Sent to AFS-Update on July 28, 2022
Travel demand has been rising this year, and the UCOP Central Travel Office recently advised campuses that travel is projected to continue increasing over the summer. Industry experts and travel suppliers across airlines, car rental companies, hotels, and travel agencies note that while demand for travel is high, staffing shortages are real and have led to widespread issues such as long wait times, cancellations, and limited airport services.
The cost of airfare, car rentals and hotels continue to increase substantially worldwide. This makes it even more important to take advantage of UC’s negotiated discounts with most major travel preferred suppliers. Please review the following for additional tips to hopefully make your summer travel smooth and uneventful.
Rental Cars and Premiere Level Memberships
Plan ahead as much as possible. ConnexUC offers incredible discounts and savings, automatically includes insurance when traveling on UC business, and you can get a free vehicle upgrade when available. You can also bypass long lines at most airport car rental counters by signing up for one of the car rental agency’s premiere level memberships. The memberships are complimentary when booking through ConnexUC. This allows you to go straight to your rental car at most airports.
- Enterprise and National Car Rental – Enroll in Emerald Club and earn with Emerald by renting with Enterprise and National. Select UC Irvine In the Choose Your Contract drop down menu.
- Hertz Car Rental - Enroll in or update Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Select UC Irvine in the Select Your Campus, Medical Center or Lab drop-down menu.
- Dollar & Thrifty Car Rental – Enroll in the Irvine – Dollar Express Rental Program or the Irvine -Thrifty Blue Chip Program.
Airline Travel
- Book through ConnexUC, and many of our UC partner airlines offer access to preferred seats, priority boarding, and priority status to avoid getting bumped on overbooked flights and priority status for rebooking when a flight is canceled. Review all the air program benefits on the UCOP travel website.
- Check flight status within 24 hours of departure.
- Arrive early whenever possible. Some airports are recommending arrival at least three hours before domestic departure and four hours before international departure.
- With Southwest Airlines SWABIZ, you can access the lowest “Wanna Get Away” and “Wanna Get Away Plus” web airfares and UC-negotiated discounts with no booking fees. UC travelers also earn 50% more Rapid Reward Points!
Loyalty Programs
Consider signing up for mileage and loyalty programs with any airline or hotel you plan on booking. This may not provide you full protection but could make a significant difference.
Service Issues?
If you are having difficulty dealing directly with an airline, hotel, or rental car agency that you booked through ConnexUC, then don’t hesitate to reach out to the ConnexUC agency that you booked your original reservation through. They are there to advocate on your behalf.
UC Travel Insurance
If you didn’t book your business travel through ConnexUC, at a minimum, be sure to register travel for the UC Travel Insurance program – UC Away, which is automatic when booking through ConnexUC travel agencies.
AB 1887 Updated with Additional States
AB 1887 is a California law that restricts state agencies from requiring employees to travel to any state that has enacted a law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identify, or gender expression. The law also prohibits state-funded and state-sponsored travel to states on the list.
Recently, the state Office of the Attorney General announced the addition of four more states to the list. The following states are being added to the AB 1887 travel ban effective on the following dates:
- July 1, 2022: Utah and Indiana
- Aug. 1, 2022: Louisiana
- Sept. 28, 2022: Arizona
For more information, you may review a complete list of the states where travel restrictions apply or see frequently asked questions about AB 1887 requirements.
If you have any questions about business travel for UC Irvine, please contact the team at travel-accounting@uci.edu.