How to Combine Business and Personal Travel at VCU
When you’re traveling on behalf of Virginia Commonwealth University, there’s a bit of planning required to keep your finances and the University’s separate. Mixed-purpose travel, often called “blended travel” refers to trips that combine business responsibilities with personal leisure time, requiring careful allocation and separation of personal and business expenses.
Here is your quick guide to arranging a mixed-purpose trip while staying compliant.
1. Booking
When you’re flying solo for business, the Lightning online portal is great. But if your blended trip costs more than the business-only itinerary, you must use a CTP agent to book your travel.
- All mixed-purpose trips with a higher fare than the business-only itinerary, must be booked directly through a Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP) agent by calling 888-742-2896 or emailing [email protected].
- The agent’s job is to determine what the trip would have cost if you were only doing business. They will document the lowest reasonable available economy-class fare considering both time and cost for your required business dates in your reservation. This acts as the “price ceiling” for what VCU will cover.
- If the ticket including the leisure portion costs the same or less than the business-only itinerary, VCU will pay for the entirety of the ticket. This can be booked through Lightning or with a CTP agent. You must provide a cost comparison made at the time of booking with your expense report.
2. Splitting the Bill
One of the biggest perks of this procedure is that you don’t have to wait for a reimbursement to separate your airfare costs. The split happens right at the time of booking:
Business Portion & Booking Fee – Charged to the Agency Travel Card (ATC).
Personal Portion & Booking Fee – Must be paid at the time of booking using a personal credit card.
Pro Tip: Make sure you have your personal card added to your traveler profile in Lightning. You’ll need to pay for your portion of the fare immediately to confirm the reservation.
For questions please contact [email protected].
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