Traveling for university business requires careful planning to ensure cost-effectiveness and adherence to policy. A key aspect of this process is understanding Travel Comparison, especially when personal travel elements or travel companions are involved. This guide outlines the essential points of travel comparison for University of Wisconsin business travelers.
Booking Travel with a Companion
While accompanying a University of Wisconsin (UW) employee on a business trip can be enjoyable, it’s important to understand the guidelines. UW’s travel booking system, Concur, is exclusively for employee business travel. University discounts, fee waivers, and contract benefits are not applicable to travel companions who are not on university-paid business. The university will not cover any additional expenses incurred by having a travel companion on a business trip.
For those wishing to bring a companion, here are the booking options to consider for companion tickets:
- Booking Through a Contracted Agent: The employee can contact a contracted travel agent to book both the employee’s and the companion’s tickets simultaneously. This can streamline the process and ensure both bookings are managed together.
- PNR Syncing with Airline: The employee books their ticket via the designated agency or Concur. Subsequently, the companion books their own ticket directly with the airline. To link the bookings, the companion needs to contact the airline directly (via phone, email, or chat) and request a “PNR sync.” They will need to provide the 6-digit Airline Record Locator from the employee’s booking to the airline agent to complete this synchronization.
Understanding the Necessity of Cost Comparisons
University policy mandates that all travelers, and those arranging travel on their behalf, must secure the most economical airfare suitable for their business trip. This often involves performing a travel comparison to demonstrate that the chosen option is indeed cost-effective.
A travel comparison is mandatory and must be documented with expense reports in the following situations:
- Indirect Routing or Personal Stopovers: If you choose a less direct flight route or include extra stops for personal convenience, a travel comparison is required. This ensures that the additional cost, if any, is justified against a more direct and economical option.
- Extended Stopovers: When stopovers lead to hotel stays exceeding one night, a travel comparison becomes necessary. This helps assess whether the stopover is adding unnecessary expenses compared to a more direct itinerary.
- Less Efficient Transportation Choices: Opting for transportation methods that are not the most efficient or cost-effective, such as driving or taking a train when flying is more economical and time-efficient, necessitates a travel comparison. This ensures responsible use of university funds.
- Non-Wisconsin Departure/Return Airports for Personal Reasons: Departing from or returning to an airport outside of Wisconsin, or more than 100 miles from the Wisconsin border, for personal reasons (including voluntary remote work locations) requires a travel comparison. This policy ensures that personal preferences do not lead to increased travel costs for the university.
This PDF document provides comprehensive guidance on conducting effective travel comparisons for university business travel.
It’s crucial to note that when personal days are combined with business travel, a travel comparison for the actual travel dates is not required. However, the traveler is personally responsible for any extra costs directly resulting from the non-business travel days. These additional costs can include extra lodging, Meals & Incidental Expenses (M&IE) per diems, parking fees, and vehicle rental charges. Ultimately, the university will reimburse the lesser of the actual travel cost or the cost of the travel comparison option.
Acceptable Methods for Travel Comparisons
To ensure the validity and acceptance of your travel comparison, follow these guidelines:
- Concur Bookings: When booking flights through Concur, provide screenshots directly from the Concur system as your travel comparison documentation.
- Designated Agency Bookings: If booking through a designated travel agency, request official documentation like emailed quotes. These quotes serve as valid travel comparison evidence.
Due to the fluctuating nature of airfare pricing and availability, it’s imperative that travel comparisons are conducted at the time of booking to be considered accurate and valid. For screenshot documentation, it’s advisable to “Save to PDF” or email the document on the same day the travel comparison is completed, ensuring a timestamped record.
A valid travel comparison from Concur or a designated agency must include:
- Date of Comparison Proof: The documentation must clearly show that the travel comparison was performed on the same date the actual airfare was purchased.
- Business Travel Dates Verification: The travel comparison must clearly display travel dates that align with the approved UW business trip dates.
By adhering to these guidelines and understanding the importance of travel comparison, University of Wisconsin travelers can ensure they are making cost-effective travel arrangements while complying with university policy.
