TRAVEL TALK SPRING 2008
Welcome to Travel Talk, an e-newsletter designed for UMass Business Travelers. Future issues will be emailed automatically to VISA cardholders and will deliver practical advice to help you manage your travel by providing information you need to insure the best experience when traveling on university business. To comment, submit questions or make suggestions, contact us at travel@admin.umass.edu
Online Corporate CardAccount Information
Airport Parking Discounts
Understanding Rental Car Insurance
ATM Cash Withdrawals and FirstChecks
Best Practices—Prevent Travel Card Delinquency
New Mileage Rate for 2008
Featured Travel Supplier: Enterprise Rent-A-Car
New MHEC Car Rental Rates
Travel Tips
Online Corporate Card Account Information
Faculty and staff can apply for corporate travel cards online. At Travel Services homepage, click on Individual Travel Card Application. Graduate students and temporary employees are eligible to receive travel cards on a case-by-case basis, with prior approval from a Dean, Director, or Department Head. Call UMass Travel Services at (413) 545-0776 for details.
Airport Parking Discounts
To receive the Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium (MHEC) discount for airport parking, you must 1) reserve in advance, and 2) print out a coupon with the discount rate and present it when making payment. Discount coupons may be used for both business and leisure travel for UMass employees. For airport parking discounts, visit Airport Parking Discounts.
Understanding Rental Car Insurance
There are two types of rental car insurance: liability and physical damage.
Liability insurance covers bodily injury or property damage to a third party.
Physical damage insurance covers property damage to the rental vehicle and may also be referred to as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW).
Liability insurance
UMass travelers should purchase liability insurance when traveling out-of-state in a rental car. If traveling within Massachusetts, decline the liability insurance, as the rental car company is required by law to automatically provide $5,000 of liability coverage. The university's excess policy will pay for liability claims above $5,000 (if traveling in-state) or above the purchased amount (if traveling out-of-state).
Physical Damage Insurance
You can determine if you need to purchase physical damage insurance by considering the method of payment- purchase order or UMass corporate travel card. If paying with your UMass corporate travel card, decline the physical damage insurance, as the coverage is provided free of charge as a VISA card benefit. If you are renting a vehicle using a purchase order, purchase the physical damage insurance.
Regardless of payment method, both liability and physical damage insurance coverage are reimbursable expenses.
Car Rental Accident info
When renting a car on university business, write “University of Massachusetts” after your name. Doing so indicates that the rental is for business use and insures that in the event of an accident, the university’s excess liability insurance, not your personal liability insurance policy, will cover the claim for damages.
For more information regarding rental car insurance, or to report an accident, visit the Treasurer’s Office website. If you have specific questions, contact Matt Wamback, Treasurer’s Office Insurance Specialist, (508) 856-1232 or mwamback@umassp.edu
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ATM Cash Withdrawals and FirstChecks
Need cash for out-of pocket reimbursable travel expenses such as meals, gas, cab fares, valet service tips, or house keeping gratuities? Your VISA corporate travel card can be used at most ATM machines around the world.
When traveling on university business, cardholders can make ATM cash withdrawals for out-of-pocket expenses. You will need a PIN number to complete an ATM transaction. Your PIN was mailed to you at your campus address when you first received your corporate travel card. If you have lost your PIN number, request a new one by calling U.S. Bank's customer service number located on the back of your UMass corporate travel card (800-344-5696). FirstChecks, issued when you first received your UMass corporate travel card, can be used for travel expenses where cash is not practical and the VISA corporate card is not accepted, such as conference registration fees. Remember that cash advances and FirstChecks have a $1,000 limit, either alone or when combined. If you need additional FirstChecks, call UMass Travel Services at (413) 545-0776.
ATM cash withdrawals and FirstChecks incur transaction fees equal to 3% of the transaction amount or a $2 minimum. Transaction fees are fully reimbursable when used as payments for allowable travel/business expenses. Be sure to list the ATM fees on your expense report. To minimize transaction fees, travelers should make only one cash withdrawal per trip.
Best Practices—Prevent Travel Card Delinquency
Not only are past due VISA accounts embarrassing (cards can be declined when presented at point of purchase), cardholders with delinquent accounts will receive collection calls from U.S. Bank. U.S. Bank has the right to call cardholders whose accounts are 45 days past due if there is a balance greater than $800. If your account becomes 60 days past due, it will suspend and decline at point of purchase. As soon as U.S. Bank receives payment for the past due amount, your account will automatically reopen. If your account becomes 90 days past due, your VISA account will close. In order to get your account reopened, the total amount due, including late fees, must be paid in full, then you need to contact UMass Travel Services to reopen your account.
Best practices to prevent delinquency:
1.
Make it a practice to submit pre-trip expense receipts for air, hotel, and conference registration fees to your department travel preparer as soon as those expenses are incurred.
2.
When you return from your trip, submit all your travel receipts within one week to your department travel preparer.
3.
If you loose a receipt, let your department travel preparer know so a missing receipt affidavit can be prepared for you immediately.
4.
Make arrangements to fax, mail, or scan your receipts to your department travel preparer on a regular basis when you are on sabbatical or extended travel.
New Mileage Rate for 2008
On December 31, 2007, the Controller's Office announced that the mileage reimbursement rate for the use of personal cars on university business increased to 50.5 cents per mile effective January 1, 2008.
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Featured Travel Supplier: Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is one of the university’s preferred providers for rental vehicles.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car services the University of Massachusetts Amherst community through its local offices in Amherst and Northampton and provides competitive rates and free pick up or delivery service. Reservations can be made by contacting the local offices directly or through the Enterprise website, www.enterprise.com.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
144 King Street
Northampton, MA 01060
(413) 586-5177
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
213 College Street
Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 259-1188
New MHEC Car Rental Rates
Click here to see the new MHEC rental car rates, which became effective 10/1/2007. The new rates now include options with and without insurance.
Travel Tips
Corporate Travel Card Expiration Dates
U.S. Bank will automatically issue replacement VISA cards about one week prior to expiration dates. Sometimes the timing of the replacement cards can pose a problem if you happen to be making travel arrangements. For example, if you are trying to make a hotel reservation and your card is due to expire before the date of your stay, the hotel may not accept your card. If you encounter this problem, simply contact UMass Travel Services and we will facilitate the process.
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