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The Stanford Travel team and our Stanford partners have used this pause to improve how we will support you once travel resumes. We have added a new student travel booking channel, made changes to the Travel Card to make it easier to manage during COVID, updated how travel expenses are entered in ERS to ensure compliance with policy, and we are planning a two-day event in March to update you on these and other travel and business expense topics.
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This policy is now codified in Administrative Guide Policy 5.4.2: Business and Travel Expenses.
The policy requires the use of a centralized travel booking program (Stanford Travel) when faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and students are booking airfare, hotels, or rental cars for university-sponsored travel.
Use of a Stanford Travel booking channel automatically registers travel reservations in the university’s Travel Registry, which connects to Stanford’s provider of medical, personal, travel and security assistance. This allows the university to locate and support its travelers in the event of an emergency.
An overview of the policy, including which travel purchases are excluded from the booking policy, is available on Fingate.
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While StudentUniverse is available to all employees, most of their discounts and benefits are designed for students. Students may use this channel to book all travel, including university-sponsored travel and personal flights to and from campus sessions. StudentUniverse is the recommended option for students traveling to Stanford overseas programs.
StudentUniverse offers discounts on student airfare, a support team with expertise in international and domestic air travel, and, like the other Stanford Travel booking channels, automatically registers travel reservations in the university’s Travel Registry. Students can purchase individual or group bookings through the StudentUniverse portal for Stanford or through a StudentUniverse agent.
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Mileage and Lodging Rates Updated for 2021
Both mileage reimbursement rates and lodging guidance have been updated on Fingate for 2021.
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The 2021 Mileage Reimbursement Rates cover the use of a personally-owned automobile for Stanford-sponsored travel or relocation. The 2021 hotel and lodging rate maximums, including guidance for higher-cost locations, are available on the Lodging Policy webpage. For reference, the 2020 hotel and lodging rate maximums will remain in the same location through the end of February.
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Travel Card Changes to Accommodate COVID Impact
As of January 25, you can now extend the business expense end date on outstanding Travel Card (TCard) transactions for airfare in the Expense Requests System (ERS) to two years in the future. This ERS change aligns with the ticket expiration extensions now offered by the major airlines. You can learn more about How to Handle Unused Airline Tickets on Fingate.
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If your TCard expires soon and you are working remotely due to COVID, you can submit a request to have the new card delivered to your current location rather than your campus location. Learn how to change your TCard mailing address.
As a reminder, be sure to keep your TCard secured and do not share an individual TCard with others. Learn more about proper travel card use on the TCard program overview webpage.
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ERS Updates Support Travel Compliance and Monitoring
Two recent ERS updates affect how travel expenses are entered in the system.
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To ensure compliance with tax reporting regulations, SU Payee transactions now require information about who benefits from an expense, such as the name of the traveler who used an airline ticket, along with supporting documentation.
Preparers must also indicate the Stanford Travel booking channel used to purchase airfare, lodging, and car rental (previously preparers only had to indicate the booking channel for airfare purchases). This change allows for monitoring of compliance with the new Stanford Travel Booking policy.
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Virtual Business Expense and Stanford Travel Festival March 9-10
For the latest information and updates on travel topics and business expenses, join the two-day virtual Business Expense and Stanford Travel Festival (BEST Fest). The mornings-only event includes:
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- March 9: Travel topics: booking channel overviews, answers to common travel questions, and information about the safety procedures of travel providers.
- March 10: Business Expense topics: policy and procedure updates and reminders, including COVID-impacted expenses.
Details and Zoom links will be posted on the Business Expense and Stanford Travel Events webpage, and recordings will be available after the event.
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Travel Resources
Use these resources to stay informed and to get help with travel questions.
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Fingate resources:
Slack channels:
- Follow the Stanford Travel Slack channel #fms-stanford-travel for announcements and updates.
- Follow the Stanford-wide FMS channel #fms-news to stay updated on important financial news, tools, and deadlines.
Get help:
- Submit a support request to:
- For urgent travel requests, you can call the Stanford Travel team directly at 650-497-1214.
Traveling for SLAC? Visit the SLAC Travel website
For SLAC-specific travel information and tips, visit the Travel @ SLAC website or subscribe to the new Travel @ SLAC newsletter to stay up-to-date on SLAC travel topics.
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