Travel FAQs
World Travel is a large travel management company based in the US. Their services include online booking with Concur Travel, a designated agent team trained on Yale policies and the Fly America Act for federally sponsored travel, and a team of agents specifically for booking meetings.
Your Designated Agent Team Phone Number: 833-780-1302 / 484-624-6988 Your Designated Agent Team Email Address: yale@worldtravelinc.com.
World Travel/Concur is to be used for travel on Yale business. Personal travel should not be booked with World Travel or Concur.
The preferred method is for the traveler to select you as their assistant from their own profile. They would have two options:
- Can book travel for me: Permits you to book travel for them.
- Is my primary assistant: Permits you to book travel for them and to access their profile.
Note: For either option, the required sections in the profiles for the traveler and arranger must be completed. Arrangers will also have a Travel Arranger View to keep track of their travelers and their trips. Alternatively, you can be a self-assigning assistant, which will enable you to book for any profiled traveler. The traveler will be notified if you book their travel. Note: This method will only be provided to profiled travelers with a Yale.edu email address. Please contact travel@yale.edu for access.
Managers are automatically copied on all bookings. This is established via the hierarchy in Workday and cannot be modified by Yale Travel or World Travel. If a manager does not wish to receive these notifications, the recommendation would be to set up a rule in Outlook to forward the messages to a specific folder or trash.
It is recommended that anyone traveling internationally add their passport information to their profile. Go to your profile and scroll down to International Travel: Passports and Visas, where you will be able to add or edit the documentation to your profile.
Trips booked for you or by you are in your Trip Library. From the Concur homepage: Under Home, select Travel and then Trip Library.
If you’re an arranger, please see Travel Arranger View. From the Concur homepage: Home, Travel, Arrangers
What do these terms from the Concur trip library mean:
- Ticketed - your ticket has been issued.
- Confirmed – your trip is confirmed but your ticket has not been issued yet.
- Withdrawn – your trip was cancelled.
Concur only allows changes to be made to tickets that have not been traveled on. We recommend changes be made directly with an agent.
- Upon ticket issuance, World Travel will automatically send an email containing an itinerary and a PDF of the invoice/receipt. These documents contain critical information for expense purposes.
- Invoice/receipt emails will be sent to the profiled traveler, and anyone listed as the ‘primary assistant’ in their profile.
- When booking a for a guest, whether in Concur or with an agent, it is critical that you opt to have the email sent to you. You can then forward any relevant trip information to your guests separately.
- It is critical that you retain these invoices for expensing. If you contact World Travel for a copy of a receipt, the document they send you will not have some of the information required by Yale.
- Yale Travel has copies of invoice/receipts originally issued by World Travel, but this option should only be used as a last resort. We do not have the capacity to provide these on a regular basis. If you require a copy of an invoice/receipt email, complete the feedback form on the Yale Travel homepage, providing us with the World Travel record locator.
- Only air and rail travel expenses are invoiced directly through World Travel. Therefore, the invoices/receipts emailed by World Travel for these purchases are acceptable for expensing.
- Hotel, car, and limousine services are not billed through World Travel. Although listed on the invoices/receipts, they are considered ‘booked’ rates, not inclusive of all taxes and fees. Therefore, World Travel invoices/receipts are not sufficient to expense for these services. Rather, the final invoices directly from the supplier should be used to expense for these purchases.
- Documents directly from Concur are not sufficient for any expense purposes.
- Please review World Travel receipts for expense purposes for an explanation of acceptable receipts.
- Overall, these services cannot be pre-paid or direct-billed through Concur, but there are workarounds and possible solutions that we’re currently investigating.
- Limousines cannot be prepaid or direct-billed. Once a booking is completed, contact the supplier to arrange billing.
- Car rentals cannot be direct-billed through Concur. Direct billing accounts can be set up with Yale’s preferred car rental agencies. Please submit your request to Yale travel, specifying which car rental agency you require an application for.
Hotel Direct Billing Process
We have developed a new process to assist with setting up direct billing at Yale’s preferred hotels in New Haven.
After booking the reservation for your guest, whether through World Travel/Concur, the hotel directly, or the internet, you can use the link below to provide the hotel with the required information for the direct billing. By selecting the hotel from the provided drop-down menu, the hotel will be notified directly via email. You will be copied on the email for your records. The hotel will have your contact information in case they have any questions, and also to confirm the direct billing to you.
A Yale traveler with guest access can book travel for unprofiled guests on Concur. If you require access, please request through Yale Travel.
Alternatively, you or the guests can contact World Travel directly to book with an agent. The guest will be required to provide the contact information for their Yale host, and that host will need to approve any travel booked.
