Travel Information
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THESE GUIDELINES SUPERSEDE ALL PREVIOUS TRAVEL REGULATIONS.
Please be sure to check the State travel website for updated information.
Updates to PPM49 State Travel Policy for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The full PPM49 policy, updates, and resources can be found here.
Changes for FY2027 are listed below. Removals are struck through and additions are in bold.
1503. A.8. – GENERAL TRAVEL SPECIFICATIONS
Change:
- Contracted Hotel Services – The state has a contract for hotel booking services with HotelPlanner. HotelPlanner is provided as a convenience to state travelers when arranging official business travel accommodations. Travelers are responsible for adhering to the hotel’s cancellation policy when booking through Hotel Planner. If a traveler does not cancel a hotel stay within the cancellation period set by the hotel, the traveler will be responsible for payment or reimbursing the agency. Any exceptions for hotel rates or cancellation reimbursement must be approved by the Commissioner of Administration. Any cancellation fees must be approved by department head or his/her designee. Hotel cancellation fees may be approved when supported by a valid business justification and appropriate documentation demonstrating the cancellation was unavoidable. Use of HotelPlanner does not exempt a traveler from adhering to U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) lodging rates, U.S. Department of State rates, or rates stated within PPM49 for the applicable travel location.
1503. A.11.a. – GENERAL TRAVEL SPECIFICATIONS
Addition/Clarification:
- Authorization to Travel
- All travel, whether routine or non-routine, must have an approved Travel Authorization prior to travel date.
1503. 8.5.b. – GENERAL TRAVEL SPECIFICATIONS
Addition:
- Sponsored or Scholarship Travel – travel expenses paid by a sponsor or scholarship are considered a gift per R.S. 42:1115 and requires completion of Ethics Disclosure Form 413. It is the traveler’s responsibility to properly complete and submit to the Louisiana Board of Ethics in the time required.
- Reimbursements are not allowed when the traveler does not incur any expense. This includes, but is not limited to, reimbursements for any lodging or meals provided at a state institution or agency or provided by any other party at no cost to the traveler.
- An approved Travel Authorization must be approved prior to travel date.
1503. C.4. – GENERAL TRAVEL SPECIFICATIONS
Addition:
- Membership fees that are a part of a conference registration fee are considered allowable expenses under both the CBA and Travel Card Program. The membership must be tied to the conference registration.
1503. C.5. – GENERAL TRAVEL SPECIFICATIONS
Clarification:
- Cost of meals, incidentals, baggage fees, taxi fares, and other travel-related expenses shall be paid by the traveler and claimed on the travel expense form for reimbursement.
1504. F.8- METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION
Addition:
- Box trucks are available under the Enterprise/National and Hertz contracts as an added-value service, with insurance included. Use of this service is optional and not mandatory.
1504. G.3.a. – METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION
Addition:
- Uber or Lyft services are reimbursable with an itemized receipt. Premium vehicles are not reimbursable. Agencies may reimburse tolls, surcharges, and fees (excluding wait time fees) when it is determined that these services are the most cost effective option. Wait time fees are not a reimbursable expense. Travelers should try to utilize the most economic ground transportation without incurring additional fees or surge pricing.
- Uber Black, Uber Black XL, Uber Premier, and Uber Priority are not reimbursable
- Lyft Lux, Lyft Lux Black, and Lyft Lux Black XL are not reimbursable
- UberXL and Lyft XL are reimbursable with two or more passengers
1505. D.1. -LODGING
Clarification: Removal
- Non-conference related fees -Many hotels charge mandatory fees variously termed “resort fees,” “amenity fees,” “urban destination fees,” “facilities fees” and “daily destination fees,” among others. Agencies should review these fees and see what they include before authorizing reimbursement, as they can vary from simply covering internet access to including items that may be considered gifts, like tours or tickets. If the fees do not include an item that can be considered a gift, these fees are reimbursable. But should not exceed the applicable lodging rate when combined with the daily room rate. These fees require department head approval if the additional cost is less than a 50% increase of the daily lodging rate. Increases above 50% require prior approval from the Commissioner of Administration.
