CORE Travel Information
Travel Contact:
Meetings Manager/Travel Coordinator
Tel: (202) 332-0063
Fax: (202) 332-8887
Travel Policy
I. GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT
CORE’s policy is to provide travelers with arrangements that are helpful for the comfort and effectiveness of the traveler and conducive to the efficient operation of the organization. It is CORE’s responsibility to provide timely, meaningful and accurate information to assist the traveler. It is the responsibility of the traveler to obtain proper authorization, to maintain proper documentation of expenses, and to apply promptly for reimbursement.
II. TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION
All travel for which expenses are to be paid requires advance approval. CORE employees must request travel authorization on-line at http://databasics.coreocean.org. This process involves making an estimate of travel expenses. The estimate is an estimate only and does not entitle the traveler to be reimbursed for the total of the estimate unless actual costs are incurred. The travel authorization if first approved (electronically) by the employee’s immediate supervisor or program manager and then forwarded (electronically) to the chief financial officer for verification and approval.
Travel authorization requests (Attachment A) for non-CORE employees will be prepared by the appropriate program assistant and approved by the Chief Financial Officer and one of the following senior CORE staff: President, Vice President or Directors of Education or Research
Travelers who attend meetings arranged through the CORE Travel Office will receive a travel authorizing e-mail that will include the meeting announcement and a unique username and password to be used when filing on-line for reimbursement of expenses.
III. TRAVEL ADVANCES
Travel advances will not normally be arranged except in unusual circumstances. In most instances the CORE Travel Office will pre-arrange air travel and hotel accommodation therefore leaving only ground transportation and the occasional meal expense for reimbursement.
IV. REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL EXPENSES
A. General
Claims for reimbursement of expenses incurred should be submitted on-line to the CORE website (http://databasics.COREocean.org). This requires a unique username and password that will be supplied with the travel authorization. See Attachment B for detailed instructions in completing the on-line Travel Expense Report (TER). Before reimbursement is made the original receipts must be received by the CORE Travel Office. The CORE Travel Office will review the receipts and the on-line Travel Expense Report and, if necessary, may request additional explanation or documentation in order to fulfill CORE’s contractual obligations to the federal government or other granting authority. Reimbursements are not made for expenses that had been claimed or reimbursed from other sources or organizations.
1. Reporting Requirements
The traveler is encouraged to submit the on-line Travel Expense Report within thirty (30) calendar days and to forward the original receipts for any item over $75.00 plus all receipts for any airline tickets, car rental and lodging expenses purchased by the traveler. In the case of an electronic airline ticket boarding passes and a copy of the itinerary showing costs and the name of the traveler should be submitted. After sixty (60) calendar days the on-line username and password will expire and it may not be possible to be reimbursed for incurred travel expenses.
For all receipts listed in foreign currency an exchange rate will be obtained from an appropriate source (i.e., credit card company, bank or other legitimate institution) by CORE. Reimbursements will be made in USD except under unusual circumstances.
2. Saturday Night Stayover
A traveler has the option of extending a trip to include a Saturday night stayover when it is deemed to be cost effective, i.e., when the sum of the lower Saturday night stayover fare plus the additional travel expenses would be less than the lowest weekday fare available to meet the traveler's official schedule as determined by CORE. Circumstances under which this would normally occur are when official business begins on Monday or ends on Friday.
3. Local Travel
Local Travel is defined as travel that does not include overnight lodging. Miscellaneous and transportation expenses are reimbursable as outlined in Section IV, items D and E. Meal expenses on non-overnight trips are not reimbursable as travel expenses. Exceptions will be approved on a case-by-case basis.
B. Lodging
Lodging expenses will be reimbursed at actual costs. Moderately priced lodging is the corporate standard.
Allowable lodging reimbursement will be based on a single occupancy rate.
Itemized receipts from the hotel for lodging are required. Individual items on lodging bills, such as meals and telephone charges, should be separated and entered in the appropriate category of the on-line Travel Expense Report.
For arranged meetings, the CORE Travel Office will select lodging and reserve a block of rooms at a negotiated rate, or coordinate lodging with the meeting host. The CORE Travel Office will include this information in the Meeting Travel Announcement.
