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Why did Dartmouth decide to make a change to the current College Travel Office?
The decision to review travel services and vendor was based primarily on issues related to the high cost of services and difficulties with administrative support and reporting. Dartmouth's current agreement requires an on-site office paid for by the College, which is very costly and rare among higher education institutions today. In fact, the cost of our current program is over $400,000 per year above the actual cost of tickets. With the change to e-tickets over the past few years, an on-site agency is no longer required to obtain the level of travel services required for Dartmouth. Thus, a travel committee was formed in fall 2008 to identify travel requirements and review available options to meet Dartmouth's travel needs.
Who made the decision to select Travel Leaders and why?
The committee developed travel services requirements specific to Dartmouth that were sent to nine travel agencies, including Garber/FCm Travel Solutions, and requested information about the services they could provide. Three agencies were invited to make presentations to the committee. The travel committee recommended Travel Leaders for Dartmouth's travel needs.
While all of the agencies that provided proposals are capable of providing travel service to the College, the decision to recommend Travel Leaders was based on lower overall costs, better technology for on-line booking and management of the program, strong references from current clients, and the benefits described below. Adam Keller, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration accepted the recommendation of the committee. Click here to see a list of travel committee representatives.
Benefits of the Travel Leaders program include:
An efficient and easy-to-use on-line booking tool for simple travel arrangements.
• Help desk for assistance with on-line booking.
• Personal agent assisted travel booking with extended office hours : 8:00 am-8:00 pm Monday-Friday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Saturday (EST).
• No fee for emergency call service during non-office hours.
• Local and toll free numbers for contacting agents and after hours service.
• Access to a travel portal for all Dartmouth travel related needs and information.
• Global services and resources to support domestic and international travelers.
• Cost savings: reduced transaction fees, and access to preferred supplier discounts through agents and on-line booking tool.
• An accounting interface to allow direct charging of airfare and Amtrak expenses to College GL and PTAEO chart strings which will reduce the current administrative burden.
• Enhanced traveler and administrative customer service.
• Proactive flight monitoring for emergency notification and rebooking assistance.
• Reporting ability to identify and locate travelers in areas experiencing emergencies.
• Efficient data collection and reporting of travel expenditures through advanced technology.
• Flexibility to meet Dartmouth specific needs.
• Vacation Club available to all Dartmouth employees.
Who is Travel Leaders?
• Travel Leaders (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel) has been in operation since 1963.
• With offices throughout the U.S. and representation worldwide, Travel Leaders is the fifth largest corporate travel management company in the nation.
• Travel Leaders includes 1,700 travel agency locations, encompassing corporate travel, leisure travel, call centers, and franchise locations with combined sales of over $5 billion dollars.
• Travel Leaders services other colleges and universities and is familiar with the special needs of higher education.
Are there any fees for using Travel Leaders?
Travel Leaders provides service to Dartmouth College on a fee per transaction basis. Transaction fees for Dartmouth College business travel that is charged directly to a GL or PTAEO chart strings will be charged to a central budget during fiscal year 2009/2010. We will re-evaluate this decision during the 2010/2011 budget process. Tickets purchased for personal travel through Travel Leaders will be charged the related transaction fee.
Click here for a schedule of fees for Travel Leaders services.
Top of page Will profile information be transferred from Garber Travel to Travel Leaders?
We understand that many Dartmouth travelers would prefer that their travel profile information be transferred to Travel Leaders. However, based on recommendations from both Garber Travel and Travel Leaders to prevent the transfer of outdated profile data, we will not be transferring Garber Travel profile information to Travel Leaders.
Basic data such as employee name, email, department, phone, etc., will be loaded into the Travel Leader system to create user accounts for employees. The on-line tool will provide easy access to travelers and travel planners to enter additional profile information. Profile information entered using the on-line tool will be available for both on-line and agent assisted bookings. To assist travel planners in the collection of travel information, we will provide travel planners with a form to collect profile data from individual travelers. Detailed instructions regarding updating profile data will be provided during training sessions - to be scheduled beginning mid-July.
Top of page How and when will we get more information about using Travel Leaders services?
On-campus informational sessions were held on July 14 and 15, 2009. Travel Leaders will also provide these information sessions via LiveMeeting on-line training. Click here for a list of available training.
How will unused tickets currently tracked by Garber Travel be handled after the change to Travel Leaders?
