travelnews: Travel Tips and Reminders

[BAO news for travel administrators]

Concur Request

IMPORTANT!  Do not CLOSE or INACTIVATE Requests until the final expense report has been processed for payment or (reviewed and send for payment by the Travel Office).  Destination and travel dates in your approved Request populate Concur Locate, used to find and assist travelers in an emergency.   If you "clean house" and inactivate Request as soon as you start the Expense report, you are telling Concur that this travel is not/did not happen.  Inactivated Requests hampered the ability to locate travelers during the recent UO travel suspension. Also, Expense reports should be associated with the approved Request and if you inactivate the Request before the Expense report has been processed, it drops off the Expense report.

Concur COVID Expense Report reminders:

You must process your cancelled airline ticket and any air or One Card refunds in a Concur Expense report to clear the transactions.


  *   Even though your travel may have been cancelled,  you must still process the UO Lodge Card and One Card expenses to charge/clear your index.



     *   Assign the airline tickets, and any other non refunded travel expense to a travel expense report in Concur.
     *   Detailed business purpose must be included to explain the intended benefit of travel to the UO/Grant.
     *   Attach Support documentation to substantiate business purpose including conference information, invitation from host, receipts, etc, as you normally would had the trip happened.
     *   Independent contractor/Guest travel:  be sure to attach PSC contracts as they show travel expense payment details
     *   Enter COVID cancellation activity code: IRCRNA.  The UO will be tracking expenses related to cancelled travel due to the pandemic.

Cancelled ticket credit:  The airlines continue to change and flex their cancellation guidelines for tickets cancelled as a result of the COVID pandemic.  Your travel agent will have the most up-to-date airline waiver information specific to your carrier, original travel date and cancel date.  Find your canceled ticket information on your Concur Travel button in the banner marked:  "Alert - You have unused tickets".  Several of our contracted airlines have agreed to a name change waiver for COVID cancelled tickets.  This means anyone in your unit may use canceled tickets for future travel.  You must contact your TMC use the unused ticket.  Your agent will provide the most up-to-date carrier guidelines.
Note:  Until the UO travel suspension has been lifted, all UO business travel is currently only authorized by submitting the travel petition from the Office of the Provost's website https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/33d3e09d9195481fa6d39c6e55abef78.  Your travel must be approved by your Dean or VP and then reviewed by the COVID Incidental Travel Committee.


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Things to be learned during the recent travel suspension:


  *   Always enter a pre-travel approval in Concur Request.  Risk and Safety uses Concur Locate to contact you and provide information and assistance in an emergency. Use the $0 Dollar Trip Type for trips being funded by another institution.
  *   Use the approved TMCs or the booking tool and the UO Lodge Card for airline tickets to receive contracted discounts, US Bank card program rebates, waivers and favors provided by the contracted airlines (name changes).
  *   Do not buy Basic Economy airline tickets.
  *   Do not book prepaid, non refundable hotel stays and car rentals through third party sellers (like Expedia, Hotwire, etc) as they will often not refund payments (even if the car company and hotels are offering refunds).  The hook is to offer a slightly discounted, prepaid nightly/daily rate.  There is no savings if you lose your payment.
  *   Consider whether a home rental (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) is the best option and always check the cancel/change policy.  If the policy is "Strict", they are not kidding: you will not get your money back.
  *   Apply for a corporate One Card Visa travel card for your reimbursable business travel expenses.  You will not be out of pocket for travel expense and have to wait for a reimbursement.  https://ba.uoregon.edu/travel/us-bank-one-card
  *   Payment for conference registration fees is allowed on department p-cards and this is a good option to avoid out of pocket expenses and having to wait for personal reimbursement.

Be safe, be well.

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Laurie Jacoby
Travel Manager
Business Affairs Office
University of Oregon
lajacoby at uoregon.edu<mailto:lajacoby at uoregon.edu>
541-346-3158
**  If your travel involves human subjects research, please do not disclose any information that is protected under UO Policy and other Regulations http://rcs.uoregon.edu/content/regulations-and-uo-policy

Travel Office/Concur Help Desk:     Phone:  6-3100 ***  Email:  travel at uoregon.edu<mailto:travel at uoregon.edu>

TravelNews Opt In for Travel and Concur tips:   https://lists-prod.uoregon.edu/mailman/listinfo/travelnews

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