If the traveler elects to choose other lodging, the traveler’s expenses will be reimbursed at a rate no greater than for the pre-selected hotel, unless the pre-arranged lodging is sold out, or approval is otherwise obtained.
When, for a traveler’s personal convenience, there is an interruption of travel or a deviation from the official schedule or most direct and/or economical route, reimbursement of lodging expenses may not exceed that which would have been incurred for the uninterrupted travel or the undeviated schedule.
C. Meals
Meals will be reimbursed on a per diem basis according to the federally approved rates for the geographical destination travel point. The destination point is defined as the location where the official business will be conducted.
A per diem is a standard fixed amount per meal for which a traveler will be reimbursed during the conduct of business travel regardless of the actual expenses incurred. The per diem allowance in this policy is intended to cover expenses for meals, including tips to food servers and sales taxes as well as an incidental amount. The traveler will be notified of per diem rates by the CORE Travel Office prior to the commencement of travel. Receipts are not required in order to claim per diem.
Per diem rates for the continental United States (CONUS) are obtained from the GSA (General Services Administration) (http://policyworks.gov) and for other destinations from the U.S. Department of State. Per diem rate for travel days is reimbursed at 75% of full per diem.
When a meal is furnished at a meeting location, the meal per diem should not be claimed for that particular meal. The CORE on-line Travel Expense Report will show a credit for all meals provided by CORE.
Per diem begins at the time of departure from home, office, or other officially approved point, and ends upon return to home, office, or other officially approved point.
When, for a traveler’s personal convenience, there is an interruption of travel or deviation from the official schedule or most direct/and or economical route, the per diem allowed may not exceed that which would have been incurred for the uninterrupted travel or the undeviated schedule.
D. Miscellaneous Expenses
Any single expenditure more than $75.00 for allowable miscellaneous expenses must have a receipt in order to be reimbursed. The per diem includes an amount for incidentals such as personal telephone calls, tips to porters, laundry, ATM charges, fees for traveler’s checks, currency exchange, etc. Miscellaneous allowable expenses include the following:
- Gasoline for rental vehicles.
- Registration fees for conferences and meetings.
- With written approval of the appropriate Director, Program Manager, or Principal Investigator--business supplies, copying costs, and equipment rental, and other meeting-related charges. This should be attached to the Travel Expense Report.
- For international travel--visa fees, inoculations and departure taxes.
- Business communication expenses such as telephone calls, facsimile charges, etc.
E. Transportation
1. Air Transportation
a. General Arrangements
Travelers are encouraged to use the designated travel agency to purchase their airline tickets and may contact the agency directly to arrange their itinerary and ticketing; however, tickets may be purchased by other means to facilitate the traveler’s convenience or to achieve cost savings.
The traveler should try to make travel arrangements as early as possible to assist in keeping costs at a minimum. For most meetings arranged by the CORE Travel Office, travelers will receive a travel announcement at least six weeks prior to the meeting.
The traveler is responsible for notifying the CORE Travel Office as early as possible if travel plans are changed or a portion of a ticket goes unused. The unused portion of a ticket should be returned as soon as possible to the CORE Travel Office.
b. Air Carrier Selection
All international travel must be booked on U.S.-flag air carriers unless the use of a U.S. air carrier would not accomplish the mission of CORE or if a U.S. air carrier is considered unavailable because of any of the reasons listed below or the source of the funding for travel is not an agency of the U.S. Government. This includes any segment of the initial booking and any subsequent changes in routing while en-route.
In each case when a flight is booked on a non-U.S. air carrier, the CORE Travel Office must approve its use in advance. A Certification of Unavailability of a U.S.-Flag Air Carrier form (Attachment C) must be completed by either the traveler or the designated travel agency and submitted for approval to the CORE Travel Office before ticketing. The CORE Travel Office will retain and attach this justification to the Travel Expense Report.
In determining availability of U.S.-flag air carrier service, the following scheduling principles shall be followed unless their application would result in the last or first leg of travel to or from the USA being performed by a non-U.S. air carrier. At least one leg must be on a U.S. air carrier unless one of the exceptions or conditions itemized below is applicable:
1) The U.S. air carrier will be used from point of origin to a final destination unless the U.S. air carrier does not provide through service to the final destination, in which case the U.S. air carrier will be used to the farthest connecting point possible.
