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How to Request a Trip

Register in Advance of Travel Dates:

If you are a U of U employee or a student traveling for a school-related outing (other than a fieldtrip), for safety reasons you need to register your trip in Concur in advance of actual travel. 

  • Domestic "travel"must be reserved not less than 1 day prior to the departure day.
  • International "travel" must be reserved not less than 3 weeks prior to departure day.
  • NOTE: The more detail you include in your segements when Registering your trip, the easier it will be later to purchase airfare/rental car/hotel via the Concur Booking Tool AND when you are doing your Expense Request.

Request a Trip: 

To start your Trip Request, log into Concur.

  • Graduate Students & Post Docs: You are required to request trips and complete post-trip expense reports while working directly with our Department Travel Facilitator. Contact them to set up an appointment before you start any new travel. 
  • Faculty: If you encounter any issues, the quickest way to get help is to check out the U of U Travel Department's How To videos on Requesting (near the bottom) and Booking & Managing Trips. There are several topics and each one has a 2-4 minute video and a Tip Sheet. Also, check out the additional instructions below. If after doing all of the above you feel you are unable to navigate Concur, please follow the instructions for Guest Travelers. 

How To - Special Instructions:

  • A "group trip" is defined as 10+  U of U travelers who all have the same itinerary. For group trips, work with the Department Travel Facilitator.
  • If you are doing a class or club fieldtrip, refer to the "Doing a Fieldtrip?" resource page. 

  • (888) 739-7011

  • Purchasing & Payment Options for Expenses
  • Trip Request Chartfield:
    • If you are doing a Cash Advance, see the Cash Advance bullet below and follow those instructions regarding the ADSC. 
    • When requesting a trip, you must change the ADSC to the primary account that will be paying for your trip. See instructions elsewhere on this page. The default chartfield that will pop up is 01-00106-1001-05470-60019, which is a deptartment-level account and cannot be used to charge any expenses. If you have more than one account that is paying for your trip, you will enter those when doing the Expense Report.
  • Cash Advance: If you think you will have out of pocket travel expenses, consider doing a cash advance.
    • You much include the cash advance in your trip request. The cash advance is under the “request details” tab in the upper left part of the request screen.  It needs to be applied before submitting the request. 
    • If you need to add a cash advance after you submitted your request, you may recall a Request as long as the trip dates are in the future and add a Cash Advance. NOTE: If you recall a request, the ‘date submitted’ will change to the date you resubmitted the Request. Remember that the date submitted must be prior to the trip (21 days for international and 1 day for domestic). Any “date submitted” that does not meet this requirement will advance to Level 1 or Level 2 approval prior to the Request being “Approved.”
    • Do NOT change the ADSC (account number default chartfield, which is 01-00106-1001-05470-60019 for our deptartment). When you do your expense report (after your trip), you will enter the account number that is to be charged. 
      • Faculty Advisors/PIs: You should never need to approve a cash advance. If you are sent a request via Concur to do so, it is because the traveler used your chartfield. But  the default department chartfield is the one that should be used for all cash advances based on how the money is processed. 
      • Once a cash advance is requested, it will be taken from the default chartfield, which will be used as a ‘holding place’ for the funds until you submit an Expense Report. Once the Expense Report is submitted, the default chart field is credited back during the Expense Report and the chosen chart field is debited. You will determine the chosen chartfield when creating the Request.
    • You will not recieve that money until about 30 days prior to your trip depature date. If you need it before that, work with Department Travel Facilitator to request an advance payment. 
    • Please note that the very first cash advance you ever request through Concur will take extra long to process. 
    • Cash advance checks will be mailed to directly to traveler. However, it is quickest to receive reimbursements via direct deposit set up for Accounts Payable. To set that up, complete AP-DD-AuthForm OR - IF you already have direct deposit set up for Payroll - complete Employee-DD-AuthForm . (Note: Direct deposit must be set up for Payroll and Accounts Payable separately.) Then bring the completed paperwork to Thea Hatfield in 383 FASB.

  • ADSC = Account Distribution Shortcut. This what Concur refers to where you input the U of U chartfields (basically, the bank account number). What is a chartfield? See below.
  • Before you start your trip request, make sure you know the primary chartfield that will be paying for your expenses. See instructions below on how to find the chartfield. If you use the wrong account and don't fix it when doing your Expense Report, it will require a process-intense cost transfer that can take up to 90 days.
  • The first time you use any specific account, you will need to fill in all the cells and save the request or submit when you are finished in order for the system to auto-populate the ADSC with the same chartfield the next time you use it. (See below.)
  • Email the Department Accountant if you need help figuring out the chartfield or have any questions.

Refer to the instruction on our Purchasing page.

In Concur in the box that says ADSC, click on the down arrow next to the filter/funnel icon, and select "code". THEN, change the code from the department default (05470) to the one in the chartfield you want to charge. 

