Travel Guidelines & Policy
Procedure of Business Travel Account (BTA)
The following process should be followed when using the BTA:
- Contact the purchasing department (443-5341) and obtain a BTA number (required by the travel agency when making reservations).
- Provide the purchasing department with your office's account number that will be charged with the expense.
- Call the travel agency and make your reservation. Be sure to identify yourself as a System Administration employee to avoid confusion with other SUNY campuses also utilizing this agency (necessary for billing purposes).
- Provide the travel agency with the BTA number you received from the purchasing department (necessary for billing purposes). If they do not ask you for one, they have identified you as a SUNY Albany employee. Please correct them and let them know you are with System Administration.
- Send a purchase requisition (Pdf)*
(approved by your department head) to the Office of Business Affairs referencing the BTA number received within 5 business days (regardless of the date of trip). - The BTA purchase requisition should contain the dates of the trip, the purpose of the trip, total amount of the charge, and have the approval of the department head (an employee should not approve his/her own air travel request).
- A copy of the BTA purchase requisition along with copy of the air or train receipt or itinerary if applicable should also accompany the employees travel voucher submitted.
- If a trip is subsequently cancelled, or there is a change in the original travel plans, please notify the Office of Business Affairs. This will ensure that any additional charges or anticipated credits are reflected in your office account.
Unused Tickets
If a trip is canceled, the ticket should be forwarded to the Office of Business Affairs so a refund can be obtained.