travel
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travel [2017/03/23 16:56] jthywiss [General] Change authorization |
travel [2019/09/10 12:49] (current) jthywiss [Transportation Expenses] Fix type |
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| - | ===== Policies ===== | + | ===== Travel Expense Guidelines ===== |
| :!: **Warning:** These are my attempt at consolidating various rules and guidelines I've seen while at UT, but they are not official UT or department policy. | :!: **Warning:** These are my attempt at consolidating various rules and guidelines I've seen while at UT, but they are not official UT or department policy. | ||
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| ==== General ==== | ==== General ==== | ||
| - | Travel expenses are Travel expenses are transportation, meal, lodging, and incidental expenses. | + | Travel expenses are transportation, meal, lodging, and incidental expenses. |
| You must ensure the expenses are cost effective, considering all relevant circumstances. | You must ensure the expenses are cost effective, considering all relevant circumstances. | ||
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| If you use a personal car for UT business, you can be reimbursed for mileage, tolls, and parking. | If you use a personal car for UT business, you can be reimbursed for mileage, tolls, and parking. | ||
| - | You cannot be reimbursed for commuting from home to campus. | + | You cannot be reimbursed for commuting between home and campus. |
| - | For groups of travelers, you should share cars/taxis/vans. Four (or more, if reasonable) people per car/taxi/van. You have to split the charges among the employees sharing the car/taxi/van. | + | For groups of travelers, you should share cars/taxis/vans. Four (or more, if reasonable) people per car/taxi/van. You must split the charges among the employees sharing the car/taxi/van. |
| No limos, unless they are the cheapest option. | No limos, unless they are the cheapest option. | ||
| - | |||
| - | Airfare must be the lowest economy airfare for the dates of travel. | ||
| Guideline: Airfare should be the lowest economy airfare for the dates of travel, unless all lower airfares: | Guideline: Airfare should be the lowest economy airfare for the dates of travel, unless all lower airfares: | ||
| - | * excessively prolonged travel, | + | * excessively prolonged travel (for example: ≥ 4 hour layovers, or adds ≥ 6 hours to an international trip), |
| - | * required travel during unreasonable hours, | + | * required travel during unreasonable hours (such as between midnight and 6:00 a.m.), |
| * resulted in other costs that would negate the airfare savings, | * resulted in other costs that would negate the airfare savings, | ||
| * were likely to be disrupted or delayed, or | * were likely to be disrupted or delayed, or | ||
| * presented safety or health risks. | * presented safety or health risks. | ||
| - | Find the "lowest economy airfare" by either using UT's Concur system, or (2) searching Travelocity and Orbitz, and sorting by price. You don't need to buy there, but that'll give you a baseline price. | + | Find the "lowest economy airfare" by either (1) using UT's Concur system, or (2) searching Travelocity and Orbitz, and sorting by price. You don't need to buy there, but that'll give you a baseline price. |
| - | Rental car collision damage waiver and loss damage waiver are usually included in UT's contract rate. If you aren't using this, they are reimbursable. A charge for an additional driver may only be reimbursed if incurred for a business reason. Charges for a liability insurance supplement, personal accident insurance, safe trip insurance, or personal effects insurance are not reimbursable. | + | Rental car collision damage waiver and loss damage waiver are usually included in UT's contract rate. If you aren't using UT's contract, they are reimbursable. A charge for an additional driver may only be reimbursed if incurred for a business reason. Charges for a liability insurance supplement, personal accident insurance, safe trip insurance, or personal effects insurance are not reimbursable. |
| + | For personal car usage, create a point-to-point distance listing of the route you took, using a service like MapQuest. Your route should be the most cost-effective reasonably safe route, considering distance, drive time, and safe road conditions. Also, keep track of parking fees and tolls. (This can be receipts or notes you've kept.) | ||
| ==== Meals ==== | ==== Meals ==== | ||
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| You can be reimbursed for staying longer if it allows you to save on airfare, and the total travel cost is less than staying a shorter time. | You can be reimbursed for staying longer if it allows you to save on airfare, and the total travel cost is less than staying a shorter time. | ||
| - | Arriving the night before or the morning after your UT business is reimbursable. | + | Arriving the night before or leaving the morning after your UT business is reimbursable. |
| Some universities and the US government say that if your travel time is 14 hours or more, you can arrive a day early to have time to recuperate. I think this is reasonable, but I have not seen this guideline used at UT. | Some universities and the US government say that if your travel time is 14 hours or more, you can arrive a day early to have time to recuperate. I think this is reasonable, but I have not seen this guideline used at UT. | ||
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| UT is exempt from Texas state hotel taxes. You do have to pay other taxes, though. | UT is exempt from Texas state hotel taxes. You do have to pay other taxes, though. | ||
| - | If you share a hotel room with another UT employee, you have to split the charges among the employees sharing the room. | + | If you share a hotel room with another UT employee, you must split the charges among the employees sharing the room. |
| ==== Incidental Expenses ==== | ==== Incidental Expenses ==== | ||
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| ===== Process ===== | ===== Process ===== | ||
