Allowable Travel Expenses - Transportation

Air travel arrangements may be made by the employee in one of two ways:

(1) The employee may make travel arrangements through an agency, or airline of his/her choice. The employee will pay the agency directly. Reimbursement will be requested when the trip is completed by submitting an Employee Voucher (Employee Reimbursement) Form CO-17XP with all necessary original receipts attached within five business days of return date. Claims for trips involving air travel must include the original air ticket receipt and an airline boarding pass. In the absence of a boarding pass, in addition to the air ticket receipt, further documentation is required that the travel took place such as a hotel receipt, restaurant receipt or an original receipt indicating that the destination was reached.

(2) The employee may make travel arrangements directly with the Worldtek Travel Agency with whom the Health Center has contracted to provide travel reservations and ticketing services to Health Center employees. When the order is placed, the Travel Authorization (TA), the employee number, and the department FRS account number must be given to the agency. The contracted travel agency will bill the Health Center directly for all air or rail services. Original boarding pass must be submitted along with the Employee Voucher (Employee Reimbursement) Form CO-17XP at completion of the trip.

Cancelled non-refundable tickets or tickets ordered without an approved TA will be charged to the departmental operating account. Changes during the actual travel period due to weather or changes in schedule can be made on tickets already issued by calling the travel agency from which the tickets were obtained.

Restrictions on Foreign Travel

Examples: Federal research awards, Federal pass through awards, and other awards with restrictions on foreign travel.

• It is the travelers’ and principal investigators’ responsibility to make sure that when foreign travel is booked, the air fare is booked on a U.S. flag carrier. The U.S. flag carrier regulations require that a U.S. carrier be used to the final destination or, in the absence of a direct or through service, to the farthest interchange point on all foreign trips charged to a federal research award. Foreign travel includes travel outside the U.S. Canada is considered to be foreign travel.
• U.S. carriers have “code sharing” arrangements with many foreign airlines. It is imperative that the ticket or documentation for an electronic ticket identify the U.S. carrier’s designator code and flight number when using a code sharing arrangement.

Note: Confirmations that identify the foreign carrier and its flight number do not meet the U.S. flag carrier guidelines and will be rejected. Only original ticket (electronic or paper) will be accepted.

All air travel will be reimbursed at no more than the published coach rates for domestic flights. Business class will be reimbursed for international flights. First class air travel rates will not be paid. Use of private or individual-charter aircraft will not be authorized.

Special air travel arrangements, which would result in net savings to the Health Center, including the cost of an extra day(s) lodging, meals or other additional cost, are permissible. It is the responsibility of the requesting employee to demonstrate to the supervisor approving the travel that the proposed arrangements are the most economical for the Health Center.

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(1) Standard accommodations will be provided for rail journeys of less than four hours. First class rail travel rates will not be paid.

(2) One seat in a sleeping car or club car will be allowed when the continuous rail journey is more than four hours in duration. Accommodations superior to a standard lower berth may be allowed provided the employee certifies that it was the lowest first-class accommodation available at the time reservation was made.

(3) Rail tickets may be booked through one of the contracted travel agency and will be paid by the Health Center directly to that agency.

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(1) “Official Worksite”
The Official Worksite is the location of an employee's position of record where the employee regularly performs his or her duties. If the employee's work involves regular travel or the employee's Official Worksite varies, the Official Worksite(s) location and timeframe will be determined by the Department Head.

(2) “Regularly Scheduled Administrative Workweek”
A regularly scheduled administrative workweek is the period an employee is regularly scheduled to work within an administrative workweek (i.e., a period of seven consecutive 24-hour periods designated in advance). For a full-time employee, it consists of the 40-hour basic workweek plus any periods of regularly scheduled overtime work. For a part-time employee, it means the officially prescribed days and hours during which the employee is regularly scheduled to work.

(3) “Normal Daily Commuting Mileage”
A normal daily commuting mileage begins or ends with the most direct route to/from an employee’s official worksite and the employee’s residence.

(4) Mileage Reimbursement
Mileage reimbursement will be at the rate specified in collective bargaining contracts for those employees covered by union contracts. In the absence of a union contract, mileage reimbursement will be at the prevailing Federal GSA Rate (Privately Owned Vehicle Mileage Reimbursement Rate) at the time travel occurred. Reimbursement cannot exceed airfare to the same destination. Any comparisons to air fares, for any purpose, will be based upon assumed flight origin at Bradley International Airport.

• Transportation of any kind between an employee's home and official worksite during a regularly scheduled administrative workweek is not reimbursable.
• Business mileage is reimbursable ONLY to the extent it exceeds the employee’s normal daily commuting mileage on a regularly scheduled administrative workweek.

(7) Additional Meals And Other Expenses
Additional meals and other travel expenses due to the use of an automobile in lieu of public transportation will not be allowed if their inclusion would raise the cost of the automobile trip above the airfare to the same destination.

(8) Airport Parking
 Airport parking is reimbursable, except at Bradley. Free parking is available at Bradley International Airport when on official State business. is available as explained under Allowable Expenses, "Parking at Bradley International airport".

(9) Claims
Claims for reimbursement for mileage only by a personally-owned car should be submitted on a Mileage Reimbursement Form (PDF).

(10) Tolls and Parking
Tolls and Parking will be paid with an original itemized receipt. If E-Z Pass is used, a statement from E-Z Pass listing toll usage is needed to be reimbursed. E-Z Pass Customer Service Center: 1-800-333-TOLL(8655).

(11) Automobile Insurance
Automobile Insurance must be maintained in the amount of $50,000/$100,000 or higher when using a personal vehicle for business related purposes.

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(1) Employees who have a corporate Diners Club should use the credit card to obtain a rental car. The order for a rental car may be placed directly with the rental car company and charged to the credit card. Reimbursement will be requested on a Employee Voucher (Employee Reimbursement) Form CO-17XP along with the other expenses of the trip. The card program provides collision damage insurance on rental cars at no charge by Diners Club.

(2) Employees who do not participate in the corporate credit card program may charge car rentals to a personal credit card. An employee renting a car using a personal credit card is required to obtain insurance coverage. The employee must use one of the following to obtain insurance coverage:

• Use the insurance coverage offered with your personal credit card.
• Use your Personal liability Insurance policy.
• The employee has the option to purchase insurance offered by the rental car company. Cost of the coverage is reimbursable and will be charged to the trip expense account.

(3) To obtain a rental car, employees may either:

Order a rental car for pickup at the airport through contracted travel agency (Worldtek Travel) at the same time other travel arrangements are made. You must however be prepared to use one of your own credit cards for the payment, as this cannot be charged directly to the Health Center.

You may order the rental car directly from any rental car company.

Rental Car Companies

The University of Connecticut Health Center does not have a direct-bill voucher arrangement with Rental Car companies. These phone numbers and Corporate ID numbers may be used for the purpose of obtaining pricing information. Note: These corporate rates may not be the lowest rates available.

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Costs for use of bus, taxi, airport limousine or other usual means of conveyance will be reimbursed. Receipts are required for expenses exceeding $25.00 for a single ride.

Reimbursement is not allowed for local taxis near duty station. For example taking a taxi from home to the airport is not allowed. Mileage reimbursement claims must be cumulative to over $25.00 in order to be submitted for reimbursement, or if under $25.00, reimbursement may be requested every 90 days.

Transportation of any kind between an employee's home and official worksite is not reimbursable.

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