Garber Travel will transfer information regarding Dartmouth traveler's unused tickets as of 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009 to Travel Leaders. We will notify all travelers with unused tickets to verify the information received. To exchange an unused ticket after July 31, 2009, you will need to call the Travel Leaders agents and they will assist you in exchanging the ticket. See how to contact Travel Leaders below.
Who will provide emergency service or exchange my ticket if I am traveling after July 31 on a ticket purchased through Garber Travel?
Garber Travel will transfer information regarding Dartmouth open tickets for travel after 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009 to Travel Leaders. Travelers that need emergency service or need to exchange their tickets after 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009, will contact Travel Leaders for assistance. See how to contact Travel Leaders below.
How will we contact Travel Leaders?
In the upcoming months we will put a link to the Travel Leaders travel portal on the main page of the current Dartmouth Travel Office website http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cto/. The portal will include Travel Leaders contact information and a link to the on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant). The portal will be customized for Dartmouth and will provide a single location for you to find information for all your travel needs.
Effective 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009, the current phone number and email address for the College Travel Office 603-646-3900 and College.Travel.Office@Dartmouth.edu will be re-directed to Travel Leaders. You will also be able to reach Travel Leaders agents at a new toll-free number 800-284-1647 effective 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009. Both the on-campus and 800 number listed above will automatically forward to the emergency call center after regular hours. Regular office hours for Travel Leaders agents will be 8:00 am-8:00 pm Monday-Friday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm Saturday (Eastern Time).
For questions regarding navigation or problems with the on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) contact ecommerce@travelleaders.com or 866-502-1926.
Note: Travel Leaders will be responsible for all emergency services or exchanges of tickets after 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009, even for tickets originally booked through Garber Travel. Contact Travel Leaders at 800-284-1647 for assistance.
What are the system requirements to access Travel Leaders systems?
The system requirements to access the Travel Leaders on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) and travel portal are shown below.
On-line Travel Booking Tool Requirements
| Browser | Windows XP | Windows Vista | Mac OS X 10.4 | Mac OS X 10.5 |
| Internet Explorer 6.0 | Full | |||
| Internet Explorer 7.0 | Full | Full | ||
| Firefox 3.0.X | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Firefox 2.0.0.X | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Safari 3.2 | Full | Full | Full | Full |
|
Internet Explorer 8.0 |
QA³ | QA³ | QA³ | QA³ |
Travel Portal Requirements
| Browser | Windows XP | Windows Vista | Mac OS X 10.4 | Mac OS X 10.5 |
| Internet Explorer 6.0 | Full | |||
| Internet Explorer 7.0 (IE8 in IE7 Compatibility Mode) |
Full | Full | ||
| Firefox 3.0.X | Full | Full | Full | Full |
| Firefox 2.0.0.X | Partial² | Partial² | Partial² | Partial² |
| Safari 3.2 | Full/Partial¹ | Full/Partial¹ | Full/Partial¹ | Full/Partial¹ |
| Internet Explorer 8.0 (Native IE8 Mode) |
QA³ | QA³ | QA³ | QA³ |
Additional Notes
¹ - Safari 3.2 has FULL support in the SMB Dashboard, and PARTIAL support in the non-SMB (i.e. Corporate) Dashboard. FULL support in Corporate Dashboard will come by the end of 2009 as we migrate away from legacy code.
² - Partial - We will do our best to fix it when we can, and only if it breaks functionality on the page.
³ - We will begin QA testing and filing bugs on Internet Explorer 8.0 RC1. We will NOT be defaulting to the IE7 Compatibility Mode. Final release will be in the first half of 2009, and we're planning to be IE8 compatible by the time the browser is officially released.
If your system does not meet the specifications above and you travel or book travel for others, please talk to the computer support person in your department and if they need assistance or have questions, they can contact Procurement Services at 646-2811 or Procurement.Services@Dartmouth.EDU.
Will I be able to complete a profile or book travel for other employees?
Travel planners that book travel for others should attend the Travel Leaders training sessions. The on-line booking tool allows planners to designate themselves as travel planners for others. The traveler will be notified by email when you request access to book for that individual. Using the on-line tool, the travel planner can update the travelers profile and book travel for that person. A form to assist you with obtaining the required information from the traveler can be found at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cto/Travel%20Leaders%20Profile%20Information%20Form-1.pdf
Travel Planners will need to activate an account and establish a password for access to the on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) even if they don't travel themselves. A Planner needs to complete a basic profile for themselves (required fields only) before they can set up profiles or book travel for other travelers.
