New TSA Requirements (Secure Flight Program)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced the implementation of the Secure Flight program. This program is intended to enhance the security of domestic and international air travel for all passengers through the use of improved TSA watch-list matching, as well as reduce the instances of passenger misidentification.

How will Secure Flight affect you? Read on >>

Updated Travel Information About the H1N1 Flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that travelers at high risk for complications from any form of flu discuss their travel plans with their doctor. Together, they should look carefully at the H1N1 flu situation in their destination, increased risk factors, and available health-care options in the area.
Travelers at high risk for complications include:

• Children under 5 and persons over 65 years old
• Children and adolescents (less than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reyes syndrome after influenza virus infection
• Pregnant women
• Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders
• Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV)

Healthy people may make travel plans as they normally would and take common sense precautions to protect their health during travel. For more information on Lab travel visit the Berkeley Lab Travel website Visit the CDC travel site HERE.

Register All Trips Outside of California for UC Business Insurance

The Office of Risk Services within the Financial Management Department at the UC Office of the President has arranged for employees and students traveling on official University business to be covered for a wide variety of accidents and incidents while away from the campus or primary workplace. This coverage is provided at no cost to the traveler. Upon completion of the registration, employees and students are provided with information to use in an emergency while traveling on UC business both domestically and abroad. Visit the UCOP website for more information and to register. Registration provides critical information when security extraction and emergency evacuation situations arise. Having information on travelers enables quick response to unforeseen circumstances, such as changes in designated war risk countries, new health warnings, medical emergencies, riots, natural disasters, etc.

With the H1N1 Pandemic, University travelers (faculty, staff and students) who are registered in our system are automatically receiving travel and health advisory updates from WorldCue/Ijet our security and traveler intelligence partner.

Registration Pre-Payments Now Done In TREX

The prepayment Expense Report function in TREX is now being used instead of the RFIC process, when the traveler pays for an event registration fee in advance and wishes to be reimbursed before the trip takes place. Prepayments for lodging costs are only used in situations when a hotel requires a deposit to be pre-paid.

The RFIC process is still used only for third party payments; in situations when the Laboratory pays on behalf of the traveler, and the Lab check goes directly to the conference/event (not to the traveler). 

How pre-payments work: An approved authorization in TREX is required prior to creating a Prepayment Expense Report. A receipt indicating the amount paid in full must be submitted with the Prepayment Expense Report to the Travel Office for reimbursement. Click HERE for instructions on how to create a Prepayment Expense Report.

All prepayment expense reports must have an associated final/regular expense report to reconcile the prepaid expense, even if there is no other expense to be claimed for reimbursement. When creating the final expense report be sure to enter all costs incurred, including amounts that were pre-paid.

FLY Clear Ceases Operations

As reported through its corporate website, Verified Identity Pass, Inc, the parent company of Clear, which operated the Clear Registered Traveler program, ceased all operations effective 1 a.m. CDT, June 23, 2009. Clear’s corporate website stated the reason for the closure simply as the company “has been unable to negotiate an agreement with its senior creditor.”   
Travelers with a Clear Registered Traveler program pass will no longer have access to designated security express lanes at airports nationwide. This change has the potential of causing longer lines and delays at security checkpoints. CWT ticketed passengers are advised to carry the appropriate identification and follow airline guidelines by allowing sufficient time to navigate airport security. Visit the Fly Clear website for the most current information.

Electronic Boarding Pass Use Expanding

Starting as a pilot program in the United States late last year, the use of electronic boarding passes displayed on smartphones continues to expand as airports install more scanners to read the bar-coded boarding passes.

American Airlines has just expanded service to include Las Vegas McCarran International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Delta Air Lines has added Salt Lake City International Airport to its list of e-boarding enabled airports that include Atlanta, Las Vegas, Memphis International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit Wayne Country Metropolitan Airport, Indianapolis International Airport and New York-LaGuardia Airport.

Travelers who are interested in this efficient and easy e-boarding service—which also conserves paper—should visit the individual airline websites for the most current information regarding availability by city. From the website, travelers can check in and download bar-coded boarding passes to smartphones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) for scanning at security checkpoints and departing gates.

Airlines Recommend the Following Process for E-boarding:

At security and the gate, hold the e-boarding pass on the scanner. The agent will advise when the e-boarding pass has been validated for boarding.

Ensure the entire barcode is visible on the screen of the device.

Make certain the backlight is on when the barcode is being scanned.

If the scanner cannot read the e-boarding pass, a paper boarding pass will be required.

Checked Baggage Fees on American Airlines

American Airlines Checked Bags Fees:

• 1st Bag: $20
• 2nd Bag: $30
  

Bag charges on travel to and from Canada will not change at this time. Applicable on domestic travel tickets purchased on or after August 14.

