Airfare Purchase and Payment Procedures

All individual airfare must be paid for by charge card at the time of reservation.  The airlines will not allow the travel agency to hold any airfare pending payment.  Travelers and arrangers are highly encouraged to securely store a University card in the traveler's Concur profile for payment of all Concur reservations.

In cases where airline reservations must be paid with two or more forms of payment (i.e. split between University and personal card, etc.), the minimum amount to be charged is $25.00.   Split payments can only be accommodated by agents and cannot be done in Concur.

• Due to carrier limitations, split form of payments are not available when purchasing tickets on instant purchase carriers (i.e. Southwest, Frontier) or on some international carriers (i.e British Air).

Be mindful of the following air related facts prior to making any air ticket purchases.

• Concur prices and availability are based on single ticket purchases. Individual ticket prices found in Concur or through any other source are based on the purchase of that ticket only. Individual ticket prices cannot be guaranteed for multiple ticket purchases (i.e. groups of tickets) because as availability declines, prices increase.
• Airlines control fares and availability and these will change multiple times per day.
• As Concur uses live flight data directly from the air carriers, there are literally thousands of flight options. Not all are optimal and some combinations, because of airline rules and restrictions, are not ticket-able.
• Users are unable to place a hold on airfare pricing but have the ability to cancel and have their ticket voided by the travel agency within 24 hours.
• To obtain optimal pricing and availability it is best to book airfare as far in advance as possible, at least 21 days - last minutes fare savings or reductions are rarely available due to airline restructuring and consolidations.
• Airline supply and demand - be aware that peak travel times will significantly impact fare pricing and availability.
• While Concur is recommended for most individual ticket purchases, travelers and travel arrangers should use agents any time they feel the need to do so
• Domestic Tickets are classified as destinations including North America, Canada, Mexico, and Caribbean
• International Tickets are classified as all destinations outside of domestic classification

• Use of the Concur self-booking tool is recommended for all individual domestic tickets for those travelers and arrangers that are accustomed to booking online
• Use the Concur cloning feature to duplicate the search and book up to 2-3 additional tickets on the same flight
• It is recommended that an agent be used for individual ticket purchases for 4-9 passengers traveling together or anytime smaller groups want adjoining seat assignments
• It is recommended that an agent be used for domestic tickets with multiple destinations
• Use of an agent is recommended for those booking less than 7 days in advance
• Use of an agent is required for all airline tickets within 24 hours

Note: Every University traveler is required to have their own airline itinerary, separate reservation and individual invoice for their airline purchase.

• Use of the Concur self-booking tool is recommended for all individual, single destination international tickets when the traveler or travel arranger is familiar with international routes and carrier options
• Use of an agent is recommended for first time international travelers or arrangers
• Use of an agent is recommended for those booking less than 7 days in advance
• Use of an agent is required for all airline tickets within 24 hours

It is strongly encouraged that complex domestic and international airline tickets be booked with a Fox World Travel agent. Complex airfare is defined as any one of the following:

• Multi-destination trip (multiple flight segments, and/or involving 2 or more countries)
• Split ticketing with different airline carriers
• Remote destination with limited flight service
• Additional ground or rail transportation options needed to reach final destination
• Additional flights needed for in-country transportation

ALLOWABLE PAYMENT METHODS, RECEIPTING AND REIMBURSEMENT FOR AIR RESERVATIONS

Approved methods for payment of airfare are the Purchasing Card or US Bank Corporate Travel Card. Use of these card products cover the cost of travel program technology and service fees and also provides extra revenue to the institution. As institutions offer differing card options, prior to travel consult with your institution's travel office to determine which card payment products are approved for airfare.

In accordance with industry standards, all airfare must be paid for by charge card at the time of ticketing and as such, UW contracted travel agencies are unable to accept any other forms of payment (requisition, purchase order, check, etc.) unless specifically stated by the supplier (for deposits, etc.).

All travelers and travel arrangers are encouraged to store a default charge card for the purchase of airline tickets in their Concur profile. Having a default card not only efficiently handles the Concur payment process, eliminating the need to enter charge card details for each reservation but also allows an agent to securely obtain the card information for agent assisted or full-service bookings without the necessity to have the card holder provide the information each time.

Setting a default charge card in the traveler profile authorizes the agency to charge the card for any related airfare costs beyond the original ticket charge (i.e. costs related to ticket re-issuance for delays/cancellations etc.) unless the traveler or arranger communicates alternative payment methods to the agency at the time of original ticket purchase. This can be done by messaging an agent from within Concur during the end of the booking process or by contacting the agency by phone.

All tickets purchased within Concur or with an agent will receive an invoice via email that documents the itinerary and itemized costs. Both the traveler and the arranger will receive the e-invoice by email. The e-invoice is the official documentation for record keeping including supporting a reimbursement request. While users may print the Concur itinerary, it is not the official receipt and will not be accepted as documentation. Travelers who have had their tickets paid by University Purchasing Card must submit a copy of the agency e-receipt with their travel expense report to document all costs associated with the trip. For those that have misplaced their e-invoice, a duplicate can be requested from the UW contracted travel agency at no additional cost.

Any reimbursement of airfare in advance of the trip must be policy compliant and is at the institution's discretion. If advanced reimbursement is allowed, the institution must have a process in place for tracking an advance payment to ensure duplicate payments/reimbursements do not occur. Any advanced reimbursement must be recorded with the rest of the trip expenses that are filed post-travel. Advance reimbursements are itemized as University pre-paid or noted under the direct billed column of the expense report.

Note: Travelers are advised that any pre-paid travel expense that is not appropriately accounted for as a business expense will not be reimbursed by the University.

All employees are responsible for understanding and complying with University travel policies, including the purchase and payment of airfare. Employees that host or arrange travel for non-employees or students are responsible for ensuring that guest and student airfare is purchased and paid in accordance with this policy.

Effective July 1, 2015 any airfare that is paid in full or part by the University and is purchased outside of the UW TravelWIse program options will not be reimbursed to the traveler.

Unused ticket values resulting from changed or cancelled trip plans may be able to be reused (dependent on carrier and ticket rules) for future travel. Unused tickets are tracked by the agencies and are stored in the traveler's profile for future use. Concur will automatically apply the unused ticket value (less the airline penalty) to the next airline purchase. In the event that an airline ticket will not be utilized, it is the traveler's responsibility to cancel the reservation in Concur or to notify booking agency. Host departments are responsible for working with the agency on cancelling tickets for non-employees and student travelers. Our travel agencies are often able to work with airline partners to obtain some reusable value resulting from non-employee and guest ticket cancellations.

Note: Most unused tickets only retain value for 1 year from date of purchase. Review the Unused Ticket Credit Guidance pdf document for unused ticket options and information.

Individuals traveling on University business may require a reasonable accommodation, as required by the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Reasonable accommodations could take various forms such as payment of porter/Skycap costs, extra charges imposed by a traveler supplier to make accommodations, etc. Consult your institution travel office regarding specific processes for reasonable accommodation approvals and documentation requirements.