Travel Resources for ATOC Personnel

Step 1. Submit a Travel Request on Concur. 

Before you book your travel, you MUST have an approved travel request through Concur:

• Justification:  Please explain how this benefits the University and/or the award you are traveling on: i.e. "Attending the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in Chicago, IL, December 12-16, 2023. Will present research on [X] developed by the award funding this trip."
• SpeedType:  In the request header select “Submit Requests to” > “SpeedType (Finance Fiscal Roles)”

• Approvers:  Click “Request Details” > “Timeline” > “Edit” and select your approver.
  • Grant funded: Will Altizer
  • Discretionary funded: Oliver Kraft or Sharon Yearsley

• Personal Travel: if your trip contains personal, non-business, travel you must include a comparison quote for the business only portion of your flight. Upload the quote from Concur or CBT to your Concur Request. 

Click for tips on how to pull a flight quote

If you are flying international, ATOC asks that you include a flight quote with the Travel Authorization so we can review for Fly America compliance.

If you are flying domestic or international where some travel days will be personal days, we also need a comparison quote to show the cost of the flight without the personal travel would not be more expensive that the flight with personal travel. If your plans change, you may need a new quote. Reach out to your finance contact to confirm.

You have two options for flight quotes:

Option 1: Reach out to CBT

Christopherson Business Travel (CBT) can help you with a flight quote. To have CBT pull a flight quote for you, send an email to cutravel@cbtravel.com with your start and ending destinations and dates of travel (with and without personal days, if applicable). CBT will send you an email with flight options. Save the email as a PDF and attach to your travel authorization (Request) in Concur. Note that by interacting with CBT you will incur a $20 service fee that will show up in Concur to be reconciled with all other expenses.

Option 2: Search in Concur

You may search for flights in Concur. Access Concur through the MyCUInfo portal. Use the Trip Search feature on the left side of the screen to search for your flight.

When the results appear, click over to the “Shop by Fares” tab

To save the fare quotes, either take a screenshot of the results, or click “Print/Email” at the top of the page. This will print a PDF copy of your search results. If the PDF is many pages long, you may trim to only show the first few pages.

Tips

If a flight would require you to leave at an unreasonable time, or you need to arrive at your destination by a certain time on the travel day, you may use the Depart/Return filters on the left to filter results.

If you are taking an international flight where you must use a US carrier, airlines that use “code-sharing” can be confusing (where one airline is selling the ticket, but another airline is operating the plane). To ensure you are booking through a US airline, filter results by clicking on the airline in the results matrix at the top of the screen.

• For further assistance: contact your ATOC Finance Professional.

Step 2. After your request is approved, book your travel flight, hotel, registration etc.​

• Booking: you can book your flight, hotel, and other transportation through Concur or by contacting Christopherson Business Travel (CBT).
• Registration etc: if you’d like CU to pay upfront for your registration and other costs, and you do no have a CU issued credit card, please reach out to your ATOC Finance Professional.

Step 3. While traveling pay for travel expenses

• Meals: Pay for meals with personal funds or CU Travel Card. For information on using the CU Travel card for meals, click HERE. Do NOT use a CU Purchase Card for meal purchases.  You will be reimbursed a per diem rate for meals based on your destination.
• Mileage: If you are using your personal vehicle for business travel, use your personal funds to buy gas, not a Travel Card. You will be reimbursed a flat mileage rate for your travel in your personal vehicle. Daily commute mileage is not reimbursable.
• Rental car: You may book a rental car through Concur or by calling Christopherson. We use Budget, Avis, Hertz, and Enterprise. Use your Travel Card when paying for a rental car, as you receive insurance coverage through using the card. Please decline insurance if the rental car company offers it; you are already covered. You may pay for rental car gas using your Travel Card.
• All other travel charges can go on a CU Travel Card or personal funds but NOT on a CU Procurement Card.

Step 4. Reimbursements. 

When you return from your trip, please:

1. Upload Itemized Receipts to Concur:
   • Include receipts for lodging, transportation, and other reimbursable expenses.
   • Ensure each receipt clearly shows the date, vendor, amount, and payment method.
   • If you prefer not to use Concur, you can email your receipts to your ATOC Finance Professional.
2. Email Per Diem Dates:
   • Please email your ATOC Finance Professional to confirm the dates you need meal reimbursement - in the form of per diem.
   • If any meals were provided during your trip, please specify which. 

Reimbursement Timeline: We will promptly complete your report in Concur and send it back to you for review and approval (you will receive a Concur notification). Your report will then pass through the university approval flow. Reimbursements are typically processed within 7–10 business days after your expense report is fully submitted and approved in Concur, and are dispersed in the same way you receive your paycheck.

Timely submission of expenses:Travel Card and Airfare Card transactions are required to be submitted on an expense report in Concur promptly after the trip end date. To avoid tax implications, employees must submit travel-related business expenses within 90 days of the end of the trip.  If these expenses are for a trip that has not yet occurred, the employee/cardholder, or their delegate, should create a Travel Reconciliation (or Non-Employee Expenses) report, assign the transaction to that report, and be sure to include the future dates of travel in the report header. The report can then remain un-submitted in Concur until after the trip concludes.  CampusController's Office Policy Information click HERE.

Travel Steps or Non-CU Employees: 

Please reach out to your ATOC Finance Professional.

• They will help you complete the CU Non-Employee Travel Request form for Christopherson Business Travel. Then the non-employee will be able to work directly with Christopherson Business Travel to book a flight.  The non-employee will need to provide receipts for expenses that need to be reimbursed to your ATOC Finance Professional.

Additional Resources

• For more information: Campus Controller's Office Instructions for Completing the Sponsored Research Travel Authorization Form click HERE
• Procurement Service Center
• International travel. Special insurance and travel assistance for is available to you through the CU system. See CU International Travel.
• DIA airport bus. Your CU-issued EcoPass gets you on the AB or other airport-bound bus for free.
• DIA airport parking. Discount parking is available at DIA for CU employees from these vendors:
  • Canopy Parking – 8100 Tower Road
  • ParkDIA - 25200 East 68th Avenue
  • The Parking Spot – 19901 East 56th. Avenue
  • USAirport Parking – 18000 East 81st Avenue
  • Wally Park – 24200 East 78th Avenue
• Flight Credits. You must book with CBT to use any flight credits from previous cancelled flights booked through CU. Be sure to mention the credit to your agent. To know if you have any flight credits, check Concur on the travel page. You should have an Alert saying "You have unused tickets." If you click on the alert, it will display any available credits.
• Non-employee trips.  For non-employees who need to book a trip, please reach out to your ATOC Finance Professional. They will help you complete the CU Non-Employee Travel Request form for Christopherson Business Travel. Then the non-employee will be able to work directly with Christopherson Business Travel to book a flight.  The non-employee will need to provide receipts for expenses that need to be reimbursed to your ATOC Finance Professional.

      For information on booking non-employee travel click HERE.

• Upgrades. All travel shall be completed using the most economical means available that will satisfactorily accomplish university business. Upgrades, including extended leg-room upgrades and business or first class travel, are allowed only with justification. Please see your finance contact before making any upgrades.
• Third-Party Funding of employee airfare costs: click HERE for information.