TTS Travel 101

Initial setup for travel

Start the First-time travel guide to setup >

In order to travel officially in TTS, you need to, at minimum, get set up in Concur*, GSA's travel system. Flights or Amtrak booked in Concur are paid for directly by GSA-- no travel card required.

You'll also want to apply for a GSA travel card, and once you receive it, update your Concur profile. This process takes about two weeks. In the meantime, you won't be able to make hotel reservations in Concur. It is recommended that you make all of your reservations via AdTrav at (877) 472-6716 until your card arrives. You will need to use your personal funds for all travel expenses other than flights/rail, but can be reimbursed for all official expenses when you complete a voucher upon your return.

*Note: there are special procedures for staff who need to get into Concur to travel during their first week and may not yet have access to OLU to complete the required IT security trainings.

Brief overview of how to travel

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Once you are set up in Concur and your travel card is on its way, there are three main parts of the travel process to be aware of:

1. Booking flights/rail, hotels, and rental cars in Concur or via AdTrav at (877) 472-6716, completing trip information and stamping and submitting in Concur, and securing approval either via email from your authorizing official, or through the event request process
2. What to keep in mind while on official travel, including which receipts to keep, and when to use the GSA travel card
3. Getting reimbursed for official travel (plus local travel or non-travel related reimbursements such as professional liability insurance for supervisors)

There are also a few specialized guides to be aware of for the following situations:

• Re-booking and changing official travel plans
• After hours and emergency travel
• Combining official and personal travel, including extensions at personal expense, and travel to and from cities other than one's home location and worksite.
• Traveling for multiple projects
• Issues with reimbursement

Getting help

You are responsible for securing your authorizing official's approval to travel, properly submitting your applications for Concur and the GSA travel card, booking your travel through Concur or AdTrav at (877) 472-6716, and ensuring your travel request is properly stamped and submitted in Concur.

The TTS Travel Team is responsible for approving properly submitted travel in Concur, and answering most* of the questions you might have along the way. You can reach them either via email at tts-travel@gsa.gov, in Slack in the #travel channel, or by booking travel/purchase office hours. Note that the travel team won't be available to immediately assist with your inquiry, though the team endeavors to answer all questions that come through by their next office hours which are twice daily. Properly submitted authorizations for upcoming travel are reviewed by the team daily, and vouchers are reviewed within 5 business days. Close of business for the travel team is at 4:30 PM ET. Should you need support after-hours, read the guide here.

The TTS travel team is comprised of the following individuals. Please send your questions to them through the above-mentioned channels and not through individual emails or Slack DMs.

• Djemila McCray (primary, People Operations)
• Steven Williams (backup, People Operations)

*Please direct technical questions about Concur to the Business Applications Service Desk at (866) 450-6588 (press 2) or businessapps@gsa.gov. Questions about the travel card application should be routed to ronnail.rawls@gsa.gov.