1509. B. -INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
Clarification:
B. The entity head of higher education institutions or his/her designee may must approve international travel prior to the departure date.
State Travel Policies and Procedure
Louisiana Travel Guide – provides complete travel regulations
State Travel Regulations state that expense reports for travel must be submitted no later than thirty days following travel. Failure to submit an expense report on time could jeopardize reimbursement.
Registration fees may be paid for with Pcard (within Pcard policy). All other travel expenses must be paid for by the employee and reimbursement to be requested via an expense report once the travel has concluded. Registration and airfare that is purchased prior to travel may be reimbursed before the trip begins by turning in a completed Travel Advance Form with attached receipts.
Interviewees must have an approved Spend Authorization and Travel Approval for Non-State Employee form. Consult the Human Resource Office for any questions concerning interviewee travel.
Anyone who is not an official state employee, and will be driving or transported in a state-owned vehicle and/or a vehicle which has been rented to the State of Louisiana must sign the Non-Employee Use of State Vehicle Acknowledgement (formerly known as Hold Harmless Agreement). If you have any questions, you may contact the travel desk.
As a state agency, the university cannot reimburse Louisiana State Sales tax. For in-state lodging, please use the Hotel Tax Exemption Form.
Spend Authorizations (SAs) are required for all travel and must be fully approved prior to the first day of travel. Travel-related expenses cannot be reimbursed with state funds unless the Spend Authorization is FULLY APPROVED before the travel occurs. The following guidance is offered for your assistance in completing SAs and Expense Reports:
1. All SAs are to be submitted and approved prior to travel. An approved SA will ensure the person traveling will be covered by state insurance and will be reimbursed for expenses within state travel regulations.
2. When submitting a SA in which you are to be reimbursed by a cost center other than your home cost center, you must update the Worktags for the expense(s) being paid for by another cost center.
3. When completing a SA, remember to use the correct business purpose for the travel expenses.
4. International Travel: All international travel, whether traveling to or from international territories, must use the international travel business purpose. Travel outside the United States MUST be pre-approved in order to be reimbursed.
State Travel Regulations state that Expense Reports for travel must be submitted no later than thirty days following travel. Failure to submit expense reports on time could jeopardize reimbursement.
It is required that employees submit expense reports through Workday when requesting reimbursement for expenses related to travel.
All travel related expenses must be included on the Expense Report. This includes expenses incurred on your Pcard.
A copy of the formal agenda and/or program for conferences MUST be attached to the Expense Report for meals to be reimbursed, per audit guidelines.
State employees must purchase airfare through the State Contracted Travel Agency, Christopherson Business Travel.
Transactions made by phone or email have a $24.00 agent fee per domestic ticket and a $31.00 agent fee per international ticket. Tickets purchased using the website have a $7.00 booking fee.
The State always supports purchasing the “best value” ticket. Once all rates are received, the traveler is to compare costs and determine which fare would be the “best value” for their trip.
Christopherson Business Travel
Toll Free Online Support: (800) 535-0179
Online Email: [email protected]
Toll Free Travel Advisor Team: (800) 961-0720
Travel Advisor Email: [email protected]
Website: https://app.cbtat.com/
If you previously had a profile set up with Shorts Travel Management, you should have received a welcome email from Christopherson Business Travel with a link to set up your new password only. If you are a new employee, or have never had an airfare profile set up in the past, please click here to set up a profile. If you have a profile set up and would like to designate someone else to book your travel on your behalf, please click here.
Logging into Christopherson Business Travel
Checking Profile for Correct Agency
If you need help logging in, please contact the travel desk at (985) 549-2089.
Employees will be reimbursed lodging rates, plus allowable taxes and surcharges/fees according to the GSA lodging rates for the applicable location (receipts required). The GSA lodging rates can be found here.
Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories shall be reimbursed $225.00 per night plus any allowable taxes and surcharges/fees.
When traveling in-state, a Hotel Tax Exempt form must be used. When lodging rates are higher than the published GSA lodging rates, the traveler can complete the Hotel Overage Request form with all necessary approvals and documentation attached in order to receive maximum reimbursement.
