Current Travel Restriction Guidelines and Processes

Currently, University travel guidelines remain in place for all Purdue University (WL) faculty, staff and students who are traveling for work or in connection to a course, including Purdue Extension and Polytechnic Statewide.

Purdue Travel will update travel and booking processes to align with travel guidelines while continuing to support the University’s budget and financial goals.

More information on COVID can be found on the Protect Purdue website.

You may also review Frequently Asked Questions related to travel restrictions and spend reduction efforts.

Travel Waivers

Travel waivers are not needed for travel occurring on or after Aug. 16, 2021.

Travel Card Limits

Travel card (T card) monthly limits were reduced to $1 in support of the previously announced travel restrictions, and these limits will be the new standard operating process going forward. Card limits will be increased temporarily on a trip-by-trip basis.

In order to increase a travel card’s limit, the following must happen:

If travel is booked through Concur or the University's travel agency, the T card will be temporarily available to support the trip information.
If travel is booked outside of Concur, the traveler, or their delegate, should request a temporary card increase using the online form.

Card limit increases will be available for up to two weeks after the trip to allow charges to post and will then automatically reset to $1.

Use of University Methods vs. Private Booking

The T card is the University's preferred payment method for travel expenses, and Concur or the University's travel contracted agency are the preferred methods to book reservations because they provide a number of benefits to the traveler.

Travelers who choose to privately book travel arrangements or pay for expenses on their own should be aware of the requirements and warnings listed below.

Non-refundable/transferable airline tickets will not be reimbursed by Purdue if the flight is canceled.
Anthony Travel cannot assist the traveler with any changes to reservations if they were booked privately.
If using a personal credit card, an expense report cannot be submitted until travel is complete.

Travel Cancellations

When travel arrangements are canceled, there may be costs associated with the cancellation. An attempt should be made by the traveler to request refunds, transfer tickets or otherwise minimize financial impact to the University. All remaining expenses should be submitted using standard processes, including the rollout of the new expense report process.

Costs associated with canceled employee travel will be covered by the University to the extent they are allowable and not recoverable through other means.

Any refunds or credits received for University employee business travel (including sponsor-funded travel) must be used for the benefit of the University (or the original funding source).

Registration Fees

Contact the event organizer for direction on how to obtain a refund.

Agency-booked Arrangements

Contact purduetravel@aaa-alliedgroup.com for help with the related travel cancellations.

Arrangements Booked Directly with the Supplier or through a Third-party (e.g. Expedia)

Contact the supplier or third-party company to cancel reservations and request refunds.

Supplier Issued Cancellation Waivers

Waivers may only cover the change fee and may have specific date restrictions for original travel dates, rebooking timing or new travel dates. Airlines also may provide an unused ticket/credit for future use. Any applicable airline change fees will be assessed once you use the ticket. Airline tickets are valid for one year from the date of issue. If the ticket involved is "basic economy," a waiver or refund is unlikely due to the ticket restrictions.

Travel Expense Report and Reimbursement

Expenses incurred for essential travel should be submitted using standard processes, including the rollout of the new expense report process.

COVID-19 related expense reports should also include the following comments:

Canceled due to COVID-19
If a refund was rejected, include documentation of the refund rejection from the supplier.
If a credit was provided, identify what type of credit was received for cancellation (e.g. booking profile credit, voucher for future travel, refund).

The following expenses are not reimbursable:

Expenses paid on a personal card when the trip is canceled

Accounting for Refunded and Canceled Travel Expenses

Any refunded amounts should be provided to your business office or finance support staff, and the accounting transaction to record this activity should return the amount to the original funding source, whether sponsored or non-sponsored funds are involved.

Questions about sponsored fund refunds should be directed to your Post Award Office administrator in Sponsored Program Services. Since a direction has not yet been provided by federal agencies, departments should track COVID-19 related charges or credits on sponsored projects in case federal agency guidance requires a change to be made.

Airfare Waivers and Refund Clarification

Partial Refunds

If you made a travel reservation or other travel-related expense outside of Concur or the University's travel agency and are unable to get a full refund, submit an expense reimbursement request for the non-refunded amount if the expense is allowable.
Provide any backup documentation you have to support the request. In some situations, the airline will not have provided any written documentation. Do your best to thoroughly document your efforts and the airline responses.

Electronic Credit (e-credit)

Most airlines are only issuing e-credits and not providing refunds.
The e-credit is issued in the name of the traveler regardless of the manner in which the travel was paid.
Name changes on tickets usually incur a fee of $100-150 and are not waived by most airlines.
An e-credit typically requires travel to occur within a year of the original ticket purchase date. This should be verified with the airline when rebooking travel arrangements.

Using e-credit for Personal Use

If you book travel outside of Concur and paid for the reservation on a T card, you must work with your business office to return the funds to the University.
No additional steps are necessary if you used personal payment methods.

More information on COVID-19 can be found on the Protect Purdue website. Questions may be directed to purduetravel@purdue.edu.

Online Conference and Workshop Registrations

Fees of $1,000 or more should be reviewed by the appropriate business office before the conference or registration is booked.
Online conferences should be paid by:
- Individuals who have a Purdue Travel Card:
  - Request a temporary card increase using the online form.
  - Enter the conference fee in the "Single Transaction $$ Increase to" field.
  - Select attend a Virtual Conference.
  - Submit the form.
- Individuals without a Purdue Travel Card:
  - Department Purchasing Card should be used.
  - If the charge does not go through, contact pcard@purdue.edu for assistance. The Merchant Category Code (MCC) may need to be opened for the card to post.