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Business Office - Travel Planning
Travel planning guidelines from the SoHE Business Office.
The information below addresses the most common travel costs and policies. A more complete guide to UW Travel policies can be found at Business Services website.
Please Remember…
- When in doubt, ask the Business Office, we’re here to help.
- Your supervisor needs to approve your travel on department funding before booking.
- 90-day deadline from the last day of travel to file an expense report (fully documented and submitted).
- Travel Inc can help.
- More documentation can’t hurt.
- To use Concur to book your travel, you will need to setup a Concur profile if you haven’t already. This will also allow you to assign a travel arranger.
- See the Travel Hub for travel info/updates from Travel Inc, Concur, unused tickets, how to exchange a ticket, mobile app info, and more.
- UW would prefer travel be booked via Concur since service fees are lower ($3.75) than calling Travel Inc consultants directly ($18). Please see Travel Inc’s Fee Grid for a full list.
My Corporate Card
- If you travel a lot, this may be a good option. The My Corporate Card streamlines and automates travel and expense reimbursement for UW employees.
- It is issued by US Bank for travel + business-related expenses while in travel status. The cardholder is personally liable for charges, but UW will pay US Bank directly to cover business-related charges claimed through e-reimbursement.
Meals & Incidentals Per Diems (click for information on reimbursement)
- No receipts required for regular meals when traveling
- Day trips (no overnight lodging) = $15/day even if a meal was provided and is tax reportable.
- Overnight
- Varies by location. Use UWTravelWise Lodging & Per Diem Calculator before you travel to see the per diem amounts.
- First day: location is where you will be spending the night. Subsequent full days: where you will be spending the night for that day. Last day: where you spent the night before returning to home/headquarters.
- First and last days of travel is 75% of total based on location.
- Provided meals
- Any meals provided by host/conference will be deducted from your daily meal per diem.
- Hotel breakfasts included in lodging price or meals included in airfare price do not require per diem deductions.
- Meals added on to lodging bill should be deducted from lodging reimbursement and reimbursed as part of per diem allowance.
- Per Diem reimbursement includes $5/day for incidentals
- Even if all meals are provided, you can still get this $5/day.
- Examples: bottled water, tips for service staff, laundry, mailing, transportation between places of lodging, etc.
Personal Vehicles/Mileage (click for information on reimbursement)
- Must be an authorized driver in the State of WI Enterprise Fleet Management System (applies to any driving for UW business)
- If driving more than 300 miles round-trip, a fleet vehicle is encouraged
- If more than 300 miles and a personal vehicle is used, reimbursement will be limited to lower “turndown” mileage rate
- Travelers who do not have access to fleet vehicles (e.g. non-employees, employees not headquartered in Madison) are not subject to the turndown rate.
- Standard car rate = $0.575 (effective 1/1/20)
- Turndown car rate = $0.37 (effective 1/1/20)
- Provide Google Mapsdocumentation to show route taken and approximate mileage
- This is especially important if there are additional stops, an abnormal route, etc.
Fleet Vehicles
- Must be an authorized driver in the State of WI Enterprise Fleet Management System (applies to any driving for UW business)
- Contact Tammy O’Brien in the Business office to obtain a Fleet Billing number.
- All drivers need to complete the Vehicle Use Agreement for Fleet Vehicles
- If you have an out-of-state license, or have previously had an out-of-state license
and have had a WI license for less than 2 years, you must also submit PDFs of:- Driving abstract from other state showing last 2 years of driving history
- Copy of driver’s license
- See Risk Management for more info/questions.
- If you have an out-of-state license, or have previously had an out-of-state license
- If you need to cancel, do so within 24 hours of reservation, or you will still be charged
- If there is no fleet vehicle available in the online system, you may put your name on a wait-list, but you need to keep checking the status, as you are not informed if a car becomes available
- Fleet also encourages you to contact them 608-262-1307 or fleet@fpm.wisc.edu, as a Fleet vehicle may still be available. The online system sometimes shows non-availability based on vehicle type rather than overall availability.