World Travel has implemented a link to the Higher Education Travel Request Form for your travel arrangers to submit their requests for group travel. The new link sends the request directly to the University Desk Team which will improve efficiency in the handling of your group travel requests.
Procedure
Complete the online form with basic information about your meeting and then submit it. A World Travel representative from the University Desk Team will follow up to collect further information about the meeting.
A meeting will be set up, and the planner will be provided with a code, along with the contact phone number and email address that your guest can use to book their travel.
Please schedule at least two weeks in advance of the meeting when possible.
Specifics
Unless otherwise agreed, all trips will be booked with an agent via phone or email. Establish the meeting planner/Yale Host as the primary point of contact for all questions/issues. Establish who will be the primary contact for the event at World Travel. Important to specify that the meeting planner must be copied on all reservation confirmations/invoice receipts.
Discuss and confirm all requirements in advance. Determine form of payment in advance, which will then be billed for all air/rail tickets.
You can book one trip at a time in Concur. You should book with a World Travel agent if you need to book you need to book multiple travelers on the same flight..
Avelo cannot be booked in Concur.
Complex international trips (two or more stops) can be difficult to book online. Even if you’re able to book the necessary connections, World Travel needs to review the fares presented to ensure accuracy. One of the benefits of booking with World Travel is the ability to book these trips directly with an agent. The agent will review the best options with you and ensure they are priced optimally. If you are having difficulties or are unsure, you should speak with an agent.
Yale policy does not require flight comparison documentation for:
- Non-sponsored trips in Economy Class
- Sponsored trips booked through World Travel that do not require an FAA/Open Skies exception
Yale policy does require flight comparison documentation for federally sponsored flights that are FAA-compliant with an exception and Business Class.
If you have booked your flight online via World Travel/Concur, and it required an FAA/Open Skies exception, please complete your expense report as follows:
- Create an expense report for travel via Workday.
- Attach the emailed trip confirmation.
- Retrieve the Trip History Report (there will only be a Trip History Report if the trip requires an exception.)
- Attach the Trip History Report, which will detail the available flights not chosen, and submit to the approver.
If you booked your flight through a World Travel agent, and it required an FAA/Open Skies exception, you must request the agent email the flight comparison information to you. It will not be included in the Trip History Report if it wasn’t booked online.
Although seats can be selected from the “Review and Reserve Flight” page, it’s not recommended that you make your selection there because Frequent Flyer information has not been passed on to the airline at that point. It is recommended that you continue the process on the next page. Concur will automatically assign seats based on the seat preferences logged in your profile. If there is no seat preference in the profile, you’ll be assigned any available seat. At this point, the Frequent Flyer information has been passed to the airline. Click on the “Change Seat” link under the current seat assignment. You can select preferred seats if you have frequent flyer status that allows for upgraded seating.
If you choose a seat and then see a message on the seat map stating that this seat requires payment, it is recommended that you pay for that via the airline website.
There are some instances where seat selection is unavailable when booking, such as the booking window being too close to the travel date. If you would still like to explore seat selection, you can contact an agent to try to select it for you, or you can go to the airline website to see if the seat you’d like is available.
When selecting a flight option, you’ll be shown if it includes a free checked bag. Additional baggage cannot be purchased on Concur. You must go to the airline’s website to purchase. Log in using your frequent flyer account, or search for the flight by entering the Airline Record Locator/Confirmation Number found on the World Travel receipt. A couple of important notes:
- On the airline website, you will likely need to navigate to “My Trips” or “Manage My Trips,” for example, to find your booking information and purchase baggage.
The Airline Record Locator/Confirmation Number is different from the World Travel Record Locator Number. It will have the airline name in front, e.g., Delta Airlines XXXX.
Airline class of service codes may vary between airlines, but here’s a current list of the most used codes:
First Class
- F - First Class
- A - First Class, Discounted
- P - First Class, Premium/Promo
Business Class
- C - Business Class
- J - Business Class, Full Fare
- D - Business Class, Discounted
- Z - Business Class, Discounted
- I - Business Class, Discounted
Premium Economy
- W - Premium Economy Class
- R - Premium Economy Class, Discounted
- S - Premium Economy Class, Discounted
Economy Class
- Y - Economy, Full Fare
- B - Economy, Discounted
- M - Economy, Discounted
- H - Economy, Discounted
- K - Economy, Discounted
- L - Economy, Discounted
- Q - Economy, Discounted
- T - Economy, Discounted
- V - Economy, Discounted
- X - Economy, Discounted
- U - Economy, Discounted
Basic Economy
- G - Economy, Discounted
- E - Economy, Discounted
Other/Special Fares
- N - Military/Negotiated Fare
- O - Miscellaneous/li>
Other Specific Codes
- R - Award Travel in Business or Premium Economy
- X - Award Travel in Economy
- G - Group Booking
- Z - Military or Government
These codes are subject to change by individual airlines and can also include codes not listed here that apply to specific promotions, segmented markets, or special fare conditions. For the most current and detailed list, it is recommended that you check directly with airlines or industry resources such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
American Airlines
- Premium Economy: Marketed as “Premium Economy,” it provides extra legroom, enhanced meals, and additional amenities compared to standard economy.
