Managing the Effects of Coronavirus on University Travel

 

Main Travel Page 

 

AIRFARE EXPENSES – UNIVERSITY PAID

  • If you arranged your travel through Cameo Sabine Travel Agency or any other travel agency, please contact that agency to cancel your airfare. At this time, most airlines are not issuing refunds, but are issuing credit towards a future flight to be completed within 1 year of the purchase date of the original ticket and are waiving change fees. When booking your future airfare with this credit, it must be for a university approved trip and must be booked through the travel agency. A Travel Voucher may be submitted for the full ticket amount (see Travel Voucher section).
  • If the airfare ticket was voided or a full refund issued, forward the correspondence with the travel agency or airline to the Travel Office and the Request-to-Travel will be canceled.
  • For ticket credits to be used for future travel, please update your Request-to-Travel with revised travel dates and the planned event when known.

 

AIRFARE EXPENSES – PERSONALLY PAID

  • Please visit the airline’s website for details on cancellation policies. Because of the coronavirus/COVID-19, many airlines are waiving change fees and issuing credits and refunds. Please be sure to apply for all available benefits prior to submitting your expense reimbursement requests.
  • If the airline charges a change fee, the fee is reimbursable.
  • If the ticket value is or would be $0.00 (e.g. Basic Economy fare that is non-changeable and non-refundable) after change fees, the traveler will be reimbursed in full.
  • If the airline issues a credit for a ticket you will be reimbursed for the ticket, however, we will require you to sign a statement that you will use the credit for official Lamar University travel. If you utilize the credit for personal travel, you will need to repay Lamar University. If the credit expires, no additional activity will be necessary.

 

LODGING – UNIVERSITY PAID

  • Contact the hotel to cancel your reservation. If the hotel was pre-paid, ask the hotel for a full refund. If the university paid, please have the refund made payable to Lamar University and deposit the funds to the Index in which the lodging was paid originally.
  • If the hotel withholds any or all of the pre-paid amount or deposit amount, the difference will be absorbed by the university as part of the trip cost.

 

LODGING – PERSONALLY PAID

  • Contact the hotel to cancel your reservation and ask the hotel for a full refund.
  • If the hotel withholds any or all of the pre-paid amount or deposit amount the difference will be absorbed by the university as a part of the trip cost and should be processed via a travel voucher.

 

RENTAL VEHICLES – UNIVERSITY PAID

  • Cancel the reservation with the rental agency. There is no charge for cancellations.

 

RENTAL VEHICLES – PERSONALLY PAID

  • Cancel the reservation with the rental agency.
  • If there are cancellation fees, the traveler will be reimbursed.

 

REGISTRATION FEES – UNIVERSITY PAID

  • Contact the conference host and seek a refund of the fees payable to Lamar University. If the fee was paid via a Lamar University credit card, the credit may be credited back to the card. If the refund is not allowed, find out if the fee may be used at the next conference and/or is transferable if you are unable to attend in the future. Please keep any notes or correspondence related to the refund request as back-up.
  • If the future conference date is set and the original traveler plans to attend, update the “Request-to-Travel”.

 

REGISTRATION FEES – PERSONALLY PAID

Contact the conference host and seek a refund. If a refund is not allowed, find out if the fee may be used at the next conference and is transferable if you are unable to attend in the future.

  • If the future conference date is set and the original traveler plans to attend, update the “Request-to-Travel”.
  • If cost of registration is not refunded or transferrable, the traveler will be reimbursed by the university. Submit the expense via a Travel Voucher (see the Travel Voucher section). Please keep any notes or correspondence related to the refund request and attach to the Travel Voucher.

 

TRAVEL VOUCHERS

  • As per standard practice, Travel Vouchers must be submitted after the trip end d
  • Expenses that cannot be refunded or used at a later date may be included on the Travel Voucher.
  • If the trip was cancelled and you have non-refunded expenses to be reimbursed by the university per any of this announcement’s previously stated allowances, please submit them via a Travel Voucher. Please complete the voucher as normal however, there is no need to complete section #16 on Front Page 1 nor sections “a thru x” on Back Page 1. Do complete section “y” on Back Page 1 noting the event, its location, that it was cancelled, and any notations regarding your refund request process.  Please keep any notes or correspondence related to the refund request and attach to the Travel Voucher. 

 

PROCARD PURCHASE CREDITS

  • When departments receive their credit card statements, they should check for credits applied to their accounts for any refunds due to travel cancellations, etc. The Purchasing Department will apply the credits to departments once statements have been reconciled. Purchasing appreciates your patience during this hectic processing time.

 

For assistance with reimbursements, contact the Travel Office directly at Lisa.Roach@lamar.edu or (409) 880-8383.

The Travel Office is currently handling large volumes of calls and emails, so we ask for your patience as we all work together to get through this challenge. Answers to your questions will be provided in as timely a manner as possible.