
‘Dan Air’ says I, ‘it will be under contract or paid later’.
‘Non!’
I paid with my access card (1000 euros). When I got back to Manchester the station manager was at the gate with £1100 in travellers cheques.
‘You got us out of a hole young man, take the wife out for a good meal with the extra and keep the change’.
Mind you there is no airline that I would do that for now!