Planning and Booking Travel

Planning ahead helps ensure a safer, simpler trip and a smoother payment and reimbursement process. Before booking travel, all university-sponsored travelers must:

• Ensure that the trip is necessary and appropriate to conduct university business and is approved by the appropriate authority. For example, for remote employees outside of the 10-county area, Stanford will reimburse expenses for occasional, required travel to a Stanford Work Location as long as the travel is necessary and the employee receives prior approval from their department/manager (see AGM: 2.1.21: Remote Work Arrangements).
• Review the university's traveler health and safety guidelines on the Health Alerts website.
• Choose between three options for paying for travel. The traveler should confirm with their department whether one method is preferred or required.
  • The Stanford Travel Card (TCard) is the recommended payment option for any travel costs that will not be reimbursed through the per diem method. There may be a department TCard available for use, or discuss with the department the possibility of obtaining an individual TCard if the individual travels twice or more a year.
  • Travel expenses may also be paid with personal funds, and the receipts then submitted for reimbursement. When paying with personal funds, an employee may choose to be reimbursed at a per diem rate (for lodging and meals) or for actual expenses (up to any established maximums).
  • Travel advances are funds paid directly to faculty, staff or students to pay for expenses related to university-sponsored travel. Travel advances should be used in rare circumstances, for example if a university-sponsored traveler does not have access to a TCard and is experiencing a financial hardship.

Stanford employees planning international trips must also take these steps:

• Prepare at least six (6) months prior to your trip by reviewing the Forms and Checklists on the International Affairs website for a list of required forms and to-dos. International travelers are responsible for checking the documentation requirements (passport, visa, country specific forms, vaccination requirements, etc.). These requirements vary by citizenship and purpose of trip, change frequently, and should always be checked before booking international travel.
  • For information on paying for these types of travel expenses, see Other Reimbursable Business Expenses.
• Review information about travel restrictions on the International Affairs website.
• Travel plans that include a stay in certain countries must be reviewed by the University Export Control Officer. For more information, visit Policy: Export Control/Trade Sanctions Compliance Requirements. 
• Review how to book and register your travel on the International Affairs website.

• Before booking travel, review the following pages along with information about sustainable practices when booking airfare, hotel, rental cars, and ground transportation, in alignment with advancing Stanford’s sustainability goals:
  • Review the Airfare guidance related to complying with the Fly America Act (when the funding source is a Federal award), selecting the preferred routes (most direct flight), classes of fare (Economy Class), and when an airfare comparison may need to be obtained.
  • Review the Lodging guidance for hotel and lodging rate maximums, information on booking conference hotels, and when a lodging comparison may need to be obtained.
  • Review the Ground Transportation guidance for policies related to driving a personal vehicle, transportation to or from airports, rental cars, and car service.
• It is highly encouraged that Stanford travelers use Stanford Travel booking channels when booking flights, hotels, and rental cars for university-sponsored travel. Stanford Travel booking channels automatically register itineraries and any booking updates to the Travel Registry, streamline the reimbursement process, and offer discounts, benefits, and perks to travelers. In addition, the Stanford Travel team can provide specialized assistance as needed to travelers who book through Stanford Travel. 
• Verify that the name on the traveler profile matches the identification used for travel, such as a passport or other government issued ID. For help, visit Change Stanford University Traveler's Profile Name.
• Review or download useful references:
  • The Stanford Travel Booking Channels and Benefits Desk Guide is an at-a-glance guide that describes the Stanford Travel booking channels and their benefits, and summarizes Stanford Travel booking policies and guidelines.
  • The Stanford Business and Travel Expense Policy and Guidelines Desk Guide is an at-a-glance guide that provides policies and guidelines for business and travel expenses, including meals, transportation and lodging limits.
• See information for groups or multiple travelers if that applies to the trip.

• Gather any necessary travel documents prior to travel such as visas, passports, and country specific documents.
• Plan how to collect receipts and request reimbursement:
  • If per diem is the selected reimbursement method, no receipts are required.
  • If reimbursement based on actuals is selected, receipts of $75 or more are required as attachments in the system.
    • A school or unit may require all receipts.
    • Prepare for actual reimbursement with these Stanford resources:
      • The eReceipts app allows users to upload and share images of receipts with preparers.
      • The Stanford Travel Packet allows travelers to collect and save travel receipts.
• Download the relevant travel supplier apps, such as airlines and hotels to receive timely travel updates and ensure access to services and amenities only available through the mobile app.

Submit an expense report

• If the traveler chose personal funds or a Travel Card, an expense report for domestic SU payees or an expense report for foreign SU payees will need to be completed.
• If the traveler received an advance, the advance will need to be cleared in expense requests.

Reimburse Stanford for travel expenses, if needed:

• Personal expenses charged to a Travel Card should be returned by SU payees.
• Unused advance funds should be returned by SU Payees who received a travel advance but did not use the entire amount.

