Tips for Travel
How do you manage payment?
Except under special circumstances, you will have to pay for the item in question (travel, lodging, food) and request reimbursement. Occasionally, the program will pay for conference registration directly. The AMIA conference has significant attendance and we organize registration. Contact the Student Services Officer. Generally, you will want to register by the early bird deadline for the program to pay in advance.
Is the expense necessary and reasonable?
For every purchase, food, lodging, travel, you will have to consider if the purchase is necessary and if the price is reasonable. This will entail a considerable amount of research. For example, most conference lodgings have relatively high rates, but there may be another facility close by with similar levels of cleanliness and comfort but at a fraction of the cost. For conferences that are held in the same location every year, consult with others who have attended in the past. To the maximum extent possible, rooms must be shared. When in doubt, err on the cost conscious side.
| Reimbursable Expenses | Non-reimbursable Expenses |
| Conference banquet | Dry cleaning |
| Fees to/from the airport (choose lowest cost) | Room service |
| Meals in transit - for long flights and connections | Pay-per-view |
| Fees to transport conference-related materials (postage or baggage fees for unusually large items) | Charges for any type of personal business, i.e., telephone calls |
| Car rental (if lower cost than alternatives) | Other charges related to entertainment |
Travel within one day
The policies for conferences within one day's travel differ considerably from longer trips. Check to make sure your meeting site is within the one-day travel radius (50 miles). Please consult the Student Services Officer.
Receipts, receipts, receipts!
Keep all receipts for reimbursement especially credit card receipts. No amount is too small; you will need the receipt to collect your reimbursement. Request receipts from taxis, collect all boarding passes or other ticket stubs. For airline tickets, the email confirmation of your itinerary (with the last 4 digits of your credit card) serves as proof of payment. You will need a copy of the conference/meeting schedule or program (download from webpage) AND evidence of registration (obtain from the registration desk).
Lost receipts? You will need to bring in your credit card statement to provide proof of payment.
Group meal? Please obtain individual receipts for reimbursment.
Forgot to split the bill? Please list the full name of every student in the group on the back of the receipt.
Alcohol? Please ask the server to issue a separate receipt. This will speed up the reimbursement process.
Alcohol
Cannot be charged to a government grant under any circumstances.
Airline Travel
Airline travel paid with government funds is limited to economy class except under exceptional circumstances. Choose the lowest fare option which results in efficient travel. Thus, you may forgo the lowest price route if you must make connections and select a slightly higher priced non-stop flight. Please book your tickets 3 weeks in advance of your trip as last minute bookings may be prohibitively expensive. Unless, there are extenuating circumstances, such bookings (even in economy class) may be only partially reimbursed.
International Travel
If you are using government funds to pay for an airline ticket, you must adhere to the terms of the "Fly America Act". If you are not familiar with the terms of the Act, please consult with the Student Services Officer and one of the Stanford authorized travel agents familiar with the terms of the Act. Unless your booking and your airline tickets are fully compliant with the Fly America Act, your request cannot be supported with government funds.
Check for restricted items and baggage allowances for your flight! International security regulations vary wildly by country and by airline for check-in luggage.
Make sure you have all the appropriate vaccinations.
Check the news for inclement travel conditions like volcanic or political eruptions. The State Department publishes travel advisorys.
Visas
How many pages do you have left in your passport? Some countries need a 1.5 pages to document your entry and exit. If you are running low, go get some pages added.
Check the visa requirements for every country you visit. This includes countries where you are only connecting between flights. Some countries require transit visas in order for you to fly into the airport to make the connection. You can find the requirements for visas at embassy websites for each country. You may need to travel to the embassy to obtain your visa or transit visa. Americans are not immune.
For non-US citizens traveling out of the US. Please check the requirements for re-entry into the US. You may need to apply for a new visa to re-enter the US. For some countries, the time required to obtain the re-entry visa can be considerable.
Use a packing list
It's a real difficulty if you forget prescription medications or the charger for your cell phone. As a bonus, some packing lists are an excellent source of suggestions for items you may not realize you need. There are several excellent packing lists on the web. Run a search to find one you like.
How to pack efficiently
The art of jamming it all in - a slideshow from the New York Times. Does it work? Yes.
