Travel Updates

For the latest travel updates, please visit the following resources:

Penn TEM – COVID19 Updates
Penn Coronavirus Website
Penn Global – Guidance for Traveling Abroad

Penn’s Travel Resources

Booking travel via Concur or with our dedicated World Travel Agents is easy. Learn about the Bank of America Travel card and activating your travel and expense profile in Concur.

For all airline reservations (Penn Staff, Faculty and Students, along with non-affiliates/guests), please use World Travel, Penn’s sole Travel Management Company. Contact information and directions for the Travel Portal in Concur are available through this link.

Highlights of using World Travel

World Travel is the primary preferred TMC (Travel Management Company) for the University of Pennsylvania, providing fulfillment of travel needs.  Travel needs are met by agents dedicated to the Penn account, whether reserving through the Concur on-line booking tool or by calling the agent directly.

Benefits of World Travel to Penn travelers include:

• As a method of best practice, use Penn direct bill for airfare, rather than using a credit card
• Book online in Concur or directly with an Agent
• Concierge Service to accommodate Group Travel Arrangements – this option gives you the ability to have WT Agents manage the reservation, with given guidelines and thresholds by a department or program. For a nominal fee, they will work directly with your guests, travelers or incoming students to book air travel
• Duty of Care - knowing where our travelers are in case of weather emergency or domestic/international incident
• Low price guarantee for airfare
• Management of unused tickets available for rebooking
• Penn Negotiated Rates for Airlines, Hotels, Rental Cars applied automatically
• Quality Control process on every trip booked

Travel Policy Exceptions

Penn policy states that the most economical fare (on planes and trains) be purchased, however, with prior approval from your direct supervisor and Jason Presley or Greg Tausz, you may be given approval for higher cost fares. Fares booked outside policy require a statement of business justification.

Getting Started with Access

Individuals who are new to Penn (GSE) need to request that their Travel and Expense profiles be active. Complete this initial steps document and check with the Business Office to ensure you have access.

Concur/World Travel Booking Fees

When using Concur, the fee is minimal.  The Concur online booking tool is best used for domestic air travel, easy point to point foreign air travel, hotel bookings and car rental reservations. 

For more complex international air travel, a World Travel agent will most probably save you both time and money.  The agent fee is higher, but quite reasonable for the use of this valued resource.  For specific dollar amounts of fees, please contact Penn Travel Services.  (We do not publicly publish the fees due to vendor contract confidentiality.)

Penn Global Services

My Trips (International Travel Registry), sponsored through Penn Global – International Travel Guidance, is Penn’s central resource for collecting traveler information. This information is Pennkey protected and is used to contact travelers in case of emergency, pre-authorize travelers to use International SOS and traveler medical insurance as well as assist individuals and groups, as needed, with pre-travel preparations.

International SOS is for students, faculty and staff traveling on Penn-affiliated trips which includes travel medical insurance. The ISOS membership includes 24/7 medical and security consultation, hospital referrals, travel medical insurance and emergency evacuation assistance. In order to be pre-authorized travelers must register in Penn’s My Trips (International Travel Registry).