Travel

Before you Travel

1. Get approval from your supervisor

2. If you are not booking your flight or hotel through Concur, register your trip at UCOP. Click here to redirect to the UCOP website to register your trip. (You are automatically registered if you booked through Concur.)

3. Book your conference and event registrations, flights, and hotel/car rentals.

Your Payment Options

Flights

• Concur: It is strongly recommended to book all flights on UCLA’s travel app, Concur, to avoid out- of-pocket expenses and for the best coverage in the event of unanticipated travel issues. Email finance@orl.ucla.edu to assist with flight bookings.

• T&E card/Out of Pocket: If you purchase a flight with personal funds/T&E card, you cannot be reimbursed until travel is complete. If event is canceled, or cannot be attended due to illness etc., the University will not reimburse nor pay the T&E card.

Hotel & Car Rentals

• Concur: Both can be booked through Concur but payment must be made at the time of arrival via personal funds or T&E card.

• T&E card/Out of Pocket: You cannot be reimbursed until travel is complete. If event is canceled, or cannot be attended, the University will not reimburse.

Note: Do not book through third party vendors like Expedia or Priceline. Only book through Concur or directly through the hotel.

Registration 

• By Purchase Request: Payee must be registered vendor and quote must be submitted to department processor 60 days before payment is due.

• Out of Pocket: These expenses will not be reimbursed until after the event and you will turn in the receipt when you turn in all other receipts from your trip.

• T&E Card: If paid with a T&E card, your expense is reimbursable prior to the conference. Registration is the only expense reimbursable prior to conference (via T&E card).

During your Travel

IMPORTANT: Save all itemized receipts. Double-check any meal and incidentals at time of purchase. All purchased items, taxes, and fees must be listed for reimbursement.

After your Travel

Submit all documents to your department processor.

Submit Travel and Entertainment Form 

IMPORTANT: Please include the following in your submission:

1. Anything that was prepaid by the University. For example: registration or direct billed airfare.

2. The following items in PDF format. Title the attachments what it is. For meals, title it Meals for Date. For example, meals for 6.2.2034.

   1. Conference Agenda/Schedule (1-2 pages max)

   2. Conference Registration Receipt

3. Detailed Flight Receipt (regardless of booking method, personal or Concur)

4. Itemized Lodging Receipt (receipt must show the cost of each date you stayed)

5. Meals and Incidental Receipts (itemized)

6. Other Expenses, Transportation (Lyft, Uber, public transportation, etc.)

Travel Policies

IMPORTANT: Please review all policies carefully before making any travel arrangements.

1. All travel reimbursements must be submitted within 2 weeks of returning from travel or event date.

2. Submit all your expenses as ONE report. For example, if you paid for a flight prior to your trip, you need to wait until after to submit everything at once.

3. Do not use Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc. They do not provide itemized receipts.

4. Adding tips to meals, housekeeping, room service, or gratuity, will all count as your incidental daily amount ($79 per day). Tips over 20% will require business justification.

5. Any meals over 30 per person must have written approval from the Director. 

6. You may ONLY pay for yourself. For example, you cannot pay meals/lodging for others.

7. If splitting a room with colleagues, ask for a split itemized receipt for each guest. Airbnb does not split receipts, you can have one person pay ONLY IF the room rate is no more than 333 per night, not including taxes and fees.

8. Conference registration fees and first night hotel deposit can be paid prior to the conference ONLY when you use your T&E card to purchase. If you pay out of pocket, you will have to wait till you return to be reimbursed

9. Lodging MUST be 40 miles (one-way) from campus to be reimbursed

10. If your flight does not start or end in LA, you must have proof of how much the flight would have been if you started or ended in Los Angeles. The University will only reimburse you up to that amount

11. Virtual conferences and local conferences DO NOT fall under Travel. You will not be reimbursed for meals, but you can be reimbursed for mileage.

12. If an employee who is not on travel status has a temporary assignment away from campus, reimbursement shall be made for mileage expenses incurred between the campus and the assignment location, or home and the assignment location, whichever is less.

13. Click here for policies on UCLA Reimbursement Allowances for Mileage and Meals

14. Click here for UC Travel Policies

If you are unsure of any policies, please do not hesitate to ask.