- There is parking at the fleet vehicle lot for your personal vehicle
- It is limited—first come, first served basis
- You can be reimbursed for a taxi ride to fleet vehicle lot or for an alternative parking location (receipts required if more than $25.00)
Lodging (click for reimbursement information)
- Lodging maximums vary by location
- Use UW TravelWise Calculator before travel for estimates
- If a conference is held at a hotel that exceeds this maximum, you can still be reimbursed for the whole amount if you provide documentation showing the conference’s recommendation. (brochure, registration form, etc.)
- Booking
- To book, contact the hotel directly OR use Concur/Travel Inc.
- The UW is encouraging us to use Concur, so please check there first.
- Employees may use a UW purchasing card, Corporate Card or personal funds for lodging.
- Travelers and travel arrangers are expected to research rates and reserve lodging using Concur or Travel Inc to take advantage of potential cost savings.
- Rates found in Concur/Travel Inc may be less than conference rates.
- UW contract rates, which provide opportunities for lodging savings, are only offered within Concur/Travel Inc
- Concur will tell you if the rate selected is within UW’s lodging maximums, however, it is up to you to know these maximums to ensure the cost falls below.
- As of July 1, 2020, Airbnb is permitted for lodging
- All service fees (guest, cleaning, etc.) are included in daily lodging maximum calculations
- NOT reimbursable: taxes, deposits, damage waivers, and insurance
- DO NOT use third-party booking sites such as Expedia, Priceline, Hotels.com, etc.This is a University-wide rule; we cannot reimburse
- Some hotels and AirBnB require pre-payment. In these cases, prepayment is permitted.
- If you have any further questions (non-cancellable, extra fees, etc.), please see the Business Office before booking
- Tax exemptions
- Tax exemption for lodging in Wisconsin, as well as:
- Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas
- *this list is subject to change, so please check with Business Office before you travel
- Please see Business Office for tax-exempt documentation to provide to hotel. If you pay for sales tax in any state where the UW is tax-exempt, you will not be reimbursed for the sales tax.
Airfare (click for reimbursement information)
- Travel Inc must be used (via Concur or directly with agent)
- Only exception: traveling within a foreign country
- But: the flight to and from the U.S. must be through Travel Inc
- And: you must receive confirmation from Travel Inc/Concur that they cannot book these flights for you
- Travel Inc = travel agents; Concur = online booking platform used by Travel Inc.
- Booking online or directly is a matter of preference, but service fees are lower if you book online through Concur
- If you experience difficulties with Concur, contact Travel Inc agents directly.
- Employees may use a UW purchasing card, Corporate Card or personal funds for airfare.
- Reimbursement
- Provide your Travel Inc Invoice/receipt.
- E-itineraries, boarding passes, check-in print-offs, etc. are not acceptable forms of documentation.
- Reimbursable as soon as you purchase; there is no need to wait until conclusion of trip.
- In the event of airline delays, flight cancellations, or other disruptions:
- Contact Travel Inc directly (they can work across all airlines)
- For 24/7 support, call: (877)-811-9898
- Indirect routing/personal travel
- Allowable as long as no additional costs occur or if there are substantial savings
- However:
- “Explanation and cost comparison obtained at the time of booking are required.”
- This Cost Comparison must come in an email directly from Travel Inc agents
- We cannot use a screenshot, even from the Concur website.
- “Explanation and cost comparison obtained at the time of booking are required.”
- If an itinerary with an indirect/personal travel exceeds the business-only cost, then we can only reimburse for the business-only cost
- “Business-only travel” is defined as one day before and after event dates for North American destinations OR two days before and one day after event dates for international destinations.
- Economy vs. “basic” economy
- The major airlines have introduced “budget” or “basic” economy.