2) When an origin or connecting point abroad is not served by a U.S. air carrier, a non-U.S. air carrier shall be used only to the nearest connecting point on a usually traveled route to connect with a U.S. air carrier for return to the USA.
3) When a U.S. air carrier involuntarily reroutes the traveler via a non-U.S. air carrier, the non-U.S. air carrier may be used if there is no alternative U.S. air carrier available. The traveler should attempt to get a statement of denied boarding from the airline representative to file with the traveler’s travel voucher. The traveler should certify after the fact on a Certification of Unavailability form why the U.S. air carrier was not used. The form must be attached to the Travel Expense Report.
Service by U.S. air carriers shall be considered not available when one or more of the following conditions exist:
4) Travel between a gateway airport in the USA and a gateway airport abroad. (A gateway airport in the USA means the last U.S. airport from which the traveler leaves or the first airport in the USA to which the traveler returns from abroad. A gateway airport abroad means the first airport abroad at which the traveler arrives from the USA. or the last airport abroad from which the traveler departs for the USA)
- A U.S. air carrier does not serve the airport of origin/destination or interchange points.
- Use of a U.S. air carrier extends the time in travel status by at least twenty-four (24) hours more than travel by a non-U.S. air carrier.
- Use of a U.S. air carrier requires a connecting layover of six hours or more, and extends the time in travel status by six hours or more than travel by a non-U.S. air carrier.
5) Travel between two points outside the USA.
- Service is not provided by a U.S. air carrier.
- Use of a non-U.S. air carrier eliminates two or more aircraft changes en-route.
- One of the two points abroad is the gateway airport to or from the USA, and use of a U.S. air carrier extends the time in travel status by at least six hours more than travel by a non-U.S. air carrier.
- Use of a U.S. air carrier for travel between two points that are not part to or from the USA extends the time in travel status by at least six hours more than travel by a non-U.S. air carrier.
6) Short distance travel regardless of origin and destination.
- Service for short-distance travel (three hours or less) between two points by a U.S. air carrier doubles the time.
When a U.S. air carrier is available but all coach class seats are sold out, travel should be booked in order of (1) business class, or (2) first class, before booking on a non-U.S. carrier. If all fares on the preferred flight are sold out, and the trip cannot be postponed to wait for availability of a seat on a U.S. air carrier, a non-U.S. air carrier may only then be used. Should either of these two situations occur, the CORE Travel Office must be consulted for approval and a justification should accompany the Travel Expense Report explaining why the higher class of service was used, or a certification form must be attached explaining the reason for the use of the non-U.S. air carrier.
c.Class of Service
Air travel shall be arranged so as to incur the lowest logical air fares, if special fares are not available economy or coach class is to be used. Exceptions to coach class travel may be authorized with prior written consent of the CORE Travel Office under the following conditions:
1) Space in coach class is not available on a scheduled flight in time to accomplish the purpose of the official travel which is so urgent that it cannot be postponed.
2) Premium class accommodations are necessary to accommodate a traveler’s disability or physical impairment. This condition must be confirmed by a physician in writing. The CORE Travel Office will provide a form (Attachment D) for this purpose at the traveler's request.
3) Coach class accommodations on non-U.S. air carriers do not provide adequate sanitation or health standards and the use of a non-U.S. air carrier is approved by the CORE Travel Office in conformance with Section IV.D.1.b. of this policy.
4) The use of premium class service results in an overall ticket savings, as compared to the cost of lowest available coach class accommodations.
5) Frequent flyer miles may be used to upgrade to premium class without additional cost.
d. Receipt Requirements
Airline passenger receipts (indicating total expense and class of service used) must be submitted with the Travel Expense Report. For reimbursement of ticketless or e-ticket flights a printed itinerary showing costs and traveler’s name plus original boarding passes must be submitted with the TER.
e. Personal Routing
Personal trips taken before, during, or upon completion of CORE business, will be at the expense of the traveler. When the traveler’s routing differs from the official scheduled routing, the following will apply: If the routing expense is greater, the difference will be paid by the traveler. If the routing expense is less, only the lesser amount will be reimbursed.
f. Frequent Flyer Miles
Travelers may retain frequent flyer miles which may be used in their judgement for enhancing their professional efficiency and effectiveness.
