Traveling on Cornell Business

Policy: http://www.policy.cornell.edu/vol3_2.cfm

Travel FAQ’s:

The university provides an extensive travel FAQ’s and we encourage each person traveling to review this site.

http://www.payments.cornell.edu/Travel_FAQ2.cfm

Combining business and pleasure travel:

If you decide to extend your business trip for personal business, you must provide the accounting office with documentation that details what the cost of your airfare would have been if you had returned directly after the meeting. This information is best obtained during the planning stages of your travel.

If the airfare for the extended period of time is less than what it would have been had you returned directly after the meeting you will be reimbursed for the full amount of the airfare.  If the airfare is greater than what it would have been had you returned directly after the meeting, you will only be reimbursed for the lesser fare. 

Any costs associated with the extension of travel for personal business (e.g. food, lodging, taxi, et.) are the responsibility of the traveler.

Foreign Travel:

If you are paying for your foreign travel with sponsored funds (grant or contract) it is your responsibility, as the traveler, to know the rules and regulations of the sponsoring agency concerning foreign travel.  All foreign travel paid for with federal funds must comply with the Fly America Act.  If it does not and you are unable to qualify for an exemption from the Fly America restriction you will not be able to charge that portion of your trip to the sponsored account.

Waivers to the Act are possible for a number of reasons. Please see the Fly America Act waiver check list to see if you qualify. If you do qualify, you will need to file a Foreign Flag Carrier Exemption Form when your travel reimbursement is processed. The form can be found at:

http://www.payments.cornell.edu/Travel_Forms.cfm

Using American Express to book airfare (formerly Cornell Travel Office):

University related travel should be booked using the on-line services of American Express, Cornell’s travel service provider.  You will need to create an account to use the service.  You can create your account and learn about this tool by accessing the travel services at: http://travel.cornell.edu/. All travel can be booked on-line, or you can use an agent. The agent can be reached at 1-888-656-0432.  This is the American Express 24 hour travel line and is also the number to call if you have issues during your travel.

Before booking your flight please contact your MBG accounting rep.  During the booking process American Express will ask you for an account code.  Your MBG accounting rep will be able to provide you with that code.  This code will change depending on the funds that are being used to pay for the trip, so please don’t use the code more than once.

If booking foreign travel with American Express and the travel is to be paid using federal funds you must advise American Express that the travel must adhere to the Fly America restrictions.

Getting reimbursed:
You may choose one of the two following options to request reimbursement of your travel expenses:

Bring all of your receipts to your MBG accounting rep and she will complete the on-line request for travel reimbursement.  To assist us with this process please complete the MBG travel reimbursement request. 

If you prefer, you may prepare the on-line request for travel reimbursement form at the below link.

http://www.payments.cornell.edu/Request_Travel_Reimbursements.cfm

If you choose to enter in your own travel there are two things you must do, designate your MBG accounting rep as the person to prepare the payment request and bring all receipts for your travel to your MBG account rep once you have completed the on-line form. We will then scan and attach the documents to the payment request and send the original receipts to Accounting.