Booking Travel

Travel Planning Guide on How to Book Travel

Ensuring the right steps are in place prior to booking your travel can be a challenge. Below are the important University resources to help guide you. The below guide is an overview with more detailed content available on the specific website pages of our site.  Reach out to Travel Management Services if you have any questions.

Travel Policy

• Review the UT Austin Handbook of Business Procedures
• Review your departments internal Travel Policy.  Most Colleges, Schools and Units (CSU’s) have an internal travel policy 
  • Check with your internal Business Office on internal travel training
  • Learn more about travel funding rules from your Business Office
  • Review the reimbursement contacts for Payment Services information on the Purchasing Office website

Travel Approvals

All travel must be approved for the absences of employees from the campus or other designated headquarters, whether or not there is a cost to the university. This is accomplished by submitting an RTA (Request for Travel Authorization) which also serves as the primary reference for travel reimbursements. RTA’s and Doc ID’s are required to book travel arrangements. Each CSU has their own internal process for submitting an RTA. Check with your internal business office to ensure you are following the correct process for this step.

• RTA requirements & travel funding information are found on the Travel Authorizations page of the HBP
• Non-Employee Travel Authorization known as “NETA” must be completed for non-employees providing services to the University
• RTA Travel Voucher Descriptions
  • VE5 is the original electronic RTA
  • VE6 is the electronic correction for an approved RTA
  • VP5 is the electronic travel voucher
    • IMPORTANT – Never delete an RTA even if the trip is cancelled
• Submitting an RTA – Two Options *check with your internal business office for the right direction for you! Not following the proper direction could cause a delay in the RTA routing for approval.
  •  Request Form System located on UT Direct
  •  DEFINE UT Austin Financial System

Contact Purchasing - Travel Services experts on rules relating to all types of travel authorizations. Email: oa.travel@austin.utexas.edu

Travel Profiles

Before booking a trip, you should create a travel profile to expedite the booking process and minimize any issues with your ticketed name and membership numbers.  If you are a travel arranger, you should have a profile so that you can book travel on behalf of others.

To create a Travel Profile, you will need to register for Concur. All travel profiles are secure in the Concur Travel profile section. Learn how to create a travel profile. If you already have a travel profile, simply login to Concur Travel and select Profile in top right-hand corner to make updates.   

Booking Domestic Travel

The University offers a self-service booking option and a full-service dedicated travel agency option. Both options provide university traveler’s the 24/7 resources they need while on the trip to help alleviate any travel pressures that may arise. They also both offer many travel benefits outlined below while providing duty of care reporting to the University. 

Concur Travel (Self-Service) The ability to book your travel online at any hour of the day is available using the self-service booking tool, Concur Travel. UT System has significant airline discounts that are accessible within Concur.  Additionally, having the mobile app feature allows traveler’s access to their trips to make changes, cancel or book a new flight.

Concur allows you to book flights, rental cars and hotels.

• Option to search by schedule or by price
  • Basic Economy Fares now offered on Concur
• Ability to book 24/7 online or with a mobile app
• Ability to create templates for repeat destinations
• Ability to access all past trips in a Trip Library & maintain all cancelled airline tickets in your profile for ease of re-use when rebooking
• Ability to assign Travel Arrangers to book trips on your behalf
• Ability to book guest travel *special access provided by TMS
• Ability to change your trip (limited to one change online, additional changes will need agent assistance)
• Ability to add a car or hotel after airfare is booked; or book car or hotel only reservations
• Ability to view your Concur booked trip on your airline membership login
• Ability to call Anthony Travel while on trip for assistance with flight delays, cancellations, etc.
• Option to central bill airfare
• Option to central bill rental car *UT car vendors only
• No option to central bill hotel
  • Individual traveler’s will be reimbursed for hotels once trip is completed
  • If you need assistance on how to pay for a hotel, email TMS@austin.utexas.edu

To finalize the booking, you will need to provide the RTA number, the DOC ID number, the 10-digit billing account number.

Concur technical support desk hours: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. CT | MON-FRI

Email: OnlineTravel@AnthonyTravel.com or phone: 888-940-6696.

For those interested in learning more about Concur Travel, reach out to Travel Management Services to schedule a tutorial or check the TMS website for upcoming workshops. 

Anthony Travel (Full Service)

The University offers a dedicated full-service Travel Agency to assist departments with all their travel arrangement needs. The Anthony Travel booking benefits include:

• Payment options to central bill the airfare, car rentals and motor coach bookings
• Time savings with their expertise navigating various flight options guiding you to best pricing with best flight duration and ensuring institutional policies are followed
• Access to an after-hours emergency support desk
• Access to state rates and UT System contracted airfares resulting in savings & benefits
  • Airline contracted benefits include
    • Ability for the agent to unblock paid seats for no extra fee *limited to specific carriers & unblocked seating based on availability
    • Priority boarding group for all fare types
    • Priority above standard passengers on airline standby waitlists
    • Expedited access to airline waivers experiencing weather delays to assist traveler’s with rebooking options
• Assistance with personal travel combined with business travel trips
  • Includes family member travel and seating arrangements
• Assistance with changes to trips including airline ticket exchanges and maintaining a list of previously cancelled trips for future use
• Dedicated group travel specialist and airline relationships to waive group deposits

To finalize the booking, you will need to provide the RTA number, the DOC ID number, the 10-digit billing account number. If you are booking travel for a non-employee, you will need to provide the non-employee travel authorization form.

