Pre-Travel

UNIVERSITY TRAVEL POLICY HAS CHANGED - Please check with administrative staff before booking any travel.

Stanford requires the use of a centralized travel booking program when booking air fare, hotels, or rental cars for university-sponsored travel. Failure to book properly will result in no reimbursement. For more information, please visit Stanford Travel.

Travel Advances

Travel advances may be available prior to travel for airfare, lodging and other costs. Travel advance requests should be made at least 3 weeks before travel.

Travel Certifications

Students or post-docs must submit a signed Expense Certification form with any request for use of department travel card, travel advances, or reimbursements.

Using Department Travel Card

Before travel, check with ESS staff to borrow the department travel card to book airfare, conference registrations, lodging, vehicle rental reservations.

Vehicle Rentals

When reserving a vehicle for University business use, always decline all insurance options for rentals within the contiguous US. Stanford has a blanket insurance policy for University business vehicle coverage. Vehicle insurance is not reimbursible (except for work in Hawaii and international).

Airfare

To safeguard the cost of airfare if your trip is at all in doubt, get a refundable or changeable ticket. Do not purchase trip insurance (Stanford will not reimburse for trip insurance).

Booking Airfare: Fly America Act

• Fly America Act: Generally all flights charged to federal projects must be taken on US flag air carriers or on foreign air carriers that code share with a US flag carrier on the flight taken. This includes flights within the US. If there is no US carrier to your destination, you must travel on a U.S. carrier as far as possible. By law, additional cost for US carrier flights is not sufficient justification to fly on foreign carriers. Please note that the same rules apply to a foreign visitor's flights when supported by federal funds.

• For more information about Fly America Act, visit Fly America Act and Open Skies Exceptions (Air Carrier Requirements)

• When it doubt, please check with ESS Staff before booking any flights, as this may result in noncompliance and penalty if Fly America Act is not adhered to.
• If applicable, please complete the Certification of Exception to Fly America Act form, which justifies the use of a foreign flag air carrier for travel charged to a federally sponsored project.