Comparison Requirements
Comparison - before trip
Comparison - after trip
Prorate
Eligibility
- Primary purpose of trip is official UW business
- Leave/payroll is properly accounted for. Consult with department HR representative or the ISC for guidance.
- UW does not incur any additional expense beyond what it would have normally incurred for business only
Comparison Airfare
If there is any personal influence on the airfare being reimbursed, a comparison airfare is required to assure reimbursement at UW business cost only. How to book travel policy should be considered when building the comparison.
If the ER contains multiple comparisons, the lowest logical itinerary between all flights will be chosen and compared to the actual itinerary.
Requirements
Each comparison airfare itinerary will be reviewed by Travel Services. If a comparison does not have all the required details that a valid itemized itinerary would have, the reimbursement will be sent back and will not be approved until a valid comparison, inclusive of the following details, is provided:
- Origin and Destination
- Flight dates
- Flight class
- Total amount
Before the trip (best practice):
Best practice is to acquire the comparison airfare for business only at the time of booking as this will most accurately represent the cost. The comparison is to show the cost of travel for UW business only with no personal influence.
The comparison itinerary can come from:
- Another traveler's itinerary if it accurately depicts what the traveler would have done for business only
- Travel Agency
- Online travel provider/directly from airline
Example online providers (non-exhaustive):
- Google Flights
- Kayak
- Expedia
Procedure: Comparison airfare must be attached to the expense report (please label attachment 'comparison airfare'). Reimbursement is the lesser between the comparison airfare and the actual itinerary influenced by personal travel.
After the trip:
In the event that a comparison airfare was not acquired before the trip (best practice), a future comparison can be built. The objective is to produce an itinerary that most accurately represents UW business only. Similar parameters from the time of booking should be utilized when producing the itinerary.
The comparison itinerary can come from:
- Another traveler's itinerary if it accurately depicts what the traveler would have done for business only
- Travel Agency
- Online travel provider/directly from airline
The comparison itinerary must include:
- Same days of the week for business only
- Same destination for business only
- Similar booking time (as far in advance as the actual ticket was booked)
Example online providers (non-exhaustive):
- Google Flights
- Kayak
- Expedia
Procedure: Comparison airfare must be attached to the expense report (please label attachment 'comparison airfare'). Reimbursement is the lesser between the comparison airfare and the actual itinerary influenced by personal travel.
Other Expenses (Prorate)
Fees must be prorated if personal expenses are not separate from the receipt total. Examples: car rental and parking.