When filling out the fields in the ADSC section, there are two ways you can look up the numbers: by “Text” and “Code”.  The “Text” option allows you to look for a number associated with your chartfield by its name. This method is best used to find an activity or project chartfield that is already associated with your Concur account. The “Code” option allows you to search a fields number by the number from your chartfield. This method is best used when inputing a chartfield not previously associated with your Concur account. All unassociated chartfield numbers will show up in a selected field’s drop-down menu in regular font while associated ones will show in bold face font.

When doing a Trip Request, in the Request Header you will be asked how you plan to book your fight, car rental, and/or hotel. It is important that you understand exactly what the options are and select correctly in your request. Otherwise, your Trip Request may get hung up. 

1. Book Online – Concur Travel 

  • This option is a self directed search tool, similiar to Expedia or an airline booking website (Delta.com). It is not the U's onsite travel agency, Christopherson Travel. This is a great choice if you want search through all the options yourself.

2. Book Agent – CBT

This is the U's onsite travel agency/advisor, Christopherson Travel. Reminder to complete a Book a Trip Form for assistance from Christopherson Business Travel Advisors.

Sometime CTB rates are higher than you might find on your own. This is because they are ensuring your tickets adheres to university reguluations, such as the Fly America Act, and they opt for tickets that are reimbruseable by the vendor if your trip should need to be canceled. 

Reminder that when you use CBT, you will be sent ifnormation on how to complete a Book a Trip Form to ensure you get  timely and accurate assistance from CBT Advisors. 

3. Book outside of Concur Travel and CBT

This is for if you are going to book for yourself directly on an online travel shopping website like Expedia, Travelocity,  and Orbitzor with a specific travel vendor, such as Delta, Hertz Rentals, etc. 

If you need to book flights, car rentals, or hotels for an international trip, you SHOULD use the U of U Travel Agency, Christopherson.  In the Request Header,  choose option 2 "Book Agent - CBT".  This is the U's onsite travel agency/advisor, Christopherson Business Travel (CBT). Sometime CTB rates are higher than you might find on your own. This is because they are ensuring your tickets adheres to university reguluations, such as the Fly America Act, and they opt for tickets that are reimbruseable by the vendor if your trip should need to be canceled. 

Reminder that when you use CBT, you will be sent ifnormation on how to complete a Book a Trip Form to ensure you get  timely and accurate assistance from CBT Advisors. About the Fly America Act, CBT first look for flight provided by American carriers. If an American carrier does not fly to where the person need to go, then they consider flights that at least the flight leaving the US is an American carrier. If no American carrier is leaving to the destination on the day needed, then they can book with any other carier that would travel to destination.

  • GG Fleet Vehicle Rental: Use for renting Department vehicles (suburbans or truck). Note that all drivers of university-owned vehicles must complete the required Driver's Training. Instructions and forms can be found on the GG Fleet Vehicle Rental page. 
  • Commerical Rental Bus: Please email theDepartment Travel Facilitator.
    • Note: If you are doing this trip via Concur, commercial bus rental is considered "car rental" when "Reserving a Trip". However, when doing the "Expense Report", it is considered "ground transportation.
  • Personal Vehicle: Use the Personal Vehicle Mileage Log. Find the Standard Mileage Rates for  reimbursement.
    • U of U policy states: "The trip director must obtain assurance, prior to the commencement of the field trip, that any vehicle not owned by the university and used on the field trip will be covered throughout the period of the trip by a motor vehicle liability insurance Policy, currently in effect, with limits of coverage and liability that satisfy the requirements of the Utah Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act, 1953 Utah Code Ann. Section 41-12-1 et seq."
    • If mileage reimbursement will be your only expense, email the mileage reimbursement form to Thea Hatfield along with the account to be charged AND a Google map showing the route taken (must show the same number of miles as listed on the mileage log).
    • If you ARE going to reimburse drivers who are using their personal vehicles, you must obtain proof of insurance.
    • Vehicle Accidents: In the case of an accident, drivers of university-owned or personal vehicles) should take a blank copy of the U of U Vehicle Accident Form on each trip and complete it if needed. (Note: GG Fleet Vehicles should already have the accident form and U of U insurance card.)
  • Domestic Travel Insurance (Optional): Travel protection is available for purchase to students, faculty/staff and trip chaperones participating in University of Utah sponsored and supervised trips within the U.S, its territories and possessions. This Domestic Travel Accident Insurance policy provides assistance and medical coverage if you become injured while traveling.

 

Questions?

Reach out to our Department Travel Facilitator. 

University Travel & Reimbursement Services, fbs.admin.utah.edu/travel (UTravel FAQs)

  • Request or Expense Questions : travel_questions@utah.edu  | (801) 581-7142 | Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00 MT
  • Travel Booking: travel@admin.utah.edu  | (801) 587-9005 | Mon-Fri 8:00 - 4:30 MT.
  • Travel Booking Emergency After-Hours: (888) 739-7011

Christopherson Business Travel
(Onsite Travel Agency) 
(801) 587-9005
1-888-739-7011 (after hours)
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST

Last Updated: 6/9/23