2. Ground Transportation
a. Commercial Vehicle Rental
CORE employees may request use of a rental vehicle when submitting a travel authorization. Factors taken into consideration for granting the request include but are not limited to the following: distance of travel to a final destination, availability of alternate ground transportation, time of travel, and other factors determined by the CORE Travel Office.
It is the policy of CORE to provide a safe environment for its employees and the public wherever CORE business is conducted including the operating of any motor vehicle in connection with corporation business. This policy dictates that only drivers with exemplary driving records drive vehicles on any CORE business. CORE will not permit drivers with poor motor vehicle records (MVR), suspended or restricted driving privileges or impaired driving ability to operate any vehicle on behalf of the corporation at any time. Poor MVR shall mean more than two moving violations within the last three years, any “major” violation conviction such as reckless driving or driving under the influence (DUI/DWI) within the past five years or two or more at fault accidents within the past three years. Any employee found in violation of this policy shall be subject to immediate disciplinary action, which may include termination.
Rented vehicles shall be hired in the name of CORE and will be used only for corporate business and driven only by authorized employees during the term of hire. CORE has liability and physical damage insurance protection in place for vehicles hired within the USA, Canada and U.S. Territories and Protectorates for all CORE employees.
However, all non-CORE employees are required to purchase liability and physical damage insurance coverage offered in the rental contract unless the traveler’s home institution provides protection in such circumstances. These insurance expenses are reimbursable. All international travelers (CORE and non-CORE employees alike) are required to purchase liability and physical damage insurance. Any actions or behavior falling outside the scope of the above description may not be insured by CORE’s policy. Depending on the circumstances of the incident, the employee acknowledges responsibility for any deductibles imposed on the corporation as well as other expenses related and incurred may be charged to the employee. Personal effects of the employee are not covered by the corporation’s policy while on travel.
A receipt (including the rental agreement) for a vehicle rental must be submitted with the Travel Expense Report. The cost of the rental will be reimbursed at the compact rate, unless justification is provided on the Travel Expense Report showing the need for a larger vehicle.
Gasoline expenses purchased for the rental car will be reimbursed as miscellaneous travel expenses. See Section IV.D.
It is required that a traveler who rents a vehicle purchase the liability and physical damage insurance coverages offered in the rental contract unless the traveler’s home institution provides protection in such circumstances. These insurance expenses are reimbursable. CORE employees need not purchase insurance for vehicles hired within the USA and Canada. CORE insurance provides protection in such circumstances.
b. Personal Vehicle
The expense of transportation by personally owned vehicles will be reimbursed on a mileage basis at a rate based on prevailing IRS rates. The prevailing reimbursement rate will be indicated on the on-line Travel Expense Report. Mileage reimbursement is based on travel by the most direct route between the departure and destination points.
The reimbursement of personally owned vehicle expenses will be provided to the extent that the costs of vehicle transportation and related travel expenses (en-route lodging, meals, miscellaneous expenses, parking fees and toll charges, etc.) do not exceed the cost of coach class air fare plus related travel expenses. In this instance, the traveler should notify the CORE Travel Office in advance in order to facilitate the documentation of comparable coach class airfare plus related travel expenses.
c. Taxicab, Bus, Train
Taxi, bus, and train fares must be itemized. Receipts are required for any single fare more than $75.00.
d.Parking Fees and Toll Charges
Parking fees and toll charges are reimbursable. Receipts are required for any single expense more than $75.00.
F. Unallowable Expenses
Because CORE receives most of its funds from federal sources, the following expenses are generally unallowable:
- Entertainment or social activity expenses
- Alcoholic beverages
- Traffic fines
- Personal items, even if purchased due to lost/delayed baggage
- Field trips and associated expenses such as lodging, registration fees, transportation, and meals.
- Additional cost for family members or others beyond the single room rate for lodging.
