Building partnerships through collaboration.
Research Foundation Business Travel Account (BTA)
UB has a business travel account program with American Express that conveniently allows airfare expenses to be billed directly to your Research Foundation award.
Eligibility
UB faculty and staff affiliated with the grant specified on the BTA application are eligible to apply. A BTA might already be in place for your department. Check with your department administrator.
Applying for a BTA
- Complete the form.
- Sign and obtain your supervisor's signature.
- Mail completed form to:
Travel Services
208 Crofts Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260
The BTA is set up through American Express and Stovroff & Taylor Travel, Ltd., a local Minority and Woman-owned Enterprise (MWBE) travel agency, but there is no need for a physical credit card to be held by the traveler. UB travelers make airfare arrangements directly with the travel agency, who will bill the award specified on the BTA application.
| Stovroff & Taylor Travel, Ltd. | Transaction Fees |
|---|---|
1127 Wehrle Drive Buffalo, NY 14221-7747 Phone: Toll Free: 800-543-8616 Fax: 716-632-7479 | $12.75 online booking tool
$25.00 Airline reservation, domestic and international paid at time of booking on credit card (including RF BTA)
$25.00 All after-hours emergency calls should only bemade when the traveler is in route or travel is within 72 hours and Stovroff & Taylor's office is closed and immediate travel assistance is required.
$5.00 Amtrak reservation |
- Only travelers with a direct or budgeted relationship to the project may travel on the award and can be charged to the BTA.
- Only trips with purposes directly related to, and allowed on the award, will be charged to the BTA.
- Fly America Act (use of domestic air carriers) must be followed for all federally sponsored awards.
- Only coach airfare can be charged to RF funds (and the BTA).
- All trips booked to the BTA must fall within the award period for the project being charged.
- Canceled trips are not allowable RF expenses and any costs incurred must be returned to the project.
- Misuse or improper use, including not abiding by the above, may require repayments to the BTA being obtained directly from the employees personal funds.
- Improper use of RF funding may risk future sponsor funding.
The BTA statements are emailed on a monthly basis from the Travel Office to the primary contact listed on the BTA.
- The primary contact is responsible for verifying that the charges on the American Express statement match the charges placed on the account.
- Once the charges are verified, the primary contact signs the statement, scans it to an email address and emails it back to the Travel office.
- After the reconciliation is verified, the monthly BTA charges will be posted to the travel expenditure category.
Employees
Employees use the travel and expense reimbursement system to submit an expense report for out-of-pocket business travel expenses.
- On the expense report header, indicate in the Comment field that airfare was paid to the RF BTA.
- Do not add the expense type Airfare to the report since it was purchased with the RF BTA, not out of pocket funds.
- Attach the airfare receipt and itinerary to your report as supporting documentation. It is recommended to attach the boarding passes, not required.
Non-Employees
The host department or unit should submit the Non-Employee Travel Voucher for Research Foundation to reimburse non-employees for out-of-pocket business travel expenses.
- Attach the airfare receipt and itinerary to the travel voucher. It is recommended to attach the boarding passes, but not required.
- Indicate in the transportation box on the voucher that the RF BTA was used, but do not include the amount.
- Mail it to the Travel Office, 208 Crofts Hall.
