Can I pay for business airfare with airline credits, points, vouchers, or gift cards and be reimbursed?

As required by the Travel Policy, all business travel airfare should be booked through the university’s contracted travel agency.  Payment for business airfare can be charged to the university’s credit card that is stored with the contracted agency (with an approved Spend Authorization #).

 

  • Airline or VISA/MC Gift Cards (either purchased or gifted) should NOT be used to purchase business airfare.   Reimbursement will be permitted with a one-time exception and tracked by the unit to prohibit future reimbursement.
  • Airfare Points/Miles/Rewards (either purchased or earned).  Personal points/miles/rewards can be used to purchase business airfare.  Business points/miles/rewards must be used to purchase business airfare.  No reimbursement is permitted for any points/miles/rewards that are applied to business airfare purchases.
  • Airline Compensation Voucher (either gifted or earned incentive from airline to voluntary recipient with oversold flights) must NOT BE used to purchase business airfare.  No reimbursement is permitted for airline compensation vouchers that are applied to business airfare purchases.
  • Personal Unused Credit Voucher (earned from voluntary or involuntary cancellation of a personal flight) can be used to purchase business airfare. Reimbursement is permitted (with receipt documentation) up to the cost of the new business airfare only.  No residual loss can be reimbursed for applying personally earned unused credit value to business airfare of lesser cost.  No reimbursement permitted for change/service fees for use of personally earned unused credit.
  • Business Unused Credit Voucher (earned from voluntary or involuntary cancellation of a business flight) should be used to purchase new business airfare.  If original flight purchased with university’s credit card, no reimbursement is permitted.  If original flight purchased with personal credit card, unit must verify approval for purchase (either T# or SA#) – if approved, verify any previous reimbursement to avoid duplicate payment.