Checked Bag Charges and Exemptions Customers who are exempt include:

• Customers who purchase First, Business or full-fare Economy Class tickets
• AAdvantageExecutive Platinum®, Platinum®and Gold®members, oneworldAlliance Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby members
• Customers flying on the same reservation record as an AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum or Gold member, oneworldAlliance Emerald, Sapphire or Ruby member regardless of frequent flyer status or fare type (excludes group bookings)
• Customers flying on AA codeshareflights not operated by American Airlines, American Eagle, or AmericanConnection
• Customers traveling on an international itinerary
• Active U.S. Military personnel traveling on orders or personal travel, or active U.S. Military dependents traveling on orders
• First and Business Class MileSAAver® Awards
• First, Business and Economy Class AAnytime®Awards
• First and Business Class upgrades confirmed prior to check-in
• Customers traveling on an AAirpass®ticket
• Charges apply if a bag is overweight or oversized
• More information may be found at the American Airlines website
• Customers may pay checked bag charges at an airport Self-Service Machine, curbside check-in counter, or at any airport ticket counter

New State of California Fare YCal Program Contract

The State of California has recently published their new YCal contracts effective July 1, 2009- June 30, 2010.

The discount airfare contracts have been executed between the state of California and the following airlines:

• United Airlines
• Virgin America Airlines
• Alaska Airlines
• Jet Blue
• Southwest Airlines

And YES, we once again have the YCal and VCal fares on United between SFO and the Dulles Washington nonstop market! 

The Travel Office is busy pricing all of these markets and the excel sheets will be on the Travel Home Page very soon. In the meantime, you will find these fares on Cliqbook and by calling CWT directly.

Definition of YCAL fare:

"YCAL - A type of airfare available to State travelers, for business use only, through State contracts with specific airlines. These unrestricted (subject to no restrictions or limits; no additional fees; fully refundable; flexible) YCAL fares offer last-seat availability (access to any seat or any number of seats on a plane). Fares are fully-refundable and may be used for travel in either direction of the city pair. Because YCAL fares are more flexible, they are more expensive than VCAL fares."

 

- TREX SURVEY -

 

May 2009 was the first anniversary of the TREX (TRavel and EXpense) system rollout. A user satisfaction survey was distributed during the early stages of the rollout. A follow-up survey was done in April 2009. Based on the results of the recent survey, TREX has been well received by the majority of users at the Lab.  In the earlier survey, 54% of respondents said that TREX was easy to use, and as of April 2009 this number increased to 76%. Also, in the previous survey, 60% of TREX users felt that TREX is an improvement over Gelco, in the latest survey this number increased to 79%.


Overall, these responses show that we are headed in the right direction with TREX. However, we’ve received a great deal of feedback on how TREX can continue to be improved.  The TREX team is analyzing this feedback and determining how to further improve usability and functionality.

Any suggestions can be sent to TREX@lbl.gov, or reported via the Help Desk Ticket system travelhelp.lbl.gov

To view TREX survey results presentation click HERE.

- Year End Close FY09 -

 

In preparation for the fiscal year end close, we have distributed the first round of reports of all pending transactions in TREX by individual divisions. Please help us make the transition to the next fiscal year go smoothly by cleaning up the pending transactions in a timely manner.

- TRAINING -

Travel Policy Training

Did you know that you can view the most recent training on Travel Policy on our website? Click HERE to download it.

Upcoming TREX Training

• TREX Basics: October 10th, 9-12:30
• TREX Intermediate: October 16th, 9-12:30
  

Click HERE to sign up.

- HOTEL AND CAR RENTAL NEWS -

Local Hotel Added

The Lab has successfully negotiated a great rate at Hotel Shattuck Plaza in downtown Berkeley. The Lab’s negotiated rate is $112 plus tax per night. This rate is available through June 30th 2010, and direct billing is available. We have added it to our list of preferred hotels.

Rental Car Fender Benders!

Car accidents do happen once in a while on official Lab business. Regardless of how insignificant the damage may be or who is at fault, it is imperative that all accidents at the time of the incident are reported to the Laboratory's Legal Counsel, Glenn Woods (x7025) and the Travel Office.

Recently, a Lab traveler had a minor accident and it was not reported to our Lab Counsel. Eventually we received notice of this accident and were keenly reminded that all accidents must be reported to prevent any invalidations of our car rental insurance coverage.

In UC's Master Car Rental Agreements, it is clearly noted:

The following shall invalidate LDW:
“the authorized driver has failed to comply with the requirements for reporting damage or loss as set forth in the rental agreement”.

We must rent with one of the three UC Car Rental contracted companies; National, Hertz or Enterprise. We are automatically covered with legal services as Lab employees for accident insurance. The benefit is very important to the Lab as they take responsibility of any claim that needs to be defended and/or settled.

You will find more rental car information and our contract numbers on the Travel website.

Booking your rental car with Carlson Travel or Cliqbook ensures compliance with this policy.

- Travel to Russia -

Going to Russia?
Provide your cell number.



In the interest of safety and to ensure proper accountability of DOE, NNSA, and National Laboratory travelers in the Russian Federation, the DOE Moscow Office requires that all travelers to the Russian Federation provide an international cell phone or Blackberry number for all foreign travel requests.

Travel Express Archive

Summer Special Edition 2009
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Winter 2008
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