Anthony Travel Contact Information Hours are 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. CT, Monday-Friday

Phone: 512-617-8444 or 800-684-2044

Email: UTTravel@AnthonyTravel.com | After-Hours Emergency 800-342-9008 *access code S4RRG

Booking International Travel

International travel can be booked using Concur Travel or Anthony Travel. We recommend complex international itineraries are booked using the full-service Anthony Travel team. The International Oversight Committee (IOC) maintains a Restricted Regions List of locations worldwide that pose a heightened travel risk due to health, safety and/or security reasons . Travel to these countries must receive pre-approval prior to making travel arrangements. 

Registered UT Austin travelers will be supported by Texas Global Risk and Safety staff, and will be covered through On Call International overseas insurance.

• Once you are registered with On Call, you will have access to their pre-departure itinerary reviews and comprehensive destination intelligence to help you prepare for the realities on-site.
• On Call International provides extensive coverage for UT travelers who experience emergencies abroad, to include coverage for quarantining in the host country and assistance in seeking medical diagnoses of and treatment for COVID-19.

For more information on preparing for safe travel abroad, follow the International Travel Process and review the Travel Safety 101 guidance. 

Booking Group Travel

If you have a minimum of 10 people or more departing from the same destination and traveling to the same destination at the same time, the airfare could qualify as a group booking. Group air space secures the same price for all tickets and allows the space to be held in advance while your compile the full list of traveler names that will be due upon a pre-determined date set by the airlines. Anthony Travel is your point of contact for group travel. When booking group airfare with Anthony Travel, the deposit to hold the group space is waived for most airlines. 

Event group bookings usually involve additional details that should be reviewed with the travel specialists on the Travel Management Services team. They can assist with ensuring you have all the neccessary information in advance of reaching out to Anthony Travel which can also include creating an event group profile. This will allow you to create your program with a team that can ensure the booking and payment processes are seamless. Email: TMS@austin.utexas.edu to learn more.

For group hotel bookings, please review the HOTEL page on our website.  Scroll down to "Hotel Meetings & Events". 

Booking Travel on Sponsored Projects

Travel arrangements on sponsored projects is supported by Anthony Travel. University faculty, staff, and students routinely travel in support of sponsored activities. This type of travel has very specific guidelines to conform to university policy, federal and state law, and potential  restrictions placed upon sponsored awards. University established travel rules must be followed based on budget groups associated to specific funding sources.  Visit the Travel on Sponsored Projects page for more details and resources. 

Booking Rental Cars

There are five (5) specific vendors and car types that must be used for proper reimbursements.  Booking a rental car includes using the corporate discount code in order to receive the rate and insurance coverages. The best way to ensure you are booking correctly is to use the booking resources that TMS provides by visiting our Rental Cars page for more information.  TMS does offer direct billing options.

Approved vendors are: Avis, Budget, Enterprise, National & Hertz.  The CDP (Corporate Discount Policy) must be applied at time of booking. 

Turo, Kyte, Expedia and other broker websites are not allowed as their terms and conditions do not align with university policy.

Booking Hotels and/or Meetings & Events

Individual hotel rooms can be booked directly with Anthony Travel or on Concur to obtain the UT rates and agency consortium discounts. TMS encourages the use of the Citibank Hotel, Meeting & Event card as the method of payment when direct billing is not an option.  

Individual hotel rooms for local funds follow the HBP guideline limitations:

• In-State: Lodging $209 ($51 per diem meals)
• Out of State: Lodging $324 ($51 per diem meals)
• International: Lodging $374 ($51 per diem meals)

Please visit our Hotels page for more information. If you are planning an event, please review this Event Planner Resource Guide.

Booking Ground Transportation

Charter buses, shuttles & group ground transportation options are supported by the Anthony Travel Motor Coach Connection Program. This program ensures you are following university vetting processes while securing transportation that meets the university policy and insurance requirements. The program allows the option to direct bill in most scenarios. Please visit our Ground Transportation page for more information.

Post Travel

Once a trip is complete, submitting reimbursement for your travel expenses can be found in the Handbook of Business Procedures.  This is handled by the Office of Financial and Administrative Services.  The Payment Services team can assist with any questions.

• Handbook of Business Procedures — Travel Reimbursements
• Payment Services Payment Services contact information 
• Travel rules based on account types & source of funds - Travel Rule Matrix

If you are traveling with students for a University organized or sponsored event, review the Student Activities website regarding Domestic Student Organizational Travel. This website provides the necessary forms that are required.

Student Travel - International

For UT related student travel, refer to the to the international travel policy by visiting the Study Abroad website.

All students traveling internationally for university related reasons are required to obtain approval from the International Oversight Committee and register the trip for the UT Overseas Insurance policy.

Students should review the Travel Safety 101 guidance  and additional resources provided by Texas Global. 

Travel Management Services wants to hear about your experience. It’s our commitment to campus departments to constantly improve services whether it’s the planning, booking or on-trip experience. Email us at TMS@austin.utexas.edu  

See below links for more helpful information:

Travel Agency Fees

Travel Resources

Travel Rules (for all funding types)

Travel Object Codes

Event Planner Resources

Local Travel Checklist

State Travel Checklist