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Benefits
- Direct Billing
Michigan State University offers University business travelers the ability to purchase airfare/rail and bill the cost to an MSU account number rather than pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement after the trip has been completed.
Michigan State University business travelers can still accumulate frequent flyer miles.
Michigan State University business travelers are able to utilize negotiated airline, hotel, and car rental discounts. These discounts are based upon volume (utilization), so everyone traveling on MSU business gets to take advantage of these discounts when travel is booked through the MSU Preferred Travel Agencies. By having contracts that are utilized, MSU is able to ask and receive “favors” when MSU travelers need assistance.
- Preferred Travel Agencies
Service/Support available 24/7 – Services offered include, but are not limited to: direct billing of airfare/rail, access to travel discounts, reservations of air/rail, car, hotel, and assistance with reservation changes and cancellations. Events, group and meeting planning assistance are also available services.
MSU Business Travelers and Travel Arrangers may book airfare by contacting Passageways Travel directly via telephone, fax, or email; OR by utilizing Cliqbook to make travel reservations on-line. Cliqbook is accessible through the University Travel Office website, Preferred Travel Agencies.
Travel Policies & Travel Regulations – the Preferred Travel Agencies are well versed in MSU travel policies, federal regulations (i.e. Fly America Act), and NCAA rules and regulations.
Traveler Tracking – ability to assist travelers wherever they are in the world.
Purchasing Power – by purchasing travel through the Preferred Travel Agencies, purchasing information is consolidated and used to negotiate travel discounts.
- On-Line Booking
Service fees are dramatically lower when airfare/rail is booked on-line via the Preferred Travel Agency.
In planning possible travel, Michigan State University Travelers and Travel Arrangers enjoy maximum flexibility by being able to book reservations 24 hours a day; 7 days a week.
Michigan State University Travelers and Travel Arrangers may research multiple dates and destinations.
Michigan State University Travelers and Travel Arrangers may book reservations for one to six travelers at one time.
The opportunities afforded by MSU’s travel contracts are available to all University Travelers and Travel Arrangers.
Access to Michigan State University Travelers and Travel Arrangers have the option of direct billing airfare to a University account number.
When faced with a challenge, Michigan State University Travelers and Travel Arrangers have on-line support available through the Preferred Travel Agencies.
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Eligibility
Faculty and staff on the MSU payroll are eligible to direct bill airfare/rail, but must have direct bill authorization or profile on record with the University Travel Office.
Faculty and staff who have been authorized to direct bill airfare/rail may make reservations and direct bill airfare/rail for persons traveling on behalf of Michigan State University.
With the applicable department’s permission, Emeritus, Graduate students, Undergraduate students and non-employees may contact the Preferred Travel Agencies via telephone, e-mail, or fax to make travel reservations but an MSU Travel Arranger must authorize the direct billing of airfare/rail to an MSU account.
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Authorization
Each traveler must have a separate travel authorization, which must be approved in advance of departure by someone administratively senior to the traveler.
Travel authorization must be approved by at least one of the following: Dean (including Associate and Assistant Deans), Director, Chairperson, or Organization Level Budget Officer. This may not be delegated.
Travel Arrangers must have a separately approved direct bill application in order to reserve and purchase airfare/rail on behalf of MSU business travelers.
Travelers may not authorize or approve their own travel.
See Section 70 of the Manual of Business Procedures for specific requirements and instructions.
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Profiles
It is expected that MSU business Travelers and Travel Arrangers will update their direct bill profile as information changes.
Michigan State University Departments may wish to permit their Travel Arrangers access to specific Travelers’ profiles. This is best accomplished by having travelers complete the Travel Arranger portion of the Direct Bill Application. Otherwise, requests may be made via e-mail communication sent directly to the Preferred Travel Agencies at pwayscliqbook@pways.com
It is recommended that when a MSU Business Traveler will have several students traveling with them, the airline reservations be made all together (at the same time). The MSU Business Traveler and Travel Arranger (if applicable) must have Direct Bill Authorization. Electronic receipts will be sent to the MSU Business Traveler and/or Travel Arranger. This process allows the MSU Business Traveler the privilege of Direct Billing the students’ airline tickets without having to finance the cost of the airline tickets out of pocket.
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Direct Billing Controls
Personal Travel may not be direct billed to Michigan State University.
