Questions?
Submit a Service Now ticket to Travel & Expense Management.
Travel Arrangements
Each department has its own procedures for making travel arrangements. In some cases, arrangements are left to the traveler; in others, departments use CBS2 to make arrangements. Check with your department head or supervisor to confirm how your department handles arrangements.
Requests (PTA) for Direct Bill Airfare
When booking airfare using direct bill an approved Request must be submitted in Concur to obtain a Request ID (PTA). Review the "Creating a Travel Request (Previously PTA)" Step-by-Step Guide for instructions on how to process. Creating a Request in Concur does not automatically book your flight nor does it create a Service Now ticket indicating additional assistance is needed to book the flight. If you create your own Request follow the "Entering Request ID in BCD" Step-by-Step Guide for instructions on how to use the approved Request. If you CBS2 to book on your behalf you will need to open a Travel Reservation Service Now ticket with CBS2.
Notes:
Self-Service: You will create your own Request ID, book your flight through the Travel module in Concur and be responsible for reconciling the airfare expenses on an expense report.
CBS2: They will create a Request ID, book your flight(s) and reconcile the airfare expenses.
Pre-Authorization of Travel
All official university travel (purpose, dates, estimated cost) must be approved by the department head or a person to whom such authority has been delegated. This approval can be obtained verbally, in writing (e.g., department-created form) or electronically (e.g., email).
Department heads shall obtain approval for their own travel from a higher administrative level (i.e., their vice chancellor or dean). In addition, travel funded by extramural funds must be approved by the principal investigator on that contract or grant. Authorization must be obtained prior to undertaking official university travel. Travelers who fail to obtain prior authorization may be liable for the expenses incurred.
Reduced Cost to the University
Travel shall be planned in a manner that reduces cost to UC Merced. For example, using Concur to make airfare, lodging and car rental reservations automatically gives you access to the university's car rental agreements (insurance included), lodging agreements (corporate rate) and airfare programs, which can reduce university costs in time and money. Making reservations outside Concur may inadvertently disconnect the traveler from benefits such as automatically included insurance coverage, exposing the traveler and the university to uninsured risks.
When Personal Time is Added to a Business Trip
- A comparable flight showing the cost of business travel is less than the cost where personal days are added must be obtained when travel is booked and attached to the Request and Expense Report when processed in Concur.
- If the number of personal days exceeds the number of business travel days airfare must be paid with personal funds and the traveler will only be reimbursed for costs associated with official university business travel.
- Should the cost of the flight with personal days added exceed the cost of only business travel, Direct Bill may not be used. Personal funds will need to be used and reimbursement will be issued to the traveler for the cost of business travel only.
Insurance
University of California Traveler Insurance Coverage provides protection to faculty, staff, students or other persons while traveling outside the state and to foreign countries at the direction and approval of the university. Registration is required for business trips out of state and to foreign countries.
Registering travel will help to direct aid to travelers in the event of a natural disaster or major political event in their travel destination. It also provides important travel data that can assist UC in keeping or improving affordable coverage.
For more information and instructions on how to register your travel, refer to Risk Services .
