Travel

The Fiscal & Audit Services staff are here to help guide and facilitate the process of travel purchases and reimbursements for faculty, staff, students and visitors. FAS complies with the UW Travel Services Policies.

Review our Travel Guides for helpful information on what you need to know before, during and after travel:

• UW Employee Traveler Guide (Coming Soon): For UW Faculty, Staff, and Student Employees
• Non-UW Employee Traveler Guide (Coming Soon): For Guests, Speakers, Visitors, Candidates, UW Students
• Comparison Airfare Guide: Requirements and necessary documentation
• Central Travel Account (CTA) Guide: Requirements and necessary documentation

UW Travel Agencies

Booking – Tangerine Travel

Tangerine Travel is local to Bothell, Washington and is a diverse and women owned small business. Book online using the self-service website: Tangerine Travel Booking or contact a travel agent by phone at (425) 822-2333. It is strongly encouraged that departmental guests and candidates (non-UW) work directly with Tangerine Travel for UW business travel booking.

For more information, visit the Tangerine Travel Guide.

Booking – Christopherson Business Travel (CBT)

Christopherson Business travel offers services such as booking airfare, lodging, and rental cars. Book online using the self-service website: Christopherson AirPortal or contact a travel agent by e-mail or phone: uwtravel@cbtravel.com or (888) 220-1072.

For more information, visit the Christopherson Business Travel (CBT) Guide.

Pre-Travel Approval Form

Out-of-state travel is defined as travel outside of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. All out-of-state travel, including registration, MUST be pre-approved by the appropriate parties using the Pre-Travel Approval Form.

The Pre-Travel Approval Form must be completed prior to making any travel arrangements. The form is completed by the traveler or administrative support person in the department, and forwarded to the appropriate supervisor and budget authority for approval. However, grant funded travel does not need advance written approval if travel was specifically budgeted for in the grant proposal, and travel was approved by the sponsor.

Airfare

Personal time

An airfare comparison must be obtained when personal time is combined with UW business. The dates for the comparison airfare should match the days of business without personal time. Visit the UW Travel Services for more information on airfare.

Central Travel Account for Airfare

UW Bothell has a Central Travel Account (CTA) card managed by Fiscal and Audit Services and can be used if the airfare meets specific requirements. CTA booking requests must be submitted at least five business days in advance. For more information, please see the CTA Guide and CTA Flow Chart.

Per Diem

Per diem is an allowance method by which UW handles lodging and meal reimbursement to an individual.

Lodging

To be eligible for per diem, the traveler must be in travel status and staying at a commercial lodging facility. AirBnB and VRBO are considered commercial lodging facilities and only reimbursed to the traveler who paid directly, even when the facility is shared among multiple travelers.

Meals

Visit the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) website and UW Travel Services website to find more information on domestic meal per diem.

The conference brochure must be submitted with the reimbursement request for meals claimed during a conference. Provided meals must be zeroed out on traveler’s expense report. When travelers include personal time with their trip, meals will be reimbursed based on the traveler’s actual time in travel status.

As part of Fiscal & Audit Services policy accountability, expenses paid on behalf of others will require a written statement from the claimant.

Ground Transportation

UW Employees should utilize the corporate discounts at Wally Park and MasterPark for SeaTac parking rather than parking at the airport. Travelers must provide a Husky Card to identify themselves as UW travelers.

UW Employees should use the Enterprise and National Car Rental Contract when renting cars.

Registration Fees

The department administrative support specialist can pay registration fees on the departmental Procurement (ProCard) or you may pay yourself and claim reimbursement. Conference brochure/agenda must be submitted for reimbursement. Membership associated with travel registration fees may be reimbursed if mandatory and unavoidable for attending conference.

Package Deals

What are package deals? “Package Deals” are travel deals sold by services such as Expedia and Travelocity, which bundle services such as airfare, hotel and rental car for one combined price.

Why do I need to stop purchasing package deals? Due to new IRS documentation requirements starting January 1, 2018, the University cannot reimburse the traveler if receipts do not display each type of expense separately as itemized amounts. (Package deals typically do not list itemized travel expenses.)

Travel Reimbursement

Check with your department or school for reimbursement procedures. All travel-related expenses should be submitted to the FAS Shared Environment for processing. Include the Pre-Travel Approval Form and all receipts in one combined PDF when submitting a reimbursement request.

• Travel Reimbursement Claim Form – UW Employee
• Travel Reimbursement Claim Form – Non UW Employee
• Point Person List

Important Reminders:

• When attending a conference, the conference brochure/agenda showing when the conference started and ended, which meals were provided (if claiming meal reimbursement) and location of conference (if claiming lodging) must be provided as a PDF for reimbursement. A link to the brochure is not acceptable.
• If personal time is added to a trip, a comparison airfare must be provided (if claiming airfare reimbursement). In addition, all expenses (meals, parking, lodging, etc.) will only be reimbursed for the business portion of the trip.
• Transportation receipts must include a business purpose, addresses to and from, and proof of payment (showing method of payment). See Comparison Airfare Guide.
• Foreign currency exchange must include the actual receipt AND either a credit card statement (foreign transaction fees are non-reimbursable) OR an Oanda Currency Converter printout.
• Exceptions to lodging per diem includes conference hotel, comparative advantage, suite required, special event or disaster, ADA or safety health, and Non-UW. See Traveler Guide (Coming Soon) for more information.

Non-Reimbursable Examples

The list below is not comprehensive; these are just common examples of expenses that are not reimbursable. For more details, visit the UW Non-Reimbursable page.

• Expenses purchased with rewards program
• Expenses purchased with mobile payment service (Venmo, Zelle, Cash App)
• Alcohol
• Personal expenses and personal convenience
• Exchange of funds between travelers
• Gifts
• Travel Insurance (Car rental, trip protection, travel cancellation package, etc.)

Contact Us

Questions? Contact us via FAS Service Request Form.