Employees will be reimbursed for meals and incidentals according to the GSA meal rates for the applicable location. The GSA meal and incidental rates can be found here.
Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. Territories daily meal per diem shall be reimbursed as follows:
- Breakfast – $20.00
- Lunch – $34.00
- Dinner – $51.00
- Incidentals – $5.00
First and last day meal and incidental reimbursements shall not exceed $82.50.
Meal allowance includes tax and tips. Receipts are not required for routine meals, unless a cash advance was received. Reimbursement for alcohol is prohibited. Note: When a meal is included in the conference schedule, it is considered part of the registration fee – additional reimbursement will not be given for that meal.
Baton Rouge Airport – The state’s current contract rate is $8.00 per day (receipts required) for parking in the indoor parking garage as well as the outside fenced parking lot at the Baton Rouge Airport. Documentation required to receive the contract price is the airport certificate and a State ID. Airport certificate may be found on State Travel Office’s website at: https://www.doa.la.gov/media/folauhme/br-airport-parking-9-15-2025.pdf
New Orleans Airport Parking – USPARK’s uncovered parking is reimbursable at a rate of $14.00/day (show University I.D. for discount) plus allowed tax with a receipt. The New Orleans Airport Surface Lot, located on airport property, is reimbursable at a maximum of $18 per day with a receipt. The New Orleans Airport Airline Economy Garage, located off property, is reimbursable at a maximum of $12 per day with a receipt. Please click here for a map of the New Orleans Airport Parking lots.
Travelers using motor vehicles on official state business may be reimbursed for all other parking, including airport parking except as listed above, ferry fares, and road and bridge tolls. For each transaction over $5, a receipt is required.
Travel with a personal vehicle is limited to 99 miles per roundtrip/day. If you are traveling more than 99 miles, it is encouraged that you use a rental vehicle with the State’s contracted vendors/rates (see below for details).
Rental vehicle expenses must be included in the Spend Authorization (SA). A Vehicle Rental Request Form must be signed by the person taking the trip and uploaded to the SA when someone enters the SA on behalf of the traveler. Routine in-state field travel does not require a SA unless a rental vehicle will be used.
Employees are allowed up to the Standard Size Vehicle for rentals. If you are traveling with more than 2 people and/or need a larger rental for a specific business function, you may request a larger rental vehicle on the vehicle rental form. Justification must be included.
No State Agencies should be paying state taxes on in-state vehicle rentals for official state business. If you receive any invoice(s) where the taxes are added, please contact the Enterprise branch you rented the vehicle from to request that taxes are removed from your receipt.
Currency Conversion Requirements for Foreign Travel
When requesting travel reimbursement, all expenses incurred in foreign currencies or exchanges of currency must be converted to U.S. dollars. The request for reimbursement must document the calculation using an approved foreign currency conversion methodology. Multiple methodologies may be used in a single trip. Travelers may utilize the following methodologies:
Onsite Exchange Rate: If the traveler converts U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, the traveler must provide the receipt showing the actual exchange rate. This single rate may be used for all expenses paid for with the converted currency, with the total of the expenses not to exceed the amount converted. Additional fees charged by the foreign currency exchange vendor may be reimbursed, if included on the receipt, itemized, and explained. Note: The receipt for the currency exchange cannot be dated more than 3 days prior to the first date of travel or after the last date of trip per the travel authorization form.
Credit Card Rate: If the traveler charges expenses to a credit or debit card, the card issuer will perform the currency exchange. The rate will be detailed on the traveler’s card statement, which may be used as documentation of the exchange rate. Additional fees charged by the card issuer for foreign currency transactions may be reimbursed, if itemized and explained on the statement.
Online Rate: The traveler may use the website OANDA.com for the historical currency exchange as a standard conversion rate. The OANDA website provides exchange rates on a daily basis. Documentation of the conversion rate should be provided for each date where an expense was charged. If a traveler does not provide any documentation of the currency exchange rate used, the online rate option will be used. Note: For lodging, a conversion should only be provided for the day of the charge, not for each day of the stay.
Travel Trainings can be found in Canvas.