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COVID-19:
Weathering the Storm:
Support from Stanford Travel

The COVID-19 outbreak created chaos for many travelers. It also created a bevy of challenges for those who arrange and expense travel on behalf of others.
But Stanford Travel's support system has been there every step of the way to help out. "Stanford Travel came up BIG in getting me back from Berlin in the midst of the COVID chaos," wrote Stephen Hinton, faculty member with the Bing Overseas Studies Program.

"I had to call the 24-7 hotline twice to rebook, and received prompt and friendly service both times," Professor Hinton wrote. "I flew back on March 12, arriving without a hitch. Within two days, as you know, there were long lines at the U.S. airports for returning travelers from Europe — lines that were both tedious and dangerous."

Stanford Travel's partners worked long and hard to take care of travelers. Through the month of March, when airline customers were experiencing hours of frustration while on hold, Egencia answered 75 percent of its calls within 30 seconds.

In the same period, Casto answered 96 percent of all calls within 20 seconds.

Keep Up to Date on Travel Issues

Looking for real-time information about university travel? Try the announcement-only Stanford Travel Slack channel.

To join the channel:
  1. You can search for the channel in Slack or simply click here: #fms-stanfordtravelannouncements.
  2. Next, you’ll see a preview of the channel and recent posts.
  3. Click the green "Join Channel" button. You're in!
 
If you need assistance with Slack, please submit a Support Request.

Also, keep in mind that
Health Alerts: Information for Travelers provides the university's latest information regarding travel measures and updates. For questions and more information about travel impacts:
  • Visit the Travel Information page to see guidance on airline waivers, refundable and non-refundable tickets, reimbursements and booking future flight.

Beware of Travel Card Fraud

The Stanford Card Services team is seeing a rise in potential fraudulent activity on Travel Cards (TCards). To help safeguard your TCard against fraud, ensure the posted transactions are legitimate.
Stanford's card issuer, JPMorgan Chase, has provided a resource for fraud alerts. These alerts allow cardholders to receive a text message, email and/or a phone call when there’s suspected fraud on an account.

To enroll, visit https://ccportal.jpmorgan.com. For more information, see the Fingate bulletin Preventing Fraud on Credit Cards.
 
If you need assistance, please submit a Support Request to the Card Services team.

Real ID Rollout Delayed

The Department of Homeland Security has extended the the REAL ID enforcement deadline one year, to October 1, 2021, because of COVID-19.

When the time arrives, those boarding planes for commercial travel will be required to show an identification card compliant with the federal REAL ID Act. 
Examples of a valid ID include a passport or a driver’s license issued by a state where the license is compliant.The California Department of Motor Vehicles is now issuing Real ID-compliant cards.To obtain one, you’ll need documents to show proof of identity, proof of residency, etc. The California DMV has information about the REAL ID program on its website.

For more information, visit the Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID webpage.

The FMS Year in Review

Over the past two years, Financial Management Services (FMS) has been sharing updates to action plans stemming from the 2018 Client Satisfaction Survey.

The FMS Year in Review article and infographic show some examples (including Stanford Travel) where FMS worked with clients to advance solutions for efficiently managing the financial ecosystem while also maintaining the highest standards of compliance.

As the cycle for the 2018 survey comes to a close, the conversation with FMS and its clients will continue into the launch of a survey planned for 2021.
For more information, contact FMSCommunications@stanford.edu.

Our Next Office Hour: May 15

The Stanford Travel and Business Expense teams have held a series of informative, well-attended on-line sessions to discuss travel services and expense processes.
Mark your calendar for the next Office Hour: Friday, May 15 at 10 a.m.

For more information, including the Zoom link to the upcoming session and links to past presentations, check the "Events" section of the Stanford Travel homepage on Fingate.

Need Help?

The Stanford Travel email inbox is no longer monitored for internal Stanford affiliates, staff, faculty and students.  But you still can submit a support request to get a response within two to four business hours. Choose one of these two options:
Also, for urgent requests, you can call the Stanford Travel team directly at 650-497-1214.
travel.stanford.edu
Financial Management Services
Stanford University






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