[IGPP Everyone] As AGU nears, some travel policy reminders

[Richard Fort]

Since some of you only travel once per year to the AGU meeting, and with compliance to policy deteriorating for the more frequent travelers, I thought sending a message about some key things to avoid would be appropriate. 

- Above everything else, if you have any questions about what is or is not allowed, ASK FIRST 
Do not assume you can do whatever you want and then be reimbursed. 

- Paying for any travel expenses for another person is not allowed for reimbursement 
Sharing a hotel room with another meeting participant, and paying for the entire room, is OK--but not paying for a separate room for someone else. 

- Convoluted or unusual travel itineraries must have a business justification (not for convenience or other personal reasons) 
Examples: one way flights, driving one direction & flying the other, and especially involving destinations (or starting or ending the trip in places) that are neither the meeting location nor home/work. 

- Claiming expenses more than one day before or after the meeting must have strong business justification 

- Driving alone to San Francisco, rather than flying, is not reimbursable--even for the lower equivalent airfare amount 
Examples that make driving OK: having at least one passenger who is also a meeting participant (since mileage for one car is less than two airfares), staying with friends or family in the Bay Area at no cost and commuting to the meeting from there (thus saving the cost of lodging), and transporting large items required at the meeting which would not be allowed to take on a plane. The current mileage rate is $0.54 per mile, which is meant to include gas, so do not submit both mileage claim and gas expenses together. 

- Avoid package deals on the internet where airfare, lodging and/or rental cars are purchased together 
Auditors must see itemized costs, including taxes and fees, for each of of these three categories of services separately. Otherwise, reimbursement will not be allowed. Priceline is generally the worst in this regard. 

- Please stop submitting meal receipts, and ground transport (taxi, parking, gas) receipts less than $75 
They are not required and just waste everyone's time handling them. Save them until you are reimbursed, then toss. 

- Travel reimbursement transactions must be fully processed by us within 45 days of the trip ending, so please submit your claims as soon as possible--or at most a month after you return 

Other important things not directly relevant to AGU: 

- When traveling to a meeting which is not a major conference, some sort of documentation (agenda, website, correspondence with hosts, certification of attendance, etc.) must be provided to substantiate the trip as actually for business 

- Meal costs cannot be reimbursed for trips of less than one day 

- Claiming lodging within a 40 mile radius from home or work location is not allowed 

- Mixing an international business trip with personal time is dicey due to IRS regulations 
The number of days on business and transit MUST be greater than the number of personal days, or things become extremely complicated and not fully reimbursable 

Thanks, 
Rick 
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