To: Formal Notice to All Employees, Campus Unit Finance Leads, University Business Managers, T&E Card Accountholders
From: Rebecca Spanos, Travel and Payment Card Services Manager
This email has been submitted to the mass email system for all campus users and should be distributed later today throughout campus. We are sending this email as a heads-up to business staff. Please ensure your team is aware of the new changes coming.
Effective Feb. 1, 2023, the following changes will be implemented regarding purchasing airfare for University travel.
Airfare Purchase Requirements:
Employee airfare purchases must be made using the University travel program unless an exception applies as outlined below. The University travel program includes the Concur Travel booking tool, World Travel, Inc. (WTI), and Anthony Travel for Athletics bookings.
Booking airfare outside of the University travel program will be permissible under the following circumstances:
- The fare is not available for purchase through the University travel program.
- Limitations may be related to in-country travel, remote travel, etc.
- Significant cost savings are demonstrated to the University of at least $25 for domestic flights or $100 for international flights.
- Supporting documentation will be required and detailed in Procedure 1501.3 on Air Travel. The revised Procedure will be published on Feb. 1, 2023.
- Employee has an unused ticket credit that must be re-booked directly through the airline.
Airfare Class Upgrades:
Employees are still required to purchase economy/coach/main cabin airfare for travel within North America unless they have an approved medical accommodation in place with the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office (EOC). The allowance to upgrade flights will be expanded as follows:
- Upgraded airfare will be allowable for all Intercontinental Travel and/or non-stop flights which exceed 8 hours in duration.
- Upgrades are permissible up to and including Business Class.
- Intercontinental Travel is travel between continents such as travel from North America to Europe. As a reminder, the continent of North America includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
- All flight segments may be upgraded if the final destination is to a different continent or if at least one non-stop segment of the trip exceeds 8 hours.
Further details on these changes will be available in Policy 1501 on Business Travel and Procedure 1501.3 on Air Travel and published on Feb. 1, 2023. Please let us know if you have questions on these upcoming changes by contacting travel_team@unc.edu.