- Business Class: Marketed as “Flagship Business”. Offers lie-flat seats, premium dining, and other luxurious amenities.
- First Class: Marketed as “Flagship First” on international flights and as “First” on domestic flights.
Delta Air Lines
- Premium Economy: Marketed as “Delta Premium Select”. Offers more space, premium dining, and other enhanced amenities.
- Business Class: Marketed as “Delta One”. Features lie-flat seats, premium dining, and luxury amenities.
- First Class: Marketed simply as “First Class” on domestic flights.
JetBlue Airways
- Premium Economy: It is not explicitly branded. “Even More Space” offers extra legroom but does not qualify as premium economy.
- Business Class: Marketed as “Mint”. Includes lie-flat seats, premium dining, and luxury amenities.
- First Class: It is not available on JetBlue.
JetBlue Airways
- Premium Economy: It is not explicitly branded. “Even More Space” offers extra legroom but does not qualify as premium economy.
- Business Class: Marketed as “Mint”. Includes lie-flat seats, premium dining, and luxury amenities.
- First Class: It is not available on JetBlue.
Southwest Airlines
- Premium Economy: Not available.
- Business Class: Southwest does not have traditional business class but offers “Business Select,” which provides benefits such as priority boarding and additional Rapid Rewards points. It is still considered the main cabin service.
- First Class: Not available.
United Airlines
- Premium Economy: Marketed as “United Premium Plus,” this category offers more space, premium dining, and additional amenities than standard economy.
- Business Class: Marketed as “United Polaris”. Includes lie-flat seats, premium dining, and other luxury amenities.
- First Class: Marketed as “United First” on domestic flights and not allowed under your policy.
General Advice
- Always check the fare class details: Look for indicators of “Premium Economy”, “Business”, or “Flagship,” “Delta One,” “Mint,” “Polaris,” ensuring that these match the permitted classes.
- Avoid booking First Class: “First Class” is not permitted, regardless of the airline.
- Consult the travel policy: When in doubt, refer to the travel policy for clarity.
By understanding the specific service level offerings and how each airline presents them, you can make informed decisions and stay within policy guidelines.
Hotel searches in Concur require specific search requirements upfront. Options include:
- Airport
- Company location
- Address
- Reference Point/Zip Code
A 5-mile radius is auto-populated, but it can be adjusted as required. Be as specific as possible. An address or zip code is always helpful. The radius used in densely populated areas should be minimal, whereas the radius used for searches in remote locations may need to be significantly increased. You may need to perform searches using an address and compare the results to a search using the airport. A map will be displayed in the search results, and it may help you determine the best radius to use. See the FAQ for agent-assisted bookings if you’re not successful.
Booking Amtrak in Concur is straightforward and effective, but the process isn’t the same as booking an airline because Concur must access Amtrak directly.
- Always refer to the ‘Ticketed invoice’ email received directly from World Travel for the following critical information:
- World Travel Record Locator (6-digit alpha code, i.e. CCZKDS)
- Amtrak will not have this code; it only applies if you’re contacting World Travel about the trip.
- Amtrak Confirmation (6-digit alpha/numeric code located on the World Travel itinerary/invoice, i.e., 61FDD8)
- This is the code you must use at the Amtrak kiosk or on the Amtrak app or website. It will not recognize the World Travel record locator.
- World Travel Record Locator (6-digit alpha code, i.e. CCZKDS)
- Confirm Directly with Amtrak
- Recommended that travelers confirm their reservations on the Amtrak app or website using the Amtrak confirmation code.
- If the reservation isn’t found, contact World Travel right away.
- Avoid Last-Minute Bookings
- Whenever possible, book at least 24 hours in advance to allow time for potential sync issues to be resolved.
- Be Cautious with Changes or Cancellations
- If you must modify or cancel your trip, do so through World Travel rather than Amtrak to ensure records consistency.
- Bring a Backup
- Travelers should carry the World Travel-issued invoice and Amtrak confirmation code when traveling.
- If Amtrak cannot locate the booking, this will help resolve issues more quickly.