Airfare

It is highly encouraged that Stanford travelers use Stanford Travel Program when booking flights, hotels, and rental cars for university-sponsored travel. The Stanford Travel Program streamlines the reimbursement process; offers discounts, benefits, and perks to travelers; and automatically registers itineraries and any booking updates in the Travel Registry. In addition, the Stanford Travel team can provide specialized assistance as needed to travelers who book through the Stanford Travel Program. For questions about the Stanford Travel Program, contact the Stanford Travel team. 

For information on the booking processes for various types of travelers, see Topic Overview: Planning and Booking Travel. 

The Fly America Act requires all flights charged to federal awards be booked with U.S. flag air carriers, with certain exceptions (listed below). The requirement applies to all travelers, including a foreign visitor's flights when supported by federal funds.  If a sponsored, non-federal award allows for other flights, documentation must be included with the expense request that demonstrates that exception.

If there is no U.S. carrier to the destination, the traveler must take a U.S. carrier as far as possible. By law, any additional cost incurred by selecting a U.S. carrier flight is not sufficient justification to fly on foreign carriers.

While Fingate maintains a list of U.S. flag air carriers, it changes frequently, so a best practice is for travelers to check the airline's website to confirm that the airline is incorporated in the U.S.  To help travelers and travel arrangers to quickly identify FAA-compliant flights, two of the Stanford Travel booking channels, Egencia and Key Travel, identify  flights that comply with the Fly America Act (FAA) in their search results.
 

U.S. Flag Carrier Flights Operated by Foreign Air Carriers (Codesharing)

Occasionally, two or more airlines will “codeshare” a flight by selling a seat on the same flight under their own airline name and flight number. To comply with Fly America Act regulations, travelers must purchase the flight through the U.S. airline’s name (also called a designator) and flight number if the flight is shared between a U.S. and a foreign airline. If a flight is a codeshare and operated by a foreign carrier, the flight option will indicate "operated by" followed by the name of that carrier.

For example:

• American Airlines flight AA1234 operated by British Airways meets the requirements for FAA.
• The same flight purchased as British Airways BA780 does not meet Fly America Act requirements.

An itinerary, invoice or boarding pass normally provides proof of codeshare. You must provide documentation showing the U.S. carrier code and flight number to charge the flight to a federal award. This documentation is required by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
 

Exceptions to Fly America Act, Including Open Skies Agreements

If any portion of a flight using federally sponsored funds is not flown on a U.S. air carrier, a Certification of Exception to Fly America Act must be completed and attached to the Expense Request at the time of reimbursement as support for using a foreign air carrier. If at least one exception listed on the form applies to the flight (for example, the flight touches down in an EU country), then travel may be completed using a foreign air carrier.

Another exception to the Fly America Act is the Open Skies Agreement. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) states that qualifying travelers whose travel is supported by federal funds may travel on certain foreign airlines as well as U.S. flag air carriers without the need for codesharing.

Nonrefundable airfares are generally preferred because they are typically more cost effective. However, there may be instances where a refundable fare is appropriate due to comparable pricing or when it is the only option for a traveler. If a refundable fare is chosen, an explanation should be included with the reimbursement request.

Economy Class Fares 

The university pays for air travel in economy class for all domestic and international flights. The university recommends selecting an economy class fare that allows for changes to the flight and includes any of the following:

• Early boarding (such as the Southwest Airlines EarlyBird Check-In and Upgraded Boarding)
• Pre-assigned seats
• Extended legroom (such as United Airlines Economy Plus seats or equivalent seats on other airlines)
• Carry-on baggage with no extra fee

These components may be included in the airfare or charged separately as an ancillary fee. Global Entry, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck, and individual carbon credit/offset fees added to airfare are not reimbursable.

If economy fares are not available for the travel period and the most direct route, the next higher level of fare may be selected, but a fare comparison must be provided to demonstrate it was not available.

Not Recommended: Basic Economy is a highly restrictive airfare which may not allow any changes under any circumstance, and may lead to financial loss. For these reasons, the university does not recommend purchasing Basic Economy airfare and these fares are not available through the Stanford Travel Program.

Higher Fare Classes, Such as Business Class Fare 

Business class is permissible for international flights with a duration of eight hours or more (including connecting domestic legs, excluding layover time). Connecting flights for international travel qualify for business class fare if they are scheduled within the same 24 hour period as the primary flight. The 24 hour period begins with departure time of the first flight of the trip. 

A higher class of fare may be allowed based on documented medical needs by submitting a medical waiver request.

For all airfare classes above economy (e.g., premium economy, business class, etc.), there are two options to appropriately allocate the expense in order to support appropriate cost allocation:

• Option 1: Document a fare comparison for the cost of an economy flight in order to ensure that any amount over the economy fare is allocated to an unallowable expenditure type, and when necessary, to an unrestricted award as well.
• Option 2: Allocate one-third of the cost to an allowable expenditure type and the remaining two-thirds to an unallowable expenditure type, which may also require an unrestricted award.

See Purpose and Use of Expenditure Type Codes for more information regarding allowable and unallowable expenses.

The above process also supports compliance when a sponsored or restricted award is used as the funding source of the airfare. Either option ensures that only the cost of an economy fare is charged to an allowable expenditure type, supporting Stanford’s ability to readily identify and exclude the excess expenses from its indirect cost calculation. For more information on allowability, refer to DoResearch: Cost Principles.

If a ticket has to be changed and a penalty is incurred, the traveler may request payment from the university for the penalty. Fees associated with changes to the itinerary, provided there is a business reason (i.e., previously confirmed meeting dates or time have changed), are allowable on sponsored and non-sponsored projects and are reimbursable to the traveler. However, itinerary changes due to meetings ending early are considered a personal expense and are not reimbursable.

When trips must be canceled, travelers are encouraged to rebook tickets for travel at a later date whenever possible. If it is not possible to use the ticket within the rebooking timeframe, it may nevertheless be reimbursable with proper documentation. Learn more about managing or requesting reimbursement for an unused airline ticket.

Stanford business trips using chartered services (including planes and helicopters) require a signed contract, which should be completed through the university’s Procurement contract process. The Purchasing and Contracts Department must review and approve any contract or agreement with the service provider prior to using chartered aircraft services.

In most cases, the Stanford Travel Card (TCard) is the recommended payment option for airfare. Alternatively, personal funds may be used and a request for reimbursement can be submitted after the trip. For more information on reimbursement methods and documentation requirements, see the Business and Travel Expenses page.