Travel

The Office of Finance has mapped out all Dell Medical School travel policies and procedures on its Wiki site. Bookmark this page to refer to as needed. It includes helpful flowcharts for how to submit paperwork, etc.

Request for Travel Authorizations (RTA)

An RTA must be submitted in advance of travel. The Document ID number that is provided once the RTA is approved will be required in order to book with Anthony Travel.

• Blanket RTAs (individual expenses incurred during donor visits)
  • Each of the MGOs have a blanket RTA for Austin to cover expenses incurred locally, including meals and parking. This will need to be created at the beginning of each FY.

Submit using the request form system as soon as a date is selected for a trip and allow 1-3 days for approval.

You will need to estimate the cost of the trip for the RTA. You may give your best estimate based on preliminary look at flight/hotel options for the area. Here are some guidelines to help break it down:

• In state flight: $250
• Out of state flight: $450
• Nightly hotel rate: $180/night (more like $270/night in places like NYC)
• Rental car: approx. $40/day
• $51/per day allowable meal expenses
• Donor meals: estimate $40 lunch and $80 dinner for any scheduled donor meals

When submitting RTAs you must submit as an attachment an email from the traveler’s supervisor stating their approval for the trip to take place.

• For Courtney, this means you assign the RTA to Charlotte Harris first so that she can approve on behalf of Clay. Otherwise, attach the approval and assign the request to DMS Finance (you can set this to be your default assignee).

Entertainment and Travel Policy – Quick Facts Page 

Concur Profile (https://www.concursolutions.com)

Every team member should create a Concur Profile, which stores all pertinent info the travel agent needs for booking travel (full name, credit card, airline rewards #...)

MGOs are to add assistants in profile so assistant has access to book travel on their behalf. 

Anthony Travel

Flights:

(512) 617-8444

Preferred Agent: Tammy (ext. 1513)

Before calling, be ready to relay VE5… document number.

Research flights and hotel proximity in advance

Von Lane:

Contact: Renee Wells by email at reneewells@anthonytravel.com

Research preferred bus times in advance

(512) 232-5115

Enterprise Rental Cars

For all future rentals, please use UT’s direct billing account, not Dell Med’s account (UTS092) anymore.

• Call the Enterprise hotline for state employee bookings - 512-912-5500 (press * to speak to customer service) and have UT's corporate number (UTS005) ready
  
  • The hotline will book the rental car at the most convenient location for you. If you need to schedule an Enterprise delegate to pick up the traveler and take them to the Enterprise location, call the location directly to coordinate pickup 
• After you have booked and received the confirmation number, complete the Rental Car Central Billing Request form.

That page also has guidance on how to make a reservation which should be the same but instead giving them the Dell Med account, you give them the UT one.  Then fill out the form above for billing.

Helpful Tips:

• Don’t forget the rental car! DMS has an account with AVIS and UT has an account with Enterprise so rental cars can be direct billed rather than paid for with credit card and reimbursed.
• If traveling by Vonlane bus, make sure to book a rental car that can pick up the traveler at the bus stop. Typically, airport rental car locations will not pick up remote passengers from the bus stop (which is usually at a hotel), so it's better to reserve a rental car at a non-airport location.
• Early-bird may be added for Southwest Flights to help guarantee priority boarding. Otherwise, set a calendar reminder 24 hours in advance to check in on behalf of MGO using confirmation number.
• Hotels must be reserved at state rate and are reserved using traveler’s personal credit card. A folio reflecting a $0 balance must be submitted for reimbursement after the trip. State tax should be removed from the folio for hotel stays in Texas, as it will not be reimbursed. This may require contacting the hotel’s accounting office if the MGO did not give the hotel the tax-exempt form.
  • The tax-exempt form is only applicable for stays within Texas; travelers may be reimbursed for hotel tax on out of state hotels.
  • Prepare all necessary travel documents one week in advance and schedule a 30-minute appointment for review
  • UT Travel website: https://travel.utexas.edu/

Austin Hotels with Direct Billing for Dell Med:

• Four Seasons - 98 San Jacinto – (512) 685-8040
• Intercontinental - 701 Congress – (512) 457-8800
• Hampton Inn & Suites - 1701 Lavaca – (512) 499-8881
• AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center – (512) 404-1900
• Hotel Ella – (800) 311-1619