Self-Service Guide

Before Traveling:

You will need to register with Concur before you can begin using the site to make travel arrangements.

A few tips for registration:

Use your work email address as your Concur Login.
Fill out all fields. Phone numbers are required for travel agents to contact you in an emergency. A cellphone number is recommended to be able to receive text updates about your flights.
Once you have registered, fill out your Travel Profile.
- Birthdates are required by airlines to purchase tickets.
- You can add frequent flyer and Global Entry numbers to link them to your flights automatically.
- You can include airline or seat preferences.
- You can upload your personal credit card information in order to reserve hotels and rental cars.

I Need to Travel:

Travel requests should be submitted no later than 2 weeks before departure. International travel can require additional approvals and should be submitted at least 6 weeks in advance.
Submit the Request for Travel Authorization. You can find it in the left column of the Requests Home page under “Expense Requests.” See image below for reference.

Screenshot of the University of Texas at Austin Request Forms home page. It features a navigation menu with links to request forms, including expense requests like entertainment payment, payment, purchase, travel authorization, and travel reimbursement requests.

Fill out the form to the best of your ability. Concrete details must be submitted with the request in order to be approved: exact dates of travel, cost estimate, and all cities included in the trip. All requests lacking these details will be returned.
To enter the cost estimate, you will need to indicate that a UT account will be used for travel by clicking the appropriate radio button under “Account Information.” Account numbers can be added in by the admin staff once it reaches us.

Screenshot of the UT Account Information and Expenditure Breakdown interface. It includes fields for estimated cost, account description, and account number. The traveler has an option to list a breakdown for meals, lodging, transportation, and other expenses. A checkbox is provided for travelers who need assistance with booking travel arrangements or conference registration.

After filling in your travel details, AET employees should assign their request to the Department Chair using their EID. (EIDs for UT employees are available on the UT Directory.)
After filling in your travel details, DES employees should assign their request to Group 00370.

Screenshot of the Travel Authorization Request: Assign page. It prompts the user to select an assignee with a dropdown menu under the 'Assign to' label. A red error message says 'Select an assignee' if none is chosen.

You will receive an email notifying you when the trip has been final approved. This email will include an RTA number and a VE5 Document ID (example below). You will need both these numbers to book flights and to request reimbursement for travel related expenses.
Requests you’ve created, as well as their status, can be found in your My Requests inbox.

Find and Book Travel Arrangements on Concur:

After you have completed your Concur registration and your travel has been approved, you can use Concur to find and book travel arrangements much like Expedia or Travelocity.
- Flights can be direct billed to the University for business travel.
Travelers who book with Concur can call:
- 888-940-6696 – Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm
- 800-342-9008 – after-hours emergency service
There is also a Concur mobile app that can help travelers manage their itinerary on the go.

Flights:

Search for flights in the lefthand sidebar. You can specify airports, carriers, and departure times. Robust filter options are available such as price, duration, or number of stops. UT preferred airlines are noted.
Select your flight.
Review details. You can add hotel reservations at this time if you wish.
Enter payment details under “Select a Method of Payment”
For direct billed flights only, use the dropdown menu to select the “CONCUR UTTRVLMGNTSVC” credit card option.
Continue moving through the pages. When prompted, enter RTA and DOC ID Numbers you received via email in the correct field and finalize ticketing process.

Rental Cars:

Rental cars can be reserved with a personal credit card on Concur or you can direct bill a car rental through Enterprise or National. Direct billing is the easiest way to book a rental car as UT rates and requirements are built in.

Screenshot of the Reserve a Vehicle interface from Enterprise. It includes fields to input the pick-up and return location, date and time for vehicle pick-up and return, and renter age. There's an option to enter a corporate account number, select a vehicle class, and check a box to indicate if booking on behalf of someone else.

Hotels:

Hotels can be booked using Concur, however, per UT policy you will need to hold the reservations with a personal credit card. You can upload your credit card information to your travel profile.
Airbnbs are once again an approved lodging option during your University-related business travel, though you would have to book those through their website.
For travel in Texas, a Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemption Form must be submitted at check-in. As a state organization, UT travelers are exempt from Texas state taxes but may still be charged for city taxes.

Submit Your Travel Receipts for Reimbursement:

Once you have returned, please submit your receipts within 60 days. Though we try and process reimbursements as soon as possible, it can take anywhere from 1 – 2 months to receive your reimbursement, and those payments may be dispersed in separate payments depending on funding sources.

Filenames for uploaded documents must follow this naming convention: “RTANumber-LastName-Destination-Type.”
- For example: TV22166419-Hanson-LasVegas-Hotel.jpg
For daily expenses incurred while traveling, you can choose to track your individual purchases and submit receipts, or you can claim “per diem” and receive the state approved daily amount for your destination. A mix of the two options is also acceptable. Please note, individual receipts can take longer to process and are subject to additional rules around gratuity, official occasion expenses, and tax exemption.
Due to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations and the Safe Harbor rules, expenses older than 60 days require a written explanation as to the reasons for the lateness. These late reimbursement requests will also require additional levels of approval and may even run the risk of being disallowed entirely or reported as taxable income to the payee.