UW-River Falls

TRAVELPORT FAQ

May I continue to use a brick and mortar travel agency for booking air travel?

Yes. Use of the contract with Fox World Travel is only mandatory for airfare booked on-line using the Internet.

Why is the State forcing me to use Travelport when I can get the same fares by booking direct on the airlines’ websites or from a commercial generic site at no charge?

While some airlines do not charge a service fee, most commercial booking sites now do. Some of the additional benefits that accrue as a result of the contract not generally or readily available when using the commercial or airlines’ websites include:

UW System policies and travel contracts embedded in Travelport web portal
Access to all major airlines’ fares (Southwest Airlines excluded), not just the specific carrier’s
fares when going to their websites
Electronic fare auditor which searches for and rebooks lower fares as found
Ticket inventory which allows usage of unused ticket value toward future trips
24 hour traveler assistance
UW earns corporate frequent flyer points in addition to those earned by the traveler
Ability to cancel a purchased non-refundable ticket by 5:00 PM the following business day
without penalty. Cancellations may be done on Travelport. Agent fee is non-refundable.
Regularly scheduled Travelport web-based familiarization sessions
Reporting capability which is the first required step toward negotiated fare discounts with the
airlines

If I find a lower fare on another commercial internet site, may I book it?

You may purchase the lower fare but in accordance with state procurement rules (Reference PRO-D-32) you must then provide written documentation and a print screen from the Travelport quote with your claim for reimbursement. If payment was made using the US Bank ProTravel card, the written documentation and print screen must be attached to the bank statement for audit purposes.

Note:
Acceptance of a lower fare from a non-contract vendor should be weighed against the lost benefits i.e., fare auditor, unused ticket inventory, 24 hour traveler assistance, etc. of not using Travelport.

Why is the default for departure and return times on Travelport set at 4 hours?

State/UW travel regulations (Ref Section III. A. 1) require a 4 hour window.

Note: You have the ability to change the window to a longer period to open up the possibility of finding cheaper fares. You should not, however, lower it below 4 hours unless you have an acceptable justification for doing so. Written justification will be required when seeking reimbursement.

May I use Travelport for booking personal (non-business) airfare?

No. (See question and answer below concerning booking for non-employee traveling companions.)

May I use Travelport for booking a trip which is part personal and part business?

Yes, if the primary purpose for the trip is business.

May I book air travel arrangements with Fox World Travel for an accompanying non-employee spouse/friend?

You may but the contracted service fee cannot be used for the non-employee. A higher fee ($29) will be charged for the non-employee’s ticket, and the reservation for the non-employee will have to be made by phoning Fox World Travel with the information from your cloned reservation on Travelport.

Is there a capability to and must I use Travelport to book UW business related airfare for nonemployees, i.e. interview candidates, speakers, students, etc.?

It is not mandatory but you do have the ability to book airfare for non-employees if that expense will be paid by UW administered funds. It provides safeguards and the capability for cost savings, something that allowing the non-employee to book their travel doesn’t provide.

Why am I required to charge my airfare to a US Bank Corporate Travel card or a US Bank ProTravel Card?

The State Department of Administration has mandated that all airfare be paid by either of the above two methods. Choice of payment method has been left up to each UW Institution’s administration. Contact your institution travel coordinator or ProTravel card administrator for information and assistance with your institution’s selected payment options. Use of other personal liability credit cards, i.e. Discover, American Express, etc. is not authorized and may result in a reimbursement disallowance.

Note: Display of unauthorized charge card payment options in Travelport are beyond the control of the State of Wisconsin or Fox World Travel and do not relieve the employee from compliance with State of Wisconsin or campus policy.

Must I charge my airfare to the US Bank Corporate Travel Card or ProTravel card if I am personally paying for a portion of my airfare?

(Example: Flight costs $600 but UW administered funds are only going to reimburse me for $300 of the cost.)

Because use of the ProTravel card for payment might result in a cost recovery situation for the UW, the ProTravel card should not be used. If the traveler has a US Bank Travel Card, it should be used.

What documentation must I submit for payment/reimbursement purposes?

A copy of the electronic invoice which you will receive via email from Fox World Travel must be attached to your TER along with either a print screen from US Bank Access Online of the transaction or a copy of the statement. This is required for both the Corporate Travel and ProTravel cards.

What will happen if I purchase a fare that is labeled “out of policy” meaning not the lowest fare offered by Travelport?

You will have to select a reason code from a drop down box. Note: The choices of “Airline preference”; “Business Class”; and “First Class” will seldom be an acceptable justification for not selecting the lowest fare. Your fare will be listed on an Exception Report which will be provided monthly to the Institution Business Office and the UW System Travel Office. Assuming the fare purchased is not significantly more costly than the lowest logical fare offered and the reason for selecting it is acceptable, nothing will happen. Written documentation will be required when seeking reimbursement. If payment was made using the US Bank ProTravel card, the written documentation and print screen must be attached to the bank statement for audit purposes.

Will I still earn frequent flyer points on my air travel purchased through FWT?

Yes. The policy on earning and using frequent flyer points has not changed. Reference section III. A. 7 UW Travel Regulations for details

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