SITE VISIT TRAVEL POLICIES - STARTALK
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SITE VISIT TRAVEL POLICIES
All STARTALK site visitors’ travel must follow the guidelines set forth by the University of Maryland. The official
University of Maryland (UMD) traveler’s guide can be found here:
http://www.dbs.umd.edu/travel/policy/umtravel/trav_guide.php.
COVID-19 Guidance: Please note that due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, all site visitors must comply with any
requirements of the organization they are visiting regarding masking, social distancing, temperature checks, health
screening questions, proof of vaccination, etc. for the health and safety of program participants and staff as well as that
of other members of the site visit team.
UMD will only reimburse travel expenses to individuals. UMD will not reimburse your FEI (federal employer identification)
number or your organization or company for travel expenses.
Your 1099 tax statement will not include travel reimbursement paid to you. It only includes honoraria paid to you for work
done. Work expenses that are reimbursed do not show up on your 1099. If you have questions regarding Maryland taxes,
you must contact the Comptroller of Maryland’s office (http://www.comp.state.md.us/) as STARTALK and UMD staff are
advised to not offer any tax advice and do not have any tax records on file.
Below are some of the travel policies that affect STARTALK site visit travelers.
Travel Agency
Site visit travel should be reserved through the University of Maryland approved travel agency Globetrotter Travel.
Travelers can make reservations with Globetrotter via phone (1-866-235-5467, press 1) or online at
https://globetrottermgmt.com/startalk_travel/.
UMD requires an approved Travel Authorization Request (TAR) before any travel can be purchased through UMD
accounts. Each traveler will be contacted by STARTALK representatives with relevant TAR numbers for his/her travel once
those TARs are approved in the UMD system. After a TAR has been approved and shared with the traveler, any changes
to information in the TAR (e.g., travel cost, dates of travel, origins/destinations, etc.) will require approval from STARTALK
Central and revision of the TAR in the UMD system. Contact STARTALK Central for clarification or approval on any inquiries
(startalk@umd.edu). STARTALK will make every effort to respond within 24 hours to requests for travel changes that
require approval.
• Travel Authorization Requests (TARs) are created for each unique trip for a given traveler based on information
provided or confirmed by the traveler (e.g., in the form of a draft itinerary or other correspondence with
STARTALK). The TAR for each trip includes:
o Estimated airfare and/or other travel costs, based on the lowest reasonable fare for travel at the time of
TAR creation (see below on airfare policies),
o Dates of travel (departure and return dates for the entire trip),
o Origin and destination locations, and
o Notes and details/comments that include any specified lodging venues.
Travel Policies (5/2021) startalk.umd.edu 1• Globetrotter travel agents are required to follow the guidelines of the TAR as travel reservations are made for
STARTALK travelers. If a traveler is making travel requests outside of the parameters outlined in the TAR, the
travel agent will not be able to complete the request. Any changes to information in the TAR (e.g., travel cost,
dates of travel, origins/destinations, etc.) will require approval from STARTALK Central and revision of the TAR in
the UMD system before the reservation can be made by Globetrotter.
• Travelers who wish to purchase airfare (or rail tickets) using personal funds must still have an approved TAR before
making travel purchases and must comply with all stated policies and cost guidelines if they plan to seek
reimbursement for all or part of the travel costs after their trips.
• All travel ticketing must be documented. Globetrotter will send a copy of the travel invoice to the traveler and
STARTALK Central. If a traveler reserves his/her accommodations on a personal card (independent of
Globetrotter), he/she must forward the final itinerary or invoice to STARTALK Central for reimbursement.
Airline Travel Policies
• Travelers are required to book the least expensive, practical itinerary for travel as long as it is reasonable and
convenient for the traveler. Reasonable and convenient airfare exceeding the estimated TAR amount must be
approved by STARTALK.
o STARTALK defines reasonable and convenient itineraries to include:
▪ no more than 1 layover if at all possible,
▪ layover length of no more than 2 hours if possible,
▪ avoiding “red-eye” overnight flights if possible,
▪ avoiding arrival after 11pm if possible (and subject to traveler’s preference), and
▪ avoiding flight departures before 8:00 a.m., if traveler does not specifically prefer/request it.
