(adopted from NCATE policies February 12, 2013)
The following policies shall apply to payment of approved travel expenses. Travelers will be provided with a travel reimbursement voucher form. All original receipts must be stapled to the back of the voucher. Travelers are asked to assist in the clarity of the reimbursement process by adding up and clearly marking the “Grand Total” that documents and highlights the traveler’s expectation of the amount to be reimbursed.
Reimbursements are normally made by within one week of receipt at the central office.
Transportation
All travelers must book transportation through the CAEP travel agency, Gant Travel Management. There are two methods of booking through Gant. In both cases the traveler will be required to provide the travel code assigned by the CAEP staff member responsible for the meeting or event.
Important: New users must have a pre-registered Concur (aka Cliqbook) login.
- Go to: www.ganttravel.com
- Click on Concur login (left side of screen under “Book Travel”)
- Login is your first name and last name together@caeptravel.com
Example: JohnSmith@caeptravel.com - Password: changeme
- Build your profile and add your travel preferences
- Confirm your TSA information (name must match your photo ID)
- Change your password
- Remember to click save buttons
- Do not enter a credit card. The CAEP card is stored as the default for authorized travel. Select T000-T999.
- Ready to book!
Once you have created your profile, you should use the same login and password you created for future CAEP-sponsored travel.
If you find that your login user name is invalid, please send an e-mail request to the help desk at gantonline@ganttravel.com to create your user login. Please provide your legal name and e-mail.
Gant Travel Reservations
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (Central)
Toll-free: 877.786.0953 (U.S. & Canada)
Tel: 224.374.1758
E-mail: caep@ganttravel.com
CAEP requires that approved travel take advantage of reduced fares by booking 21 days in advance. The following cost-savings strategies are strongly encouraged:
- Replying the same day to Gant to approve a proposed travel itinerary allows a quoted fare to be booked while it is still viable, and avoids the missing of advance deadlines.
- For Washington, DC-area meetings conducted by CAEP, travelers are encouraged to check on fares to BWI or Dulles Airport, as in many cases the airfare is significantly less than Reagan National. For airfares where the difference in fare is more than $200 to use Reagan National, travelers are to call the CAEP staff member responsible for the meeting or event for guidance and approval.
- Although flights may be available to leave immediately after an event, a flight two hours later may be significantly less expensive. You may be asked to consider traveling one day early or staying one extra night if the airfare difference is greater than the additional hotel and meals cost, which will be reimbursed by CAEP.
- CAEP would like to accommodate requests to use specific airlines to utilize frequent-flyer upgrades or earn mileage, or to avoid connecting flights or to adhere to certain time schedules. However, when such requests add significantly to either the cost of the fare, or to the complexity of the transaction for the travel agency, travelers are to call the CAEP staff member responsible for the meeting or event for guidance and approval.
CAEP’s agreement with Gant is that they must match the lowest available fare. Therefore, if you are able to find less expensive travel through an online vendor on your own, please take the following steps:
- Call Gant immediately with the price and flights on the screen as you call (800-255-8664).
- Tell Gant the price and flights you are looking at; they will book it for you at the same price.
Thank you for helping us and Gant to provide you with good service at the best possible price.
CAEP recognizes that circumstances and personal emergencies sometimes require the change of travel plans. However, the change of nonrefundable or advance-purchase airline tickets can significantly increase the expense of the fare. Therefore, CAEP is willing to pay up to one service fee for ticket changes per trip, up to a maximum of $150. Changes that result in fare increases, more than $150 over the originally booked fare will be the responsibility of the traveler or organization requesting the change, unless approved in advance by the Director of Finance and Administration or the Vice President of the applicable CAEP department.
Recognizing the trend in the airline industry to charge for checked baggage, CAEP will reimburse travelers for the first bag checked if an airline charges a fee. Efforts should be made to obtain a receipt for this cost. Fees for additional checked bags are the responsibility of the traveler.
In the event that air transportation is unavailable or impractical, reimbursement will be made for train fare, or automobile travel at the rate of $0.60 per mile, plus tolls, parking, lodging and meals. If air or other public transportation is available and practical, but an individual elects to travel by private automobile, reimbursement will be provided to a maximum of round trip coach class airfare between the point of origin and destination. Drivers are asked to contact the CAEP Finance Office before their trip so a base fare can determined at that time.
Costs of travel by taxi or other local transportation will be reimbursed if accompanied by appropriate documentation (receipt or note if the receipt should be lost). Unusual or excessive charges must be explained.
Housing and Meals
CAEP will have hotels direct billed when possible. Hotel bills must be signed to indicate the traveler’s approval of charges. If the traveler pays for lodging and meals, a paid hotel bill must be included with request for reimbursement.
CAEP now follows the per diem rates established for federal employees. Meals will be reimbursed at actual cost (attach original receipts), bearing in mind the individual meal guidelines, which are listed on the front of the voucher: $12.00 breakfast, $18.00 lunch, $36.00 dinner, $5.00 tips/day and incidentals. The $5.00 tips/day are intended to be for skycaps, maids at hotels, etc. and not tips on meals. At sponsored conferences and events, NCATE or the institution being visited provides many meals as noted (blocked) on the voucher; reimbursement will not be made for those meals if consumed elsewhere.
Expenses That Will Not Be Reimbursed
Personal expenses incurred during a CAEP hotel stay are the traveler’s sole responsibility and must be paid at time of check-out from the hotel, even when the main charges are direct-billed. Examples include bar bills, newspapers, telephone calls unrelated to CAEP business, movie charges, dry cleaning or laundry, charges to use a hotel’s spa or health club, and gift shop charges. Internet connection charges by hotels will be paid or reimbursed only for pre-approved CAEP use. Childcare, house-sitting, and pet boarding expenses during the traveler’s absence while on CAEP travel are the traveler’s sole responsibility. Fees to obtain or renew a passport are the traveler’s sole responsibility.
Print out the applicable per diem rates from the GSA website:
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287
These per diem rate schedules must be retained with the travel expense reports to document the per diems used.
In the event that the daily overnight stay would reasonably exceed the stipulated government per diem rate, CAEP must be notified before the trip so that we may obtain advance approval to exceed the government per diem from the grants officer. Otherwise, amounts exceeding the per diem rates will not be reimbursed to staff, subcontractors, or consultants.
Questions
Questions or requests for clarification of these guidelines may be addressed to the CAEP Finance Department at (202) 466-7496.