Do I have to access the system if I plan on using agents to book my travel?
Travel Leaders on-line booking tool is used to enter profile information for travelers. The profile information from the on-line system will be imported into the agent's system to allow your information and preferences to be available for on-line and agent assisted travel booking. Your profile information has to be put into the system by someone but delegate someone to enter the information for you (see question above regarding completing a profile for others). If you don't have administrative support for this purpose, please contact Procurement Services at 646-2811 or Procurement.Services@Dartmouth.EDU to request assistance with your profile.
How will I get access to set up a profile for myself or other travelers?
On the morning of July 31, 2009, Dartmouth employees will receive an email from Travel Leaders and Reardon Commerce with instructions on how to activate an account for accessing the on-line travel system (called Rearden Personal Assistant). The following categories of employees will receive the activation email: Faculty, Exempt, Regular Non-Exempt, Research Associates (B&C), and Fellows. The email will provide a link labeled "Get Started Now" that will take you to an activation screen.
Your user ID will be your full Dartmouth email address stored in the Human Resources database. Most employees email address follows the following format: John.A.Smith@Dartmouth.edu
After you create a unique password you will have access to the Rearden Personal Assistant and will be able to create a profile and book travel for yourself or other employees. We recommend that if you need to set up a profile or book travel for yourself or others, you take a webinar training session that will walk you through the system. Webinar training information can be found at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cto/training.html. A power point presentation with screen shots will also be available on the travel portal to provide additional assistance when setting up your profile or booking travel. A link to the portal will be added at http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cto/ on July 31, 2009.
If you need to access the system (see related question above) and do not receive an email on July 31, you can contact ecommerce@travelleaders.com or 866-502-1926 or procurement.services@dartmouth.edu or 646-2811 for assistance.
Top of page Do I have to enter my credit card and passport information in my profile?
In order to book a hotel or rental car using the on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) a credit card must be entered in the system to hold the reservation. If you are only booking air or rail, a credit card is not required because air and rail costs are charged to a central Dartmouth credit card. A credit card is not required to be stored in the profile for booking with an agent, but you will have to provide the credit card number each time you contact the agent.
Passport information is required for all international tickets, but it does not have to be stored in the profile if you are booking the trip with an agent. You will have to provide the passport number each time you book an international flight if it is not stored in your profile.
Credit card and passport information is encrypted once entered into the system. The numbers cannot be seen by the travel agents or other employees that you allow to view your profile.
Will we be able to book travel for Dartmouth visitors through Travel Leaders?
Similar to the current process, Dartmouth departments will be able to contact Travel Leaders agents and approve the purchase of travel services for a visitor. Provide the agent with the name of the traveler, limits on expenses or types of travel approved, and the chart string to be charged. The traveler can then contact the agent to discuss options and make the travel arrangements. You should ask the agent to provide you with a copy of the itinerary and invoice for the visitor's travel. Currently, the on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) can not be used for non-employee travel.
Will we be able to book Hanover/Lebanon local hotels through Travel Leaders?
Similar to the current process, Dartmouth departments will be able to book hotel rooms for visitors at the Courtyard Marriot and Residence Inn and charge expenses directly to the appropriate chart or PTAEO string. Call the Travel Leaders agents at 603-646-3900 or 800-284-1647 (after 5:00 PM on July 31, 2009) and provide them with the name of the traveler, dates for hotel rooms, and chart string to be charged. Currently, the on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) can not be used for non-employee travel.
Rooms at the Hanover Inn should not be arranged through Travel Leaders. To book rooms at the Hanover Inn for visitors, call the Hanover Inn directly at 643-4300 and provide them with the name of the traveler, dates for hotel rooms, and chart string to be charged.
Will we be able to book Hanover/Lebanon area car services through Travel Leaders?
Similar to the current process, Dartmouth departments will be able to make arrangements for local car services through Travel Leaders. Arrangements have been made to allow direct billing to Dartmouth for the following regional car services: Amoskeag, Avante, Apex, and North Country. Call the Travel Leaders agents at 603-646-3900 or 800-284-1647 and provide them with the name of the traveler, dates, pick-up and drop off locations and chart string to be charged. The expense can be direct billed to your Dartmouth chart string for visitor travel. Dartmouth employees may continue to use their Corporate card and request reimbursement for the travel expense.
