Combining Business and Personal Travel

Adding Personal Travel to your Business Trip

After discussing with your supervisor, you may opt to add personal travel days on the beginning or end of your business trip. The University will only pay for costs associated with university sponsored travel.

How to book air

Concur or the designated agency is to be used for booking air. A cost comparison (defined below) must be obtained during the booking process.
Reserving a car

If using the Enterprise/National contract for a trip that combines personal and business travel, the business travel contract may be used. Only the days that correspond with business travel may be expensed. Please include an explanation in your expense report that describes why the amount on the invoice varies from the amount claimed. Enterprise/National typically cannot split the invoice into two trips.

Hotel stays

If using a rate that is designed for business use only, rooms associated with personal travel must be booked separately.

1. Booking Companion Travel

For employee travel companions (spouse, partner, friend, etc.):

• Use of Concur is reserved for UW employee use only.
• Airfare and other discounts, fee waivers and other contract benefits cannot be extended to those that are not traveling on University paid business.
• The University will not pay or reimburse any additional costs associated with taking a travel companion along on a University business trip.

Options to Book a Companion Ticket:

• Employee contacts a contracted agent and book both tickets with the agent.
• Employee books travel via designated agency or Concur. Companion then books with airline and contacts an airline agent directly (phone, email or chat) and requests the airline to Sync the PNR. Provide the 6 digit Airline Record Locator from the employee booking to the airline agent.

2. Airfare Cost Comparisons: Explanation and Examples

Download Cost Comparison Guidance pdf

To ensure prudent use of travel funds, the University cannot pay or reimburse any additional costs resulting from traveler preferences. A cost comparison is required at the time of booking in the following circumstances:

• Travel prior to or after the required business travel dates.
• Using transportation methods that are not the most efficient or cost-effective (i.e. electing to drive/take a train versus fly when flying would be the most efficient and cost-effective option.)
• Departing from/returning to an alternate city (not near campus/headquarter city) for personal reasons.
• Any other situation where the traveler’s itinerary is modified for personal reasons

Note:

• Travelers must consider potential extra costs for transportation, lodging, meals, tolls, parking, etc.
• Either the traveler’s actual travel or comparison travel -whichever is less expensive – is payable/reimbursable.

 

3. Acceptable Cost Comparisons

• When booking via Concur, provide Concur screenshots.
• When booking via the designated agency, request documentation such as emailed quotes.

Due to airfare pricing and availability fluctuation, accurate cost comparisons must be done at the time of booking to be valid. For screenshots it is recommended to “Save to PDF” or email the document the date the comparison was completed.

A valid Concur or agency cost comparison includes:

1. Proof that the cost comparison was done on the same date as the purchased actual airfare.
2. Proof of the comparable search parameters (date of search, times, etc. are relevant and appropriate).
3. Proof that the travel dates shown on the comparison correspond with the UW business dates.

4. Cost Comparison Examples

EXAMPLE 1. Concur cost comparison for personal airfare is more expensive than the business airfare.

EXAMPLE 2. Concur cost comparison for personal airfare is less expensive than the business airfare.

EXAMPLE 3. Travel Inc. cost comparison for personal airfare is more expensive than the business airfare.

EXAMPLE 4. Travel Inc. cost comparison for personal airfare is less expensive than the business airfare.

EXAMPLE 1. Concur cost comparison for personal airfare is more expensive than the business airfare

Conference travel. The conference is September 17 – September 20 in New Orleans, LA. The traveler would like to spend a few extra days exploring New Orleans and combine the business trip with personal travel.

1. Search Concur for approved conference dates.

2. Click “Print/Email”.

 

3. A new window will open with the search results. You may email the results to yourself or print the flights and “Print to PDF”.

4. To “Print to PDF” click “Print Flights” and then:

1. Select “Microsoft Print PDF”.
2. Select “Print”.
3. Note that the output document has the date and time the comparison was made. If you don’t see the date and time on your document, ensure under
   “more settings” you have checked “headers and footers”.

5. Search Concur for personally desired travel dates.

 

6. Click “Print/Email”.

7. A new window will open with the search results. You may email the results to yourself or print the flights and “Print to PDF”.

8. To “Print to PDF” click “Print Flights” and then:
   • 1.  Select “Microsoft Print PDF”.
   • 2. Select “Print”.
   • 3. Note that the output document has the date and time the comparison was made. f you don’t see the date and time on your document, ensure under
     “more settings” you have checked “headers and footers”

9. Note that the airfare for the personally preferred dates is $454.11 and the business portion cost is $330.64. Regardless of what the actual travel is, the maximum that will be reimbursed is $330.64, the cost of the University related travel.
10. The cost comparison must be included with the documentation for the payment mechanism (e.g., expense report, purchasing card transaction).

EXAMPLE 2. Concur cost comparison for personal airfare is less expensive than the business airfare.

University Event Travel. The event is an all-day event on October 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Business travel dates are October 20 – October 22. The traveler would like to visit family that lives in Las Vegas for a few extra days and travel October 20 – October 25.

