Quick Tips
Consider Using MIT’s Preferred Travel Agency, The Travel Collaborative.
Read more about the benefits of using The Travel Collaborative below.
Register Your Travel Through the MIT Travel Registry.
Registering your travel is the best way to make sure MIT can keep you updated on travel concerns or restrictions, as well as help you in an emergency.
Charging Your Travel to a Sponsored Account?
Know the requirements when booking travel using sponsored funds.
Keep All Required Receipts Related to Your Travel.
Read more about receipt requirements here. This ensures a streamlined travel expense report process after your trip, enabling you to meet the 60-day MIT policy regarding expensing deadlines.
Benefits of Using The Travel Collaborative, MIT’s Preferred Travel Agency
MIT's Preferred travel agency, The Travel Collaborative (TTC), is the booking agency behind Concur. There are many benefits to you when booking via Concur or directly with TTC:
- You will have access to 24-hour assistance while you are traveling, including help with trip changes, interruptions, and cancellations.
- You will automatically obtain the negotiated rates for airfare and car rentals.
- TTC will provide price differential quotes for airfare when they are required.
- Receipts will be automatically fed into your profile, which will help you complete your expense report.
- TTC can serve as an advocate in the case of disagreements with airlines and car rental agencies.
- TTC is familiar with federal award travel requirements, such as the Fly America Act.
- In the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, MIT can more easily identify travelers in the affected area.
If travelers book with other agencies or online services, they will not have the benefits provided above.
With Concur, you will have access to MIT discounts and can build your travel expense report as you go and finalize it as soon as you return, saving you time and stress. You must submit within 60 days of the completion of your trip.
Flights
For All Flights
- You are strongly encouraged to make reservations for airline tickets as soon as possible so that you can obtain advance purchase discounts.
- To get MIT’s preferred travel rates and maximize savings, book on Concur, MIT's online travel booking and expense reporting tool, or contact The Travel Collaborative, MIT's Preferred travel agency.
- Book the lowest available coach fare unless the requirements for business class are met (see below).
- If you travel in a class other than coach, you must obtain a quote for the coach rate at time of booking. You’ll need this for your travel expense report.
- We recommend registering your trip with MIT Travel Registry.
- To ensure your safety, check the MIT International Travel Risk Policy Country Warning Levels before every international trip.
Business Class/First Class
If you are traveling on MIT business, there are specific criteria for flying business class. Please note, first class travel is only allowed if business class service is not offered on a flight.
- For all international travel except Canada, travelers may fly business class.
- For travel within the U.S. and Canada, an MIT traveler may fly business class in the following situations:
- The traveler’s scheduled in-air flying time from origin to destination exceeds six hours, whether it is a direct flight or there are multiple legs.
- For roundtrip travel, the above requirement must apply to at least one way of travel in order to fly business class in both directions. For example, business class is allowed for a roundtrip Boston-Los Angeles flight even if only one way exceeds six hours.
- Travelers with a medical condition may fly business class for any flight by providing proper documentation and receiving approval from the MIT Office of Disability Services.
Complex Travel Arrangements
Trips With Multiple Purposes
Sometimes you may need to book one trip for multiple purposes, such as flying to California for a two-day meeting with a sponsor and then flying directly to a conference in Seattle that is unrelated to the sponsored project.
When booking travel for a trip with multiple business purposes, you must obtain a comparison quote at the time of booking to show the exact airfare for the MIT-related portion of the trip. The quote must be attached to your travel expense report in Concur.
Business Travel That Includes Personal Stays
You may choose to arrive early or delay your return from a trip for personal reasons, such as presenting research at a two-day conference in Hawaii and then staying for a week of personal vacation.
If you arrive early or delay your return for personal reasons, a comparison quote must be obtained at the time of booking to show the exact airfare for the sponsored-related portion. The quote must be attached to your travel expense report in Concur.
No personal expenses may be charged to your MIT Travel Card during the non-work related portion of your travel.
Rail
You may travel by rail when convenient if the total cost of your rail trip is equal to or less than the lowest-cost available coach airfare to your destination. To receive the negotiated discount, book on Concur, MIT's online travel booking and expense reporting tool, or contact The Travel Collaborative, MIT's Preferred travel agency.
Ground Transportation
You may travel by private automobile when it is more convenient and less expensive than the lowest available coach airfare to your destination. A comparison quote must be obtained to show the exact airfare for your travel dates to verify that your trip by private automobile was the least expensive option. Attach that quote to your travel expense report in Concur.
Your reimbursement for transportation and operating costs will be based on the prevailing IRS mileage reimbursement rate. This rate includes wear and tear to your vehicle and reimbursement for gasoline.
When filing for reimbursement, submit the number of miles you traveled, rather than the amount you spent on gasoline and tolls. Do not submit gas station receipts.
Book your car rental directly with Budget or Avis, MIT’s Preferred rental car agencies to secure MIT’s negotiated rates and other MIT benefits.
Young Renters who are between 18 and 20 years old can only rent a vehicle from Enterprise or National if traveling in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Young renters will need to book via Avis or Budget when renting outside of these three states.
For domestic travel, you should not purchase additional insurance from any rental car agency. This will not be reimbursed. The only exceptions are renting in Alaska and Puerto Rico. This expense will not be reimbursed if you buy car insurance when renting in the other 49 states.
Travelers are strongly discouraged from renting vehicles in most international destinations because of the significant safety and security risks.
However, should you require the use of a vehicle, Budget and Avis are MIT's Preferred car rental agencies and offer preferred rates to the MIT community.
We recommend that you purchase insurance for international car rentals. You can pay for the rental agreement (including required insurance) with the MIT Travel Card, or use your own funds and get a reimbursement.
MIT has a preferred rate for truck and van rentals with Budget Truck only. Please check the Budget Truck Rental page in Supplier Search for more details.
If you need to rent a 12- or 15-passenger van, obtain authorization from the VPF Office of Insurance before you rent.
Please also be aware that due to height restrictions, rental trucks are not allowed on some local roads, such as Storrow and Memorial Drive.
Use your MIT Travel Card to pay for miscellaneous ground transportation. Remember to save your receipts (if over $75).
Policy
Office of Insurance - Vehicle Use Policy
Understand the Vehicle Use Policy before using a personal vehicle for MIT-related business.
Hotels
- We strongly encourage you to use MIT’s Preferred hotels and take advantage of negotiated fares and discounts.
- To get MIT’s discounted travel rates, contact The Travel Collaborative (TTC), MIT's Preferred travel agency. TTC has preferred rates at 33,000 hotels in 7,000 cities worldwide.
- You may book through Concur, through The Travel Collaborative, or by calling or going to the hotel’s website directly. Be sure to reference the MIT discount code found on Supplier Search if using a Preferred hotel.
- Looking to book a hotel in Cambridge or Boston for yourself or for guests to MIT, or for events? Check out our expert buying advice on hotels.