| - | - If you’re traveling outside the US, check visa requirements. | + | - If you will be traveling often, consider applying to the [[https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry|Global Entry]] program to clear US customs and airport screening fast. |
| - | - If you need a visa, that can be a slow process, so start it early. | + | - If you’re traveling outside the US, check visa requirements. If you need a visa, that can be a slow process, so start it early. |
| - Get an estimate of your expenses. Break them down into: | - Get an estimate of your expenses. Break them down into: | ||
| * Transportation (include airfare, home-to/from-airport, airport-to/from-hotel) | * Transportation (include airfare, home-to/from-airport, airport-to/from-hotel) | ||
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| * Incidentals (see list above) | * Incidentals (see list above) | ||
| - Start a spreadsheet recording your estimates, grants applied for, and approved amounts. | - Start a spreadsheet recording your estimates, grants applied for, and approved amounts. | ||
| - | - Consider applying as a student volunteer at the conference. | + | - Get travel grants: |
| - | - Apply to the conference for a student travel grant. | + | - Consider applying as a student volunteer at the conference. |
| - | - Apply to your ACM SIG for a student travel grant. | + | - Apply to the conference for a student travel grant. |
| - | - Talk with your advisor about travel support. | + | - Apply to your ACM SIG for a student travel grant. |
| - | - Apply to the department for [[https://www.cs.utexas.edu/graduate-program/forms|Graduate Student Travel Support]]. The deadline is early each semester. | + | - Talk with your advisor about travel support. |
| + | - Apply to the department for [[https://www.cs.utexas.edu/graduate-program/forms|Graduate Student Travel Support]]. The deadline is early each semester. | ||
| - Fill out a [[https://apps.cs.utexas.edu/apps/rta|Request for Travel Authorization]]. | - Fill out a [[https://apps.cs.utexas.edu/apps/rta|Request for Travel Authorization]]. | ||
| - When the RTA is approved, you'll be asked to fill in more forms! Expect it! Yay! | - When the RTA is approved, you'll be asked to fill in more forms! Expect it! Yay! | ||
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| * You can buy tickets through [[https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning/concur-booking-tool|UT’s travel agency]] which has the advantage that the airfare won't be on your credit card, and //some// of UT's international paperwork is automated. | * You can buy tickets through [[https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning/concur-booking-tool|UT’s travel agency]] which has the advantage that the airfare won't be on your credit card, and //some// of UT's international paperwork is automated. | ||
| * You can book airfare on your own, but you need to be not more expensive than the UT travel agency. | * You can book airfare on your own, but you need to be not more expensive than the UT travel agency. | ||
| + | * If you're flying among the IATA airport codes listed below, there are special [[https://comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/programs/travel-management/airline.php|State of Texas airfares]] you should check. | ||
| + | * ABI, ABQ, AMA, ATL, AUS, BNA, BOS, BWI, CLL, CLT, CRP, DCA, DEN, DFW, DTW, ELP, EWR, FLL, **FRA**, HOU, IAD, IAH, IND, JFK, LAS, LAX, LBB, LGA, LGB, **LHR**, LRD, MAF, MCI, MCO, MFE, MIA, MSN, MSP, MSY, ORD, PDX, PHL, PHX, RDU, SAN, SAT, SEA, SFO, SJT, SLC, SNA, STL, TPA, TYR. | ||
| - Book your hotel room. Many conferences will have special conference discount hotel rates. If you’re a UT employee (TA/GRA/etc.), check with the hotel for a state government hotel rate. Also use Web hotel search sites, of course. [[https://www.booking.com|Booking.com]] is a good hotel search engine, particularly in Europe. You can also book hotels using [[https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning/concur-booking-tool|UT’s travel agency]]. | - Book your hotel room. Many conferences will have special conference discount hotel rates. If you’re a UT employee (TA/GRA/etc.), check with the hotel for a state government hotel rate. Also use Web hotel search sites, of course. [[https://www.booking.com|Booking.com]] is a good hotel search engine, particularly in Europe. You can also book hotels using [[https://travel.utexas.edu/travelplanning/concur-booking-tool|UT’s travel agency]]. | ||
| - Register for the conference. If you have a student volunteer or conference grant application pending, wait for instructions on how to register. If accepted, the conference will likely give you a discount code to use when registering. | - Register for the conference. If you have a student volunteer or conference grant application pending, wait for instructions on how to register. If accepted, the conference will likely give you a discount code to use when registering. | ||
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| - Get your hotel receipt as you check out, even if the hotel gave you a statement the night before. You need a receipt that shows you actually //paid// the bill, not just a statement of charges. | - Get your hotel receipt as you check out, even if the hotel gave you a statement the night before. You need a receipt that shows you actually //paid// the bill, not just a statement of charges. | ||
| - When you get back, go to accounting with a [[https://www.cs.utexas.edu/accounting-forms|Travel Reimbursement Form]] and all of your receipts for reimbursement. Try to do this within a week of returning. Actually, getting your receipts organized and filling in the form is a good activity for your return flight. | - When you get back, go to accounting with a [[https://www.cs.utexas.edu/accounting-forms|Travel Reimbursement Form]] and all of your receipts for reimbursement. Try to do this within a week of returning. Actually, getting your receipts organized and filling in the form is a good activity for your return flight. | ||
| - | |||
travel.1490306188.txt.gz · Last modified: 2017/03/23 16:56 by jthywiss
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