• First- and business-class travel and non-travel services are not reimbursable.
• STARTALK will NOT authorize purchase of a higher-cost airfare to accommodate a traveler’s airline preference or
status rewards for the traveler.
• STARTALK will NOT reimburse travelers (for any portion of a flight) for airfare purchased using frequent flyer miles
(i.e. SkyMiles, MileagePlus, etc.).
• When booking air travel reservations for STARTALK travelers on airlines that allow pre-assigned seating, travelers
need a confirmed seat at the time of purchase. The default option would be to reserve any available free seat
that can be preassigned. If there are no free preassigned seats available, STARTALK will authorize Globetrotter
to purchase a paid preassigned seat for the traveler as long as the ticket price and seat charges are within the total
amount on the TAR. If the ticket and seat fee together add up to more than the total amount on the TAR, the
agent will call or email STARTALK for approval. The traveler must have a guaranteed seat on the flight that he/she
books, and STARTALK will pay add-on fees to confirm a guaranteed seat if necessary.
• STARTALK will NOT pay for status upgrades, first-class or business class upgrades, or any seat upgrades or for any
other kind of fee for seat preference. If a traveler wishes to pay to upgrade or select a seat when there are free
seats available on a flight, the traveler would have to pay that fee on his/her own with a personal method of
payment, and STARTALK would not pay for or reimburse for that expense. On airlines that do not offer preassigned
seats, STARTALK would not pay for any preferential upgrades to boarding zones or status.
• Travelers are discouraged from using personal credit cards to book flights to/from site visits. If you do purchase a
ticket independent of the travel agency (Globetrotter), after the site visit you must submit an itemized (zero-
balance) receipt that lists the cost for each leg of the trip in order to be reimbursed for the STARTALK-related
Travel Policies (5/2021) startalk.umd.edu 2travel. Reimbursable fare amounts will be calculated by STARTALK based on an estimate of appropriate and
reasonable site visit travel costs using the most direct route available.
Rail Travel Policies
• Amtrak Acela rail tickets are not considered upgraded/first-class and do NOT require special approval to purchase.
Changes
• Travelers are responsible for notifying STARTALK and Globetrotter (1-866-235-5467, press 1) as soon as possible
of any changes or cancellations to airline or rail tickets or hotel reservations booked through STARTALK.
• All change fees must be pre-approved by STARTALK. STARTALK will not reimburse costs or fees associated with
changes without pre-approval. Email startalk@umd.edu to request changes.
• Unused tickets or portions of tickets must be processed for credit, which may be due the University. Tickets and
credits are the property of the University.
Lodging
• Travelers will be reimbursed for the cost of a single-rate hotel room for authorized travel.
• The traveler is responsible for all additional incidental hotel charges (e.g., phone calls, video rentals).
• Travelers must submit a hotel folio (receipt) with a zero balance for reimbursement.
• STARTALK will reimburse travelers for lodging costs on the night before a site visit day. Since most site visits
conclude in the late afternoon, STARTALK expects travelers to depart that same day. If circumstances require the
traveler to stay an extra night, STARTALK must preapprove that night’s stay (see the layover policy below).
• For travel to site visit destinations 50 miles or farther away from a traveler’s home location, STARTALK will
reimburse lodging costs for the night prior to a site visit date.
• The University of Maryland will not reimburse travelers for lodging at “home-away” residences (such as AirBnB or
VRBO).
Layovers between Site Visits
Travelers who have two site visits close together may want to consider going directly from one site visit to another
without returning home. If you decide to go home in between two closely booked site visits, please notify STARTALK
Central to ensure you can arrive at your next destination on time. STARTALK has a policy regarding these potential
layover stays between site visits:
• If the next site visit is across time zones (e.g., California to Chicago, Oregon to New Jersey, Texas to Maine),
STARTALK will reimburse traveler for up to three (3) nights of hotel stays between visits.
• If the next site visit is within the same time zone (e.g., California to Oregon, Florida to New York, Texas to
Oklahoma), STARTALK will reimburse traveler for up to two (2) nights of hotel stays between visits.
Combined Trips
If a traveler wishes to purchase a ticket in order to attend a STARTALK site visit along with other non-STARTALK-related
events before returning home, STARTALK can reimburse the traveler for the portion of the trip that relates to STARTALK
travel only. Reimbursable travel costs will be estimated based on the cost of only the STARTALK-related portion of travel.