1. Search Concur for approved conference dates.

2. Click “Print/Email”.

3. A new window will open with the search results. You may email the results to yourself or print the flights and “Print to PDF”.

4. To “Print to PDF” click “Print Flights” and then:
   • 1. Select “Microsoft Print PDF”.
   • 2. Select “Print”.
   • 3. Note that the output document has the date and time the comparison was made. If you don’t see the date and time on your document, ensure under “more settings” you have checked “headers and footers”
5. Search Concur for personally desired travel dates.

6. Click “Print/Email”.

7. A new window will open with the search results. You may email the results to yourself or print the flights and “Print to PDF”.

8. To “Print to PDF” click “Print Flights” and then:
   • 1. Select “Microsoft Print PDF”.
   • 2. Select “Print”.
   • 3. Note that the output document has the date and time the comparison was made. If you don’t see the date and time on your document, ensure under“more settings” you have checked “headers and footers”

9. Note that the airfare for the personally preferred dates is $481.48 and the business portion cost is $656.19. The maximum that will be reimbursed is $481.48, only the cost of lowest option is reimbursable.

10. The cost comparison must be included with the documentation for the payment mechanism (e.g., expense report, purchasing card transaction).

 

EXAMPLE 3. Travel Inc. cost comparison for personal airfare is more expensive than the business airfare

Conference Travel. UW employee is attending a conference in Atlanta, GA Aug 21-24, 2023.  He needs to arrive in ATL on Sunday afternoon, August 20th.  He can depart ATL any time after 3pm on August 24th.  However, he is in a wedding in New York City and needs to attend the rehearsal on Friday, Aug 25th.  Therefore, he would like to depart ATL to NYC on Thursday, August 24th after the conference.  Then return from NYC to MSN on Sunday, August 27th after the wedding festivities.  In this scenario, the passenger is responsible for the difference of $358.73.

1. Obtain cost comparison from a Travel Incorporated consultant:

Airfare for Business Trip

1	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#1296	X	Aug20 (Sun)	[MSN] Madison	[ATL] Atlanta	337P	642P
2	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#2599	X	Aug24 (Thu)	[ATL] Atlanta	[MSN] Madison	440P	545P
Option 1 Cost							Base Fare:	$554.26
							Tax:	$71.37
							Total:	$625.63

 

Comparison – with traveler’s personal deviation

1	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#1296	V	Aug20 (Sun)	[MSN] Madison	[ATL] Atlanta	337P	642P
2	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#939	K	Aug24 (Thu)	[ATL] Atlanta	[LGA] New York City	420P	649P
3	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#2498	H	Aug27 (Sun)	[LGA] New York City	[DTW] Detroit	501P	715P
4	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#3906	H	Aug27 (Sun)	[DTW] Detroit	[MSN] Madison	825P	844P	Operated by: Skywest Dba Delta Connection
Option 2 Cost							Base Fare:	$870.66
							Tax:	$113.70
							Total:	$984.36

2. Note that the airfare for the personal itinerary is $984.36 and the business portion cost is $625.63. Regardless of what the actual travel is, the maximum that will be reimbursed is $625.63, the cost of the University related travel.
3. The entire cost comparison email, including the date the cost comparison was obtained, must be included with the documentation for the payment mechanism (e.g., expense report, purchasing card transaction).

EXAMPLE 4. Travel Inc. cost comparison for personal airfare is less expensive than the business airfare

Conference Travel. UW employee needs to fly from Chicago to Paris for a conference.  The conference date is October 10-12, 2023.  The employee needs to arrive in Paris on October 9th by 10am and needs to depart Paris anytime after 1pm on Oct 12th after the conference.  However, the employee wants to extend her stay to enjoy the sites, so she would like to return to Chicago from Paris on Tuesday, October 17th instead.  The employee will need a cost comparison for the following:

1. Obtain cost comparison from a Travel Incorporated consultant:

Airfare for Business Trip

1	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#8417	H	Oct08 (Sun)	[ORD] Chicago	[CDG] Paris	510P	810A – next day	Operated by: Air France
2	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#8494	H	Oct12 (Thu)	[CDG] Paris	[ORD] Chicago	110P	310P	Operated by: Air France
Option 1 Cost							Base Fare:	$1,413.00
							Tax:	$534.35
							Total:	$1,947.35

Comparison – with traveler’s personal deviation

1	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#8417	V	Oct08 (Sun)	[ORD] Chicago	[CDG] Paris	510P	810A – next day	Operated by: Air France
2	[DL] Delta Air Lines	FLT#8494	Q	Oct17 (Tue)	[CDG] Paris	[ORD] Chicago	110P	310P	Operated by: Air France
Option 2 Cost							Base Fare:	$651.00
							Tax:	$534.35
							Total:	$1,185.35

2. Note that the airfare for the personal itinerary is $1,185.35 and the business portion cost is $1,947.35. The maximum that will be reimbursed is $1,185.35, only the cost of lowest option is reimbursable.
3. The entire cost comparison email, including the date the cost comparison was obtained, must be included with the documentation for the payment mechanism (e.g., expense report, purchasing card transaction).