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Travel

Meals and Incidental (M&IE) Breakdown

The meals and incidental expense (M&IE) breakdowns in the tables below are provided should federal travelers need to deduct meals furnished by the government or included in a registration fee from their M&IE allowance consistent with Federal Travel Regulation 301-11.18. Meals provided by a common carrier or a complimentary meal provided by a hotel/motel do not affect per diem (301-11.17).

The chart provided is a summary for Blacksburg, Alexandria, Falls Church, and Fairfax, VA. If you need to find the rates for other locations, the GSA website has a location search option.

Air Travel

When booking airfare for official university travel, please be aware that airlines may change flight class naming conventions as well as the amenities associated with each class.
Per university procedures, first class airfare is not an allowable reimbursement or expenditure based on the amenities the traveler receives. For example, American Airlines recently created the Flagship Business class for international flights, which offers amenities resembling those typically associated with first-class seating. Based on the amenities provided with this class, this airfare expenditure would not be a reimbursable expense, nor would it be an allowable expense using the departmental P-Card. If questions arise when scheduling official university travel regarding allowable flight classes, departments can contact the Travel Helpline via email travelvt@vt.edu.
The Fly America Act is a federal regulation that requires use of U.S. flag air carrier service (an airline owned by an American company) for travel funded by the federal government, regardless of the cost, convivence, or traveler's personal preference.
When booking flights through any of the Virginia Tech contracted travel agencies, it is required that a PO be created in HokieMart using the Travel Agency Authorization form (university funded transaction) or a Travel Service Authorization (TA) be completed (foundation funded transaction) by the department as soon as the related invoice is received from the travel agency. Each booking is paid up front with a university credit card and the POs/TAs is then used to allocate the charge to the appropriate university department fund. It is extremely important for these documents to be processed timely. We have experienced a significant increase in travel agency charges with no related PO/TA. This increases processing time as we have to research each transaction and request departments process the appropriate forms after the fact. We greatly appreciate your attention to ensuring the appropriate form is completed timely. For questions, contact Heidi Bucher at hleeson@vt.edu

Chrome River

All Chrome River training manuals and video tutorials can be found on the Chrome River homepage.

Top Reasons for the Return/Recall of Chrome River Expense Reports

Helpful Manuals:

Visit the Controller's website for all Chrome River training manuals.

The Controller’s Office will be strictly enforcing the 60-day tax submission requirement for reimbursement requests submitted after January 1, 2025.

60-Day Submission Requirement:

• The IRS mandates that reimbursement requests be submitted within 60 days of incurring the cost or 60 days from the completion of the travel to qualify as tax free under accountable plan rules. To meet this requirement, the employee or the employee’s delegate must submit the travel/non-travel reimbursement request in Chrome River within 60 days of the expense or 60 days after the last day of official business travel. Extending the travel for personal reasons does NOT extend the timeline for requesting reimbursement. Failing to submit the reimbursement request within this period will result in the reimbursement being subject to tax withholding at the supplemental tax rate, reducing the total amount received.

Understand Tax Implications:

• If a reimbursement request is submitted beyond the IRS-mandated 60-day window, the reimbursement will be subject to tax and the amount of the reimbursement will be added to the individual’s taxable income.

• Since the late reimbursement will be considered taxable income, it may affect the individuals overall tax situation. We recommend the individual consult a tax advisor to determine what steps can be taken to address the overall impact on their tax return. To keep future reimbursements tax-free, please submit reimbursement requests within 60 days of the expense date or the travel end date. Please note that if a travel authorization has been completed in Chrome River, system notifications can be generated to remind travelers to submit reimbursement requests on time. Currently, travel authorizations are required for international travel. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at travelvt@vt.edu.

Lodging, Dining, and Conferences

When it comes to dining, lodging, or planning a conference, The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center should be a 1st choice for business. It is a Virginia Tech university unit and should be utilized whenever possible.

The Inn honors the Blacksburg per diem rate for individual business travelers for accommodations during university-related visits. All you need is your department's organization number and what charges will be covered. The Inn will provide the information needed for you to enter a purchase order request in HokieMart and the rest is taken care of in Banner after checkout.

For more information: Refer to Section 3.2 of Policy 6362

Travel Card

The travel card is DIFFERENT than the purchasing card. For more information on the Travel Card visit the Controller's website.

International Travel

There are many different ways to learn more about International Travel:

First, review Policy 1070: Global Travel Policy
Then visit the Global Education Office, to find more information on traveling internationally for faculty, staff, and students.
Don't forget to review the travel advisories
Finally, learn more about international travel by reviewing the Chrome River tutorials on International Travel.

Student Travel

International Students:

International students must abide by certain travel procedures. International student travel procedures are provided by the Cranwell International Center and the Graduate School.

All Students:

VT Student Reimbursements: While student information exists in Chrome River, students do NOT have profiles/dashboards or access to complete their own travel reimbursements in Chrome River. An employee must complete the pre-approval and/or travel reimbursement on their behalf.

1- Chrome River

2- Clery Act Information

Fleet Services

Fleet Services team manages the university’s rental fleet. They currently have approximately 150 state vehicles. Employees and students are able to reserve these vehicles for business purposes on a daily or long-term basis. Fleet Services has its own website tucked within the parking and transportation website. It includes the following information:

University departments can access billing statements from the Fleet Services website.

FASTER Web will begin replacing Fleet Commander as the vehicle reservation system on July 1. Fleet Commander will remain operational while FASTER Web completes setup and configuration. All users should continue to access Fleet Commander as usual during this transition period. Access to FASTER Web training materials will be available soon.