- While these “basic” economy fares are often cheaper…
- They are entirely nonrefundable and nonchangeable
- If your plans change, you will need to purchase a whole new ticket
It is recommended that you book Economy fares rather than “basic” economy fares
- Baggage
- First bag within the airline’s limits:
- No questions asked
- If more than one bag, or if bag is oversized:
- A business justification is required
- First bag within the airline’s limits:
- Seat assignment fees
- Additional fees associated with booking coach/economy aisle, window or exit roware allowable.
- No fare class upgrades (i.e. first class, business class, etc.) of any kind are allowed.
- Premium Economy is permitted for international travel with 8+ hours of total flight time.
- If any other flight fees, issues, or questions come up (“premium” or “plus” economy fares, “preferred seat” charges, extra-legroom charges, change fees, cancellations, etc.) please ask the Business Office prior to booking.
International Travel
- Travel Insurance - Cultural Insurance Services International(CISI)
- International health and travel insurance when traveling abroad on business.
- Includes diagnosis, treatment, hospital stays, prescription drugs, ambulance, replacement eyeglasses or contacts, trip delay/interruption, and more.
- Recommended for faculty/staff, required for students.
- You may also personally purchase coverage for dependents traveling with you, this is not reimbursable.
- Airfare within another country
- This is the only exception to using Travel Inc/Concur for flight
- But: the flight to and from the U.S. must be through Concur/Travel Inc
- And: you have to receive confirmation from Travel Inc /Concur that they cannot book these flights for you
- This is the only exception to using Travel Inc/Concur for flight
- Foreign currency
- Any purchase made using foreign currency must be converted to US dollars for reimbursement.
- If the Business Office is preparing your reimbursement we will do the conversion.
- If you are personally preparing the reimbursement:
- Please provide the exchange rate documentation using the conversion website preferred by the UW and use the date of the purchase (not today’s date) OR
- Provide your credit card statement showing the conversion of each transaction.
Vehicle Rental (click for reimbursement information)
- Booking
- Must Use University contracts
- Enterprise or National
- Only exception: If no Enterprise or National available in the area, use the Hertz state contract. (Must provide Travel Inc/Concur documentation regarding unavailability or Enterprise or National).
- If Hertz is not available, can then use non-contract vendor.
- Must Use University contracts
- Book via Travel Inc/Concur
- Collision (CDW) and liability (LDW) insurance coverage is already included on Domestic (US) rentals. Do not take any other extra insurances, they cannot be reimbursed.
- For International (non-US) rentals: Rates/Coverages vary by location. All insurances should be purchased and are reimbursable.
- Non-contract rentals: CDW and LDW insurances must be purchased.
- We may use these contracted rates for personal travel, however:
- We must book through this link to apply the discount (not Concur)
- Personal use does not include the Collision Damage Waiver or Limited Liability Coverage.
- Documentation and receipts
- Must provide the original vehicle rental agreement or digitally scanned copy.
- Must provide the original rental receipt or digitally scanned copy.
- Receipt required for gas reimbursement.
- Do NOT opt for the gas pre-pay option, even if you think it will be less expensive. It is not reimbursable.
- Do NOT return the vehicle with an empty tank to let the rental company fill it up as vendors charge high premiums for vehicle refueling charges.
- - If the traveler fails to return the vehicle with a full tank of fuel, the cost of the vendor refueling the vehicle will not be paid or reimbursed by the University.
Taxis
- Receipts required if more than $25.00.
- Uber, Lyft and similar services are allowed.
- Tips for drivers are limited to 20% of the total fare.
- Please note where the taxi is to/from
- To/from the conference? to/from the hotel? Etc.
- We cannot reimburse for taxis to/from per-diem meals. Transportation to hosted meals is reimbursable.
Internet Connection Fees
- Receipts required
- Actual cost is reimbursable if business purpose is documented.
Phone Calls
- Reimbursement is included in the Meals & Incidentals per diem allowance.
- No receipts required.
If you have a question on an item not listed above, please refer to UW TravelWise Travel Policies or contact Susan Kitts or Jane Rolfsmeyer in the Business Office.