Group Travel Information Session

• What is Group Travel?
  • A group of 10+ individuals who are traveling for university business to a common place for a common purpose, sharing the same itinerary not related to individual business or athletic Travel
• Key Requirements
  • Advanced Planning and Coordination: to ensure availability of flights, room blocks, and transportation reservations
  • Group Spend Authorization: required for budget approval and duty of care purposes
  • Use of Contracted Suppliers: Airfare must be booked with ScholarTrip as required in Travel Policy.

Planning Checklist:

• Confirm destination, travel dates, and number of travelers (10+)
• Gather expense estimates and list of proposed travelers for Group Spend Authorization
• Request Group Quotes - up to 11 months before departure
  • Group Airfare
  • Lodging Block
  • Multi-Traveler Ground Transportation
  • Tour and Land Services
• Establish budget and funding source
• Consider payment methods for Group expenses
• Note important deadlines and other trip specific preparations

Payment Method Considerations:

• Group Airfare
  • Airfare Payment Credit Card (Ghost) with Group Travel Agency
• Lodging
  • GET PCard
• Ground Transportation
  • Get PCard
• Tour/Land Services (may include lodging and ground transportation)
  • Purchase Order
• Incidentals (e.g., museum fees, et al)
  • GET PCard

Overview:

• Establish a Group External Committee Member (ECM)
• Create a Group Spend Authorization (SA)
• Submit a GET PCard Application Request

What is a Group ECM:

• A Group ECM is the payee name in Workday created specifically for group travel
• ECM name should be unique to trip purpose, destination, and timeframe ('Honors Program - London - Spring 2026')
• Used as placeholder for the "payee" in a Group Spend Authorization
• Inactivation date should be set (60 days after trip end date) and not reused for future group trips
• Job Aid: ECM - Find|Create|Change an External Committee Member

What is a Group SA:

• A Group SA is established to consolidate expense estimates for a group of travelers with the same business purpose, travel itinerary, and funding source
• Group SA must include an attached list of the 10+ travelers
• Job Aid: SA - Create a Spend Authorization (for Non-Worker)

Unique Circumstances:

• Individuals that are part of Group Travel will need an individual Spend Authorization in their name when....
  • Individual has a different flight itinerary then the group (e.g., advisor traveling separately)
  • Individual will have reimbursable expenses (e.g. per diem)
  • Individual is eligible for a cash advance - limited circumstances
• Individual SA should always reference the Group SA for audit/reconciliation purposes

GET PCard:

• Issued to employees for procurement of business travel expenditures
• Valid for one specific trip only
• Limits based on trip needs
• Must have an approved Spend Authorization
• ATM use permitted with withdraw limit percentage specified and SFO approval
• Submit GET Application at least 2-3 weeks before trip departure
• Job Aid - PCard - Application Request and Maintenance Request

Overview:

• Arranging may begin before final traveler count or Spend Authorization approval (e.g., initiate quotes for group airfare)
• ScholarTrip is the contracted agency for Group Travel - visit Contact a Travel Agent
• Airfare - must be booked through ScholarTrip per travel policy
• ScholarTrip can assist with all group travel arrangements - lodging, ground transportation, and land/tour services
• Units may arrange lodging and ground transportation directly with suppliers if costs are within bid threshold

Airfare Pricing:

• Group airfare may cost more than individual fare because pricing is based on a block of seats across multiple fare classes
• Benefits include:
  • Flexible name changes
  • Extended ticketing deadlines
  • Coordinated group seating
• Group Airfare quote can take 3-7 business days (or longer) depending on:
  • Airline response time - group bookings require manual processing by airlines
  • Number of travelers - larger groups take more coordination
  • Travel dates/routes - complex itineraries or peak travel seasons can add time

Group Travel Timeline

• Request a quote - Up to 11 months prior to departure
• Confirm the booking - Within 1 week of quoting (sign contract and submit deposits)
• Commitment day - Around 3 months prior to departure; deadline to reduce group size or cancel without penalties (90 to 120 days for group land)
• Names and final payment - Around 45-60 days prior to departure
• Group departure - Within 30 days of departure; pre-departure planning and travel support
• Group return - Within 30 days of return; program debrief and feedback

Group Air vs Group Land

• Group Air
  • Controlled by airline inventory
  • Pricing and deadlines are set by the airline
  • Commitment deadline is the key decision point
  • Names and ticketing occur later in the process
  • Paid centrally using the university airfare credit card
• Group Land
  • Controlled by individual vendors
  • Often require earlier commitments than airfare
  • Rooming lists and PO numbers are required to finalize
  • Invoices are processed and paid through procurement

• All group travel expenses must be processed promptly in compliance with Travel and PCard policies
• Airfare transactions assigned by the Travel Office to Group ECM in Workday
  • Group SA initiator processes airfare on Expense Report linked to Group SA
• GET PCard Transactions (e.g., lodging, museum fees) are reassigned by PCardholder to Group ECM in Workday.
  • Processed on Expense Report linked to Group SA
• Expenses paid with personal funds should be rare but may occur for expenses like per diem.  Per Diem must be processed on an Expense Report and linked back to the individual SA.  Group SA should also be referenced in the comments for audit purposes
• Job Aid - ER - Create an Expense Report (Travel) (for Non-Worker)

• Travel Website
• BuckeyeLearn Travel Training
• Administrative Resource Center
• Contact a Travel Agent
• Travisa