Travel
The basic policy guiding MIT travel expense reimbursement is the following:- The individual traveler should neither gain nor lose personal funds as a result of travel assignments
- Assignments should be planned so that their cost will not exceed budgetary limitations
- Each traveler is to be fully reimbursed for all necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in connection with travel on Institute business
- The traveler should make efforts to keep all expenses at a sensible minimum.
Travel news and recent updates: January 12, 2009
Please note: The reimbursement rate for using personally owned vehicles for official MIT business travel decreased from $0.58 per mile to $0.55 per mile as of January 1, 2009. For travel started prior to that date and completed after it, the higher mileage rate will be reimbursed for the entire trip. VPF Travel has updated discount arrangements with hotels for 2009 in the general area (Cambridge & Boston). Please see the 2009 hotel rates on the VPF website at https://vpf.mit.edu/site/travel/partners/hotels. MIT is a member of Club Quarters --a private, full service, downtown hotel concept for the exclusive use of member organizations. The membership arrangement allows for significant savings (both business and personal, with no blackout dates) at locations in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, London, San Francisco, Houston, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Club Quarters will continue to subsidize rates for MIT employees, their friends, and families on weekends and holiday periods, with rates starting at $62 upon request and subject to availability. There is an additional charge for a second and third person. MIT guests earn a free "Night on the House" certificate each and every business stay, valid after the second stay. These certificates can be used for a complimentary stay for two on select dates. There is a small handling charge. Corporate apartments with full hotel services are available in all Club Quarters. Please see http://www.clubquarters.com for more information. Use password: MIT. Benefits of Partnership: Use Preferred Car Rental Agencies MIT strongly encourages MIT travelers to use the car rental agencies--Budget and Avis--with which the Institute maintains a volume contract. Because both agencies provide a discount rate and include insurance on the vehicle, using them will mitigate MIT's financial risk associated with automobile accidents and losses, including the theft of the vehicle. When you are renting from Budget and Avis for MIT travel, please note the MIT required procedure:
- The Agencies have each provided MIT with a corporate ID, (Budget #T240202 and Avis #A491400), which must be reflected on the rental agreement in order for the insurance coverage to apply. The contractual arrangements for these Agencies include $0.00 deductible collision damage waiver, $100,000/$300,000 liability coverage, and $25,000 property damage insurance on a nationwide basis for domestic travel.
- Travelers using rental cars for domestic travel should not purchase the optional collision insurance coverage offered. Other insurance offered, such as Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), Additional Liability Insurance (ALI), and Personal Effects Protection (PEP), are considered personal in nature and are not reimbursable.
- Optional collision insurance coverage should be purchased on all car rentals outside of the Continental U.S. Please also note that it is imperative for all changes pertaining to car rental reservations to be confirmed by telephone prior to picking up/dropping off the vehicle. If made at the rental counter, changes to the rental period, the return location, etc., may negate the MIT discount.
Please note: The processing fees for the Travel Collaborative will be reduced effective Monday, June 23, 2008.
Domestic and International tickets from $43 to $36
Amtrak from $43 to $30
Important links:
MIT Travel
MIT preferred travel vendors
Airfare policy: US Carriers vs. Foreign
Policy on unused non-refundable tickets
Forms:
Travel Advance- Macintosh (Excel)
Travel Advance- Windows (Excel)
Travel Expense Voucher- Macintosh (Excel)
Travel Expense Voucher- Windows (Excel)
Top five things to know about traveling at CSAIL:
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Travel Advance
If a traveler needs money to help cover costs of an upcoming trip, a lump sum amount can be requested from CSAIL fiscal. In order to receive the advance, the traveler must complete a Travel Advance form and turn it in to a staff member in G422. Due to MIT Travel regulations, a check can be cut no sooner than one week prior to the start of the trip. Please note: Travel will not reimburse for airfare prior to a trip.If a traveler has already paid travel expenses for an upcoming trip, they can also be reimbursed by filling out a Travel Advance form and dropping it off to office G422. In order for the request to be processed, the traveler must provide copies of documentation that supports their request for payment in the form of receipts, confirmations, or proof of payment statements. The traveler should allow at least four business days for fiscal HQ and Travel to process the advance--this is the absolute minimum amount of time it takes to process the request. Please note Travel will not reimburse for airfare prior to a trip. If you have any questions, please talk to the staff in G422 or look at the MIT Travel website.
Travel Voucher
All travelers must turn in both the original Travel Voucher as well as a copy to CSAIL fiscal (G422) within 30 days of a trip's conclusion. Please make sure that the form is filled out completely and any original receipts are attached. Original receipts should be submitted for all expenditures for which receipts may normally be obtained. These include air and railway tickets, receipted hotel bills, excess baggage tickets, car rental receipts, copies of prepaid official telegrams, and conference or seminar registration fees. Please note that all expenses and receipt totals must be converted into US dollars. You can find a currency converter on the MIT Travel Resources website.
