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I've reached the point with a company on the west coast where they want to fly me out for a final in-person interview to seal the deal. It seems reasonably likely that another company in the same west coast area will ask me to do the same for them in the very near future. I'd like to avoid two almost consecutive cross-country trips, but is this reasonable?

Should I try and coordinate a common trip for both interviews? What's the best way to handle this situation?

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Here's what I would do: tell the second company (the one you expect an invite to fly out and interview) that you will already be in town for another interview. Ask them if they'd like to interview you in-person the day before or day after your other interview with the first company.

If they agree (and they should--it will save them money on a flight), ask the first company if they are flexible with travel dates. In most cases they will be (I have first-hand experience with this). Tell them you'd like to spend some time getting to know the city, and ask for them to push the flight date in order to accommodate your other interview.

The only downside is you may be on the hook for the additional night at the hotel. You may be able to get that money out of the second company. They already know you have the interview, so be forthcoming and ask them to pay for the extra night (they're already saving on the flight costs).

As an aside: one benefit of this method is it has the potential to push the second job to speed up their process in order to interview you faster. And then you'll have the opportunity to have both of the offers on the table at the same time.

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    The only part of this that doesn't sound right to me is lying to the first company about the extra time. First off, why lie? If you're willing to tell #2 that you're doubling up on interviews, why not tell the same thing to #1? Plus, #2 should pay its share of the cost; they should split the plane ticket. Second, that lie can get you in trouble if they offer to have somebody show you around, or meet you for lunch after you've looked around in the morning, or something like that. Is "I prefer to do it alone" the message you want to send to your prospective employer? – Monica Cellio Apr 24 '14 at 22:11
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    Why give any reason at all to #1 - "I'd like to spend a few extra days in the city. I'd be perfectly willing to cover any additional costs myself.". However, if they ask why, I'd also recommend telling them the truth as Monica suggested. – Bernhard Barker Apr 25 '14 at 10:54
  • @MonicaCellio I'll point out that Garrison only said to tell #2 "I'll already be in town" not "I'll already be in town for another interview." As far as getting caught in a lie, you could just say that you are meeting with a friend. – David K Apr 25 '14 at 12:25
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    @MonicaCellio I don't consider it lying, and who's to say you wouldn't be investigating the city while you are in-between interviews. I don't know this guy's situation. He may be totally comfortable being fully up-front and honest about the situation with both companies. But it's always safer to hold the cards close to the chest. Never offer more information than necessary. All of my statements in the answer are not lies, they are statements that offer the minimum information required. – Garrison Neely Apr 25 '14 at 14:20
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    @DavidK check again -- it says "for another interview". I think Dukeling's suggestion handles it nicely; there's no need to volunteer the information. – Monica Cellio Apr 25 '14 at 15:01

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