Visit the Topic Overview: Reimbursements and Expense Reports for more information.

A formal letter of invitation should be provided to the visitor to summarize the terms of the visit. Visitors should be advised that they are expected to adhere to Stanford’s travel guidelines regarding class of flight, lodging costs, and meal costs. Departments may utilize the Visitor Travel Policy Letter Template to summarize these policies and tailor the content as needed as business units may have more restrictive guidelines.

Detailed information about what should be included in the letter of invitation is provided in the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Domestic Visitors. All visitor travel must be in compliance with Business and Travel expense policies.

Visitors are reimbursed for eligible out-of-pocket travel expenses. Travel advances and per diem for visitors are not allowed; they must be reimbursed for actual expenses.

For all payment and reimbursement options and instructions, including using Digital Payments to reimburse eligible expenses, visit the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Domestic Visitors.

• Travel arrangers may book travel for a visitor through the Stanford Travel Program (see below for options).
• Consider economical and sustainable options when booking airfare, hotels, rental cars, and ground transportation to support Stanford's sustainability goals.
• A department Travel Card or personal card may be used to book travel for visitors, including when it is booked through Stanford Travel.
• See information for groups or multiple travelers if that applies to the trip.

To book visitors, or Stanford affiliates who do not have a SUNet ID, the booking channels options are:

• Egencia: the guest management feature allows travel arrangers to create a guest profile template to book travel for a visitor or to enable them to book on their own. See Setup and Manage Guest Travel Profiles in Egencia. Note that Stanford faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral scholars already have Egencia profiles and should not be booked using the guest profile template.
• Key Travel: this booking channel is best for those who need to book multiple travelers together on one reservation (such as families traveling with young children). Learn how to Book Multi-Person Travel Using Key Travel.

This chart shows some of each booking channel's unique features to consider when booking travel for a visitor(s).

Submit an expense report

• If the traveler paid for the trip with personal funds they can be reimbursed (if eligible) with Digital Payments or through an expense report for non-SU payees (visitor reimbursement).
• If Stanford paid for the visitor’s travel with a Travel Card, the preparer can submit an expense report for SU payees to clear the expenses and, if needed, reimburse the visitor for eligible out-of-pocket travel expenses. The traveler/visitor is added as a beneficiary on the expense request.

Visit the Topic Overview: Reimbursements and Expense Reports for more information.

Before a Stanford employee arranges travel for an international visitor, they must identify:

• Type of activity the visitor will perform
• Type of entry visa the visitor requires for that activity (if applicable)
• Permissible expenses and payment option(s) according to the visitor’s visa and activity

For instructions on how to identify this information and determine payment or reimbursement options, visit the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Foreign Visitors.

Once the travel arranger has identified the visitor's required documents and payment or reimbursement options, the travel arranger should provide a formal letter of invitation summarizing the terms of the visit.

Visitors should be advised that they are expected to adhere to Stanford’s Travel Guidelines regarding class of flight, lodging costs and meal costs. Departments may utilize the Visitor Travel Policy Letter Template to summarize these policies and tailor the content as needed as business units may have more restrictive guidelines.

Detailed information about what should be included in the letter of invitation is provided in the Topic Overview: Inviting and Paying Foreign Visitors. All visitor travel must be in compliance with Business and Travel expense policies.

• Travel arrangers may book travel for a visitor through the Stanford Travel Program (see below options).
• Consider economical and sustainable options when booking airfare, hotels, rental cars, and ground transportation to support Stanford's sustainability goals.
• A department Travel Card or personal card may be used to book travel for visitors, including when it is booked through Stanford Travel.
• See information for groups or multiple travelers if that applies to the trip.

To book visitors, or Stanford affiliates who do not have a SUNet ID, the booking channel options are:

• Egencia: the guest management feature allows travel arrangers to create a guest profile template to book travel for a visitor or to enable them to book on their own. See Setup and Manage Guest Travel Profiles in Egencia. Note that Stanford faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral scholars already have Egencia profiles and should not be booked using the guest profile template.
• Key Travel: this booking channel is best for those who need to book multiple travelers together on one reservation (such as families traveling with young children). Learn how to Book Multi-Person Travel Using Key Travel.

See the chart above on each booking channel's unique features to consider when booking travel for a visitor(s).

Submit an expense report

• If the traveler paid for the trip with personal funds they can be reimbursed through an expense report for non-SU payees (visitor reimbursement).
• If Stanford paid for the visitor’s travel with a Travel Card, the preparer can submit an expense report for SU payees to clear the expenses and, if needed, reimburse the visitor for eligible out-of-pocket travel expenses. The traveler/visitor is added as a beneficiary on the expense request.

Visit the Topic Overview: Reimbursements and Expense Reports for more information.