If a Unit chooses, direct billing airfare/rail may be controlled on a departmental level. First, departments may approve airfare/rail for direct billing to an MSU accounting string by account number or traveler name. To accomplish this, MSU Departments should establish an approval process in which a “pool” of approvers must authorize the purchase of airfare/rail charged to their Unit. Requests should be made directly, via e-mail to the Preferred Travel Agencies stating the type of control the Department would like put in place, which travelers are impacted, and who has approval authority.
All travel arrangements made for or by a non-MSU employee must be approved by the department before the ticket is issued.
It is very important that on a monthly basis, MSU departments need to review and reconcile their ledgers. Departments are encouraged to use the electronic invoices for reconciliation purposes.
Any direct billing discrepancies need to be discussed with the Preferred Travel Agency that issued the airfare/rail as they will be able to advise contact information of the Traveler/Travel Arranger. Adjustments (General Error Corrections) to accounts are the department’s responsibility.
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Airline Reservation Process:
To get the best price on airfare, the Business Traveler or Travel Arranger should book airfare 14-60 days prior to the trip’s departure date.
For international travel, the MSU Business Traveler or Travel Arranger may book as up to 120 days in advance.
Airfare/Rail should not be booked more than 6 months in advance of departure.
The Business Traveler or Travel Arranger provides (up to 3) MSU accounting string with the dollar distribution to each.
If MSU Departments have an approval process in which a “pool” of approvers must authorize the purchase of airfare/rail charged to their Unit, the Preferred Travel Agency will notify them via telephone or e-mail. The airline/rail ticket will not be issued until approval is received. (Price is not guaranteed until purchased.)
If it is necessary to charge more than 3 accounting strings, the department must file a General Error Correction to redistribute the cost of the airline/rail ticket.
The MSU account string(s) will be used to directly charge the funding source with the proper airfare and associated service fees.
At the time the Preferred Travel Agency issues the ticket, an Invoice Number is created and printed on the Electronic Invoice. These Invoice numbers are used as record numbers for reporting purposes. They also are a means of tracking specific trip information for MSU Business Travelers.
If the MSU Business Traveler wishes to have the Preferred Travel Agencies make hotel reservations, a personal credit card, such as the Corporate Travel Credit Card offered by American Express, is required. Because only airfare/rail may be Direct Billed, a personal credit card must be used to make reservations and pay for travel expenses that are not airfare or rail. (MSU Purchasing credit cards may not be used to guarantee or hold travel reservations.)
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Recording Direct Bill Purchases:
If airfare/rail was direct billed, the amount and invoice(s) should be recorded in Section A of the Travel Reimbursement Worksheet (TRW) or Travel Advance Reconciliation (TAR), whichever is applicable. The cost of direct billing airfare/rail should not be included in the Total Claim and Total Reimbursement amounts.
A copy of the original Electronic Invoice must be submitted with the TRW or TAR.
If an airline/rail ticket has been direct billed and there are no reimbursable expenses, a TRW does not need to be completed.
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General Ledger
Airfare/rail charges are posted to the general ledger accounts the month following the purchase of the ticket. For example, an airfare/rail purchased in March will appear on your April ledger.
MSU accounting string(s), which are provided to travel agents at the time of booking, will be verified by the University Travel Office at the end of each month to be certain that they are "valid". It is the responsibility of each Department, on a monthly basis, to verify the charges posted to their University accounts.
The Monthly Operating Statement will show Document Type = Service Billing. The Transaction Ledger Entry Description will read “DB” “Invoice Number” “Traveler’s Last Name” where “DB” equals Direct Billing, “Invoice Number” equals the invoice number assigned by the preferred travel agency at the time of ticketing, and as many letters (as will fit in the cell) of the traveler’s name. Typically, there will be 2 entries: the airfare/rail charge and agency service fee. The accounting string(s) on the Electronic Invoice, airfare, and service fee amount should be verified with the MSU account ledger for accuracy.
The University Travel Office, Voucher Processing, and Accounting cannot provide copies of Electronic Invoices issued by the Preferred Travel Agencies. Departments must contact Travelers, Travel Arrangers, or the issuing Preferred Travel Agency to obtain a copy of the Invoice.
If a charge appears on the Department's University account which was not authorized, the Department should work with the Preferred Travel Agency to correct. When necessary, it is the MSU Department’s responsibility to make corrections to their ledger. The University Travel Office will work with Departments to resolve Direct Billing issues. If appropriate, and as a last resort, the payroll deduction process will take place.
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Miscellaneous
If you have questions about the process/forms, call the University Travel Office at (517) 355-0343 or (517) 355-5000.
The MSU Purchasing Card cannot be utilized for travel expenses. However, the Purchasing Card must be used to pay for Conference Registration Fees.