Pre-approval from STARTALK is required in advance of the purchase.
Travel Policies (5/2021) startalk.umd.edu 3Meals
Travelers will be reimbursed at UMD meal per diem rates
(http://www.dbs.umd.edu/travel/services/rates/domestic.php).
• Reimbursement will not be made if a meal has already been paid for as part of a training session or meeting or if
it is included in the hotel stay.
• A partial day’s travel is eligible for proportionate meal allowance.
Reimbursable Expenses
The following expenses are reimbursable. Retain receipts for these costs and submit them with your travel reimbursement
form: https://startalk.umd.edu/public/system/files/resources/sitevisitortravelreimbursementform.xlsx
• Travel expenses such as airport parking, checked baggage fees (one bag per traveler), ground transportation, etc.,
are reimbursable if documented with an itemized receipt.
• Internet service is reimbursable.
• The cost of local travel and the use of personally owned vehicles is reimbursed at the rate posted online here:
http://www.dbs.umd.edu/travel/services/rates/pov.php. To be reimbursed for personal vehicle travel, please
submit a MapQuest, Google Maps, or similar online direction help engine report that shows the departure and
destination points along with the number of miles in the trip.
• Collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver fees when using a rental car are reimbursable expenses. (Note: If
you are a University of Maryland employee, you do not need additional insurance; you are already covered.)
Non-Reimbursable Expenses
Below is a list of expenses that are not reimbursed in accordance with University of Maryland travel policies:
• First- and business-class travel and non-travel services
• The cost of alcoholic beverages
• Hotel incidentals (video rental, room service, phone calls, etc.);
• Airline change fees (if not pre-approved by STARTALK)
• Tickets for non-US flag air carriers
• Hotel no-show charges
Car Rental
Car rental is reimbursable for only one person on a site visit team. This person is usually the team leader. If a different
person is specified to rent a car for the site visit team, the team leader should alert STARTALK Central to the change.
Requests for a rental car must be directly approved by STARTALK Central.
Emergencies
I’m going to miss the site visit because of weather/airline issues!
If you are unable to get to a site visit because of bad weather or airline problems, please inform STARTALK and the team
leader for that visit. If it is during business hours (M-F 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST), call Globetrotter Travel at 1-866-235-
5467 (press 1) and inform them of the issue. They will help you to make alternate arrangements and contact STARTALK
Central to approve your travel.**
Travel Policies (5/2021) startalk.umd.edu 4I am stuck at the airport and will miss my next flight!
If you are stuck at an airport between site visits or on your way home due to flight delay or cancellation, inquire with the
airline about getting another flight. If you are having trouble, call Globetrotter Travel at 1-866-235-5467 (press 1) during
business hours (M-F 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST) for assistance. If you are unable to get a flight out, inquire with the airline
about getting a hotel voucher. If the airline cannot accommodate you, STARTALK will reimburse you for a hotel stay
because of flight cancellation or delay.**
I have an emergency and cannot travel on the specified dates!
If you have an emergency and need to change your ticket and it is during business hours (weekdays between 8:00 a.m.
and 5:30 p.m. EST) email STARTALK (startalk@umd.edu) to explain the situation; to reach STARTALK by phone, call 301-
405-4665. We will instruct you to then call Globetrotter Travel at 1-866-235-5467 (press 1) to find alternate travel
arrangements, where applicable. Globetrotter will contact STARTALK Central to approve your travel.
After-Hours Travel Emergencies
** If a travel emergency occurs after-hours (Monday through Friday 5:31 p.m. – 7:59 a.m. EST, OR on weekends or national
holidays) and it is not possible to wait until available business hours to resolve the issue, call Globetrotter’s emergency
phone line at 1-800-639-9278. Unauthorized usage will be charged additional service fees. Give VIT (Very Important
Traveler) code: S9TX5. The after-hours agents at this number should only be called in emergencies; each emergency call
incurs considerable fees to STARTALK. STARTALK Central should also be emailed to be alerted of the issue.**
Travel Policies (5/2021) startalk.umd.edu 5You can also read
