Print/Copy Mail Services Vice President FAA comparison airfare quote is required when:
Airfare Quote Instructions
An airfare quote should be based on the least expensive and reasonable
means of transportation available. The quote should be obtained the
same day that travel is arranged and attached to the travel reimbursement
or the airfare authorization form.
If more than one quote is obtained because the least expensive flight
does not meet the business need, indicate which flight is to be used
as the comparison cost and provide justification for not selecting the
lowest fare.
If the combined business and personal itinerary includes personal days, the departure and return dates used for the quote should be based on business needs only.
Quote Options:
Use one of the three UO contract travel agencies.
The quote should be written. Fax or email is ok. The quote should include the agency, agent, date of the quote, dates of travel, airline, destination and return cities, and total cost including all taxes and fees.
Or
Use a travel website that provides airline comparisons such as Orbitz, Travelocity, or Expedia.
Print out one or two pages showing the comparison fares. A matrix at the top of the page usually displays multiple fare and airline options.
Insufficient documentation:
When used on their own, the types of quotes listed below are insufficient because they may not provide the least expensive and reasonable means of transportation available.
Printouts from a specific airline's website.
City Pair rates.
What to do if a quote was not obtained at the time of purchase
If a quote was not obtained prior to the trip, a comparison should be made using the best available resources. Options are to compare current prices and use the same proportion for the business/personal cost ratio, or use the same dates in the future and compare costs. Contact the BAO travel coordinator for assistance at 6-3158 or cwooley@uoregon.edu.
Combining Business and Personal Travel
Travelers sometimes combine business and personal travel. This is done in different ways, either by adding personal days at the business location or by traveling to other destinations.
When combining personal travel with UO business travel, payment will be based on the least expensive and reasonable means of transportation to the business location. Meal and lodging per diem is limited to the business portion of the trip. Generally, the dates of the conference or meeting and one travel day before and after are allowable for reimbursement. Any additional days paid by the UO must be documented with a business purpose. Travel expenses cannot be paid for personal days.
Example: A traveler is attending a conference in Washington DC. Dates of the conference are Monday - Wednesday.
Generally travel time would be limited to Sunday - Thursday.
If the traveler left Eugene on Saturday and is requesting reimbursement for Saturday - Thursday, there should be additional documentation describing the business purpose for leaving a day early.
If the traveler left Eugene on Saturday for personal reasons, the traveler should not be reimbursed for meal and lodging expenses on the personal day. In addition, a quote should be obtained to determine if there is an additional airfare cost due to including personal days.
The City Pair contract rates may not be used for personal travel.
When a flight itinerary is selected that includes personal travel, obtain a separate airfare quote for the business portion of the itinerary, at the time of booking. This comparison between the business only itinerary and the actual cost of the combined business and personal travel itinerary should be documented in writing and included with the travel reimbursement and/or the airfare purchase records.
If the cost of the combined business and personal itinerary exceeds the business only itinerary, the personal portion will have to be paid by the traveler at the time of ticket purchase. If the contract agency is willing to split the cost of the ticket, the agency may charge an additional service fee.
If the cost of the combined business and personal itinerary is the same or less than the business only itinerary, the UO may pay for the full cost of the airfare. The written documentation must be included with the travel reimbursement and/or the airfare purchase records.
Additional day for cost savings purposes
Reimbursement of meal and lodging expense for one or more additional days is allowable when the purpose of the additional days is to reduce overall travel costs. For example, if a conference starts on Monday there may be a cost savings for traveling on Saturday rather than Sunday. If the savings is greater than the additional meal and lodging expenses incurred, a traveler may choose to travel on Saturday and be reimbursed for the additional day of meal and lodging expense. The cost savings must be documented in writing by obtaining an airfare quote for the itinerary without the additional day and comparing it to the actual airfare selected plus any additional meal and lodging expenses.
Driving a vehicle out-of-state
When driving either a personal vehicle or rental vehicle out of state for personal reasons, compare the cost of driving versus the cost of flying. All cost factors should be considered. The comparison should be documented in writing at the time travel is arranged and included with the travel reimbursement. The cost of flying should be determined by obtaining an airfare quote.
If flying is more economical than driving, the traveler should be reimbursed only for the cost of flying. This is called airfare in lieu of mileage. When preparing the travel reimbursement, list airfare in lieu of mileage in the other expenses section with an explanation.
When driving either a personal vehicle or rental vehicle out of state for a business reason, document the reason with the travel reimbursement. E.g. transporting a large amount of equipment or two or more people traveling to the same location.
Use of a non-direct route
Travelers sometimes take non-direct routes because of personal reasons or to save money. Using the Portland airport rather than the Eugene airport is considered a non-direct route when leaving from or going to Eugene.
If the non-direct route is selected for personal reasons, follow the instructions under Combining Business and Personal Travel.
If the non-direct route is selected for cost savings purposes, the cost savings must be documented in writing by obtaining an airfare quote for the direct route. All cost factors must be included in determining if there is an actual cost savings. For example if flights into Phoenix are higher than normal, a traveler might fly into Tucson and drive to Phoenix by rental car. The cost of the flight into Tucson plus the cost of the rental car and gasoline should be compared to the cost of flying directly into Phoenix. This comparison should be documented in writing and included with the travel reimbursement and/or the airfare purchase records.