Hi Everyone,

As many of you have already been dealing with, conferences and events are being cancelled nationwide due to the presence of Coronavirus. If you’ve registered a trip with UCD Travel Insurance, you need to file a claim with them as soon as possible. More info here. Please note that this is only for events that have been cancelled by organizers, not self-cancelled.

All travel from here on out needs to be registered with UCD Travel Insurance. In the case that more events are cancelled, they can help cover travel reimbursements up to $2,000. Even when travel conditions are relatively normal, you should register all trips with UCD Travel Insurance because you never know when you’ll need to use it. Even if you have a trip planned that has not been cancelled, please take the time now to register your trip just in case.

For those of you who do not have travel insurance on a trip that has been or gets cancelled, if you were already planning on being reimbursed you can still do so. That is, provided your department approves and you take the correct steps to reduce costs as much as possible. Here are some general guidelines for how to handle cancelled events and reimbursement:

For All Expenses

You will need to provide proof that the event has been cancelled, this can be a screenshot or email from event organizers. You will also need to provide proof that refunds for travel expenses will not be issued. You will also need to alert your department chair/faculty advisor and business office.

Airfare

If booked through BCD or CTS: Unfortunately, there is no way to get these flights refunded. These expenses will still show up in AggieTravel and need to be cleared within 60 days of the intended travel date. You will need to reach out to BCD/CTS helpdesk to let them know that you will not be taking this flight. Credit will be issued and can only be used by the original traveler within one year of the purchase date. Please use this credit for future business-related travel. Once the credit is used, an additional expense report will need to be created that references the original airfare purchase. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your business office for help.

If purchased independently: It is your responsibility to reach out to the airline and work out receiving credit/changing flights to a later date. If there is no way to receive a refund/credit or change the flight, we will consider reimbursement on a case-by-case basis.

Lodging

Please cancel all hotel reservations as soon as you find out that an event has been cancelled. Most hotels have a cancellation cut-off date that helps avoid fees. In some cases where the cancellation cut-off date is missed, the hotel will only charge one night of stay or a flat cancellation fee. In the event that fees are applied or no refund is available we can still reimburse these costs. You will need to provide proof of cancellation and a receipt for the billing.

Other Non-Reimbursable Expenses

Other non-reimbursable expenses such as registration fees can still be covered. Please provide a receipt and proof that these fees cannot be reimbursed.

If your travel insurance claim is denied or you did not register for UCD Travel Insurance, plan on using whichever account you would have normally used to reimburse these expenses. Please let your business office know as soon as possible if an event has been cancelled due to Coronavirus. We are here to answer any questions or concerns that you have about your reimbursements and to guide you through the process.