September 18, 2024

Later this fall, UMB will switch travel management companies from Travel Leaders Corporate (TLC) to Collegiate Travel Planners. The FAQ below provides more information about CTP and the new benefits provided to UMB faculty, staff, and students.

Why are we switching travel management companies? It is standard practice to periodically rebid contracts for business services to ensure UMB receives the best service and costing available on the market. 

Who will be impacted by the switch to a new travel management company? All UMB faculty, staff and students who travel or have expenses reimbursed will be affected by the change. 

How will this change affect faculty, staff and students? While exact details are being worked out, at a high level, travelers can expect to use a new portal requiring an extra click to access Concur—which enables greater support for those booking online; a new process for students that addresses current pitfalls; and access to additional reporting for travel administrators. Of course, the individual travel agents will be different as well.

Will there be additional or increased fees? Agent assist will increase from $24 to $28 for domestic travel and from $26 to $30 for international travel. Support for online booking—which is unavailable through our current travel company—will be $5.

When will we switch to the new travel management company? Dates are forthcoming, but we will transition no later than the third week of November when our current contract concludes.

We’ve had challenges getting support for booking travel in the past. Will this company be any better? We believe travelers will have a better experience because the new travel company will be able to view what the user has booked online and be able to walk through the process as needed, providing support whether booking online or through agent assist. This support was prioritized in the RFP in response to UMB traveler feedback. In addition, we will be able to implement Concur’s Travel Evolution upgrade which will streamline and provide an enhanced user experience with the online booking process.

How will we learn more about the new process? We will schedule sessions for Travel Administrators, Delegates and Travel Arrangers, likely toward the end of October/beginning of November. We anticipate providing information to orient travelers as well. Stay tuned for more details.