Traveler quick tips

Planning Your Travel

  • Initiate your spend authorization (SA#) in Workday as early as possible to get approval before any university payment methods are used to procure travel related expenses.
  • Consult the Travel Office or your College/VP Area’s Service Center for available payment options to avoid out of pocket expenses.
  • Review the university’s Travel Policy prior to expending personal/university funds for travel related expenses.
  • Prepare thoroughly for travel outside the United States
  • Book airfare, hotel or rental car for Individual Business Travel with the university’s contracted supplier (Corporate Travel Planners) via online booking tool or agent assist.
    • For Athletics team/individual bookings, contact Anthony Travel.
    • For Group (10+ pax with same itinerary) bookings, contact the ScholarTrip.
  • Economy plus, seating upgrades or pre-boarding options for airfare are not permitted.
  • First class airfare is prohibited.
  • Review Per Diem rates for meal/incidental allowances.
  • Lodging must not exceed either the conference rate or twice the federal lodging rate for the business travel location (between 1.5 and 2 times requires additional justification).
  • If renting a vehicle, use Ohio State's business rental agreement with Enterprise, National or Hertz, which includes all required insurances when rented domestically (note exceptions for International rentals)

 

Before you go

  • Notify all credit card providers, including Ohio State PCards (if applicable), of your travel destination so card use is not hampered by fraud controls.
  • Verify all reservation and itinerary information for accuracy.
  • Store copies of all reservation and itinerary documentation in paper form, at a cloud accessible location, or download them to a travel app (e.g. TripIt), so they are readily available while traveling.
  • If you booked your trip through one of the university’s contracted travel agencies, confirm and/or update your current contact information for assistance while traveling (e.g. flight changes, delays, et al).
  • Notify a family member, friend, colleague, et al of your travel plans and contact information while traveling.

 

While Traveling

  • Maintain all receipts as required by the Travel Policy.

  • Keep all travel identification (Driver’s License, Passport, etc.), credit cards and cash in a secure location.

  • Always carry an emergency contact card with you.

 

When You Return

  • Submit your expense report in Workday including receipts, and other required documentation within 60 days of transaction date (refer to your College/VP Area’s Service Center for additional directives).
  • Confirm that all expenses have a documented business purpose and align with Travel Policy.

 

NOTE:  The Traveler Quick Tips noted above contains general tips and may not be inclusive of all items necessary for coordinating or processing your business travel.  Consult your Service Center, the Travel Office, travel agency or other travel resources to ensure all basic requirements are considered.

For additional assistance, contact the Ohio State Travel Office: travel@osu.edu or 614-292-9290.