As discussed in the email below, the Travel Rule was updated last month to require the use of the MyTravel booking (or booking directly with AMEX). The partnership with AMEX brings many benefits to the University, including access to AMEX’s negotiated airfare and hotel discounts, 24/7 assistance from travel experts, etc. Training and FAQ documents for the system, as well as information on the benefits of the program can be found here.
We wanted to provide some clarification on what the Travel Rule update changed vs what it did not change.
What did change?
Booking must be done in MyTravel or directly with AMEX agent for airfare, lodging, and rental car, with the following exceptions:
- Airfare – pricing available in the University’s travel program is more than $25 higher the exact same ticket available outside of the program and AMEX cannot price match.
- Lodging – lodging booked directly with conference/event or where logical/appropriate options or rates are not available.
- Rental Car – if booking directly with Enterprise/National Car Rental.
- Travel booked through Global Affairs
What did not change?
The Travel Rule change impacted how you book your travel, not what travel options you can select. We understand that each trip is situational:
- You will not be forced to select the absolute cheapest flight option or flights with only a specific airline.
- The primary rule around selecting airfare has not change – Lowest logical airfare. Because lowest logical airfare is very dependent on your situation, the University intentionally allows for flexibility in selecting what makes the most sense for you (number of stops, layover time, departure and return times). You are permitted to make the selection that you deem lowest logical air.
- Business class is only permitted for flights over 6 hours in duration. First class is not permitted. See the Travel Manual for details on exceptions for this.
- The MyTravel system is wide open for all flights, and you can still select from any available airlines/hotels. It is then simply a question of what type of flight is permitted on University funds. If you wanted to select a more expensive class of ticket, you could do so and then use your personal credit card and only request reimbursement for the cost of the economy seat (make sure to screen shot that choice at the time of booking to then be able to attach to your expense report).
- You can still book the hotel for your conference/event directly with the conference hotel.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to PCPS Travel.