For a comparison of regional transportation options available see https://www.dartmouth.edu/~cto/restricteddocs/reg-transportation-matrix.pdf
Top of page Will we be able to book local bus and rail services through Travel Leaders?
Tickets for Vermont Transit/Greyhound and Dartmouth Coach bus service should not be arranged by Travel Leaders. Departments can purchase tickets directly through the bus company websites (listed below) using a Dartmouth Corporate card, or Dartmouth Procurement card.
Dartmouth Coach
Vermont Transit/Greyhound
Note: Dartmouth Procurement cards are not allowed for travel expenses except for this specific exception for bus service.
Tickets for Amtrak rail service can be purchased through Travel Leaders via the on-line booking tool (employees only) or through the agents (both employees and visitors). The cost of both Air and Rail tickets can be charged directly to your department chart string.
Top of page Will I be able to book the Yale Club through Travel Leaders?
The following options are available for Dartmouth employees to book rooms at the Yale Club in New York City.
• If you have an individual membership, you can call the Yale Club directly at the number below to reserve a room at (212) 716-2100.
• All employees can request Travel Leaders to book rooms at the Yale Club. All Dartmouth employees are considered members of the Yale Club and are eligible to book rooms under the Dartmouth membership number through Travel Leaders. You need to provide Travel Leaders agents with the name of the traveler(s) and dates rooms are needed. The traveler will need to provide a credit card at check-in. If you are using the Travel Leaders on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant), you can add a note to an agent in the Ticketing and Delivery Information section as special handling instructions on the purchasing page. The agent will call the Yale Club to reserve the room for you. Please review agent fees for services at.
Will we be able to use Travel Leaders for personal travel?
Dartmouth employees can contact Travel Leaders agents for booking personal travel. The transaction fees for booking through the agents is $26 per transaction. Fees are only charged when a ticket is purchased. In addition, Dartmouth employees will be eligible to use Travel Leaders Vacation Club services for access to vacation packages. There are no transaction fees when vacation packages are purchased through the Travel Leaders Vacation Club. A link with more information regarding the Vacation Club services will be included on the Dartmouth/Travel Leaders travel portal when it is activated on July 31st.
The on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) cannot be used for personal travel.
Top of page Are travel vendor discounts available through Travel Leaders?
Dartmouth negotiated discounts are programmed into the Travel Leaders on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) and agent system. In the Rearden Personal Assistant, Dartmouth preferred discounts are noted by a gold P in the search results. Additionally, Travel Leaders hotel discount programs are available to Dartmouth through the agents and in the on-line tool. Travel Leaders discounts are shown in the on-line tool hotel room rates listings as ABC or TTFG rates. Automobile Association of America (AAA) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) room rates are also available through the Rearden Person Assistant and Travel Leaders agents for travelers that are members of those organizations.
Why don't preferred car rental agencies always have the lowest cost when searching using the Travel Leaders on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant)?
Dartmouth preferred car rental agencies (Avis, Budget, National, and Enterprise) rates include the cost for additional liability insurance. Other vendors may show a lower rate when searching via the on-line booking tool, but their rates will not include the cost of this additional insurance.
For information related to car rental insurance see http://www.dartmouth.edu/~rmi/rmsinsurance/automobileinsurance.html
Top of page How will I know my ticket has been issued?
When a ticket has been requested through the on-line booking tool (Rearden Personal Assistant) the traveler or planner will receive an email confirm from Rearden Commerce that the reservation has been processed. When the ticket has been issued, you will receive an invoice from the Travel Leaders MailConnect server. This process is usually completed within 20 minutes. If you have not received your invoice via email from MailConnect after an hour, you should contact the Travel Leaders agent to investigate the delay. It is rare that there is a delay but occasionally, there is a delay if an email address or some other piece of contact information is not correct.
Can costs of a trip be split between multiple chart strings?
Currently, the system will only allow an individual chart string to be entered for one travel transaction (ticket). If a trip needs to be allocated to more than one chart string, a journal entry is required to allocate the charged among multiple chart strings.
If you have additional questions please email Procurement.Services@Dartmouth.EDU
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