Procedures
Adding Personal Travel to your Business Trip
After discussing with your supervisor, you may opt to add personal travel days on the beginning or end of your business trip. The University will only pay for costs associated with university sponsored travel.
How to book air
Concur or the designated agency is to be used for booking air. A cost comparison (defined below) must be obtained during the booking process.
Reserving a car
If renting a car when combining personal and business travel, the business travel contracts may be used. Only the days that correspond with business travel may be expensed. Please include an explanation in your expense report that describes why the amount on the invoice varies from the amount claimed. Car rental vendors typically cannot split the invoice into two trips.
Hotel stays
If using a rate that is designed for business use only, rooms associated with personal travel must be booked separately.
1. Booking Companion Travel
For employee travel companions (spouse, partner, friend, etc.):
- Use of Concur is reserved for UW employee use only.
- Airfare and other discounts, fee waivers and other contract benefits cannot be extended to those that are not traveling on University paid business.
- The University will not pay or reimburse any additional costs associated with taking a travel companion along on a University business trip.
Options to Book a Companion Ticket:
- Employee contacts a contracted agent and book both tickets with the agent.
- Employee books travel via designated agency or Concur. Companion then books with airline and contacts an airline agent directly (phone, email or chat) and requests the airline to Sync the PNR. Provide the 6 digit Airline Record Locator from the employee booking to the airline agent.
2. Airfare Cost Comparisons: Explanation and Examples
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To ensure prudent use of travel funds, the University cannot pay or reimburse any additional costs resulting from traveler preferences. A cost comparison is required at the time of booking in the following circumstances:
- Travel prior to or after the required business travel dates.
- Using transportation methods that are not the most efficient or cost-effective (i.e. electing to drive/take a train versus fly when flying would be the most efficient and cost-effective option.)
- Departing from/returning to an alternate city (not near campus/headquarter city) for personal reasons.
- Any other situation where the traveler’s itinerary is modified for personal reasons
Note:
- Travelers must consider potential extra costs for transportation, lodging, meals, tolls, parking, etc.
- Either the traveler’s actual travel or comparison travel -whichever is less expensive – is payable/reimbursable.
3. Acceptable Cost Comparisons
- When booking via Concur, provide Concur screenshots.
- When booking via the designated agency, request documentation such as emailed quotes.
Due to airfare pricing and availability fluctuation, accurate cost comparisons must be done at the time of booking to be valid. For screenshots it is recommended to “Save to PDF” or email the document the date the comparison was completed.
A valid Concur or agency cost comparison includes:
- Proof that the cost comparison was done on the same date as the purchased actual airfare.
- Proof that the travel dates shown on the comparison correspond with the UW business dates.