Airfare

Travel

Approved Travel Authorization

All travelers leaving the State of Rhode Island must have an approved Travel Authorization (TA) in the system before booking any travel arrangements. Traveling without an approved TA puts the traveler at risk of bearing financial responsibility for any expenses incurred. TA’s are required even if expenses will be covered by an outside organization.

Note: the policy on booking airfare varies by destination (domestic or foreign) and fund.

Page Sections

Travel Authorizations
Airfare Booking Policy
Fly America Act
Combined Business & Personal Travel
International Travel Insurance

Airfare Booking Policy

Domestic Travel

  • Funds 110, 500, & 401: Travelers may book travel independently with reasonable efforts to minimize costs.
  • Fund 100 & all other funds: Travelers are required to book through the State of Rhode Island’s approved travel agency

Domestic travel exception: Travelers may book independently if the cost is significantly less than booking through the state’s approved travel agency, however, you must provide a written quote from the agency noting their price for the same itinerary

Foreign Travel:

  • All Funds: Travel must be booked through the State of Rhode Island’s approved travel agency.

Fly America Act

When booking international travel on a federal grant, all travelers must ensure they are compliant with the Fly America Act. Per the US GSA: All air travel and cargo transportation services funded by the federal government are required to use a “U.S. flag” air carrier service or be a foreign carrier that code shares with a U.S. flag air carrier.

Please notify Direct Travel that you need to be Fly America Act compliant when booking, as the agents are not aware of the funding source being used.

Fly America Act
US Certified Air Carriers
Fly America Act Waiver Checklist

Combined Personal and
Business Travel

When a traveler decides to combine personal and business travel, regardless of the type of transportation, the amount reimbursed will be only for the costs directly related to the purpose of the business. Quote comparisons must be included to show personal travel did not result in increased cost to URI.

Learn the details

International Travel Insurance

Insurance is provided by the University for all travelers. Registration is required and can be completed by following this link: Insurance Information