Frequently Asked Questions - ConnexUC

Only UC Berkeley faculty and staff with an active appointment can access ConnexUC and Direct Bill.

If a UC Berkeley employee with an active appointment is not able to access ConnexUC and Direct Bill, please contact travel@berkeley.edu.

Individuals who are not UC Berkeley employees (i.e., contractors, consultants, temp agency employees, students) may not be given access to ConnexUC or Direct Bill.

All users must be an active UC Berkeley employee and have a valid CalNet ID.

Please allow 48 hours for the system to build a valid profile.

Travelers not eligible for access to ConnexUC and Direct Bill should coordinate with an eligible campus employee to make guest traveler arrangements on their behalf.

Please report access problems to travel@berkeley.edu.

Airfare expenses booked outside of ConnexUC that do not include a screen capture from ConnexUC along with an explanation for why the ConnexUC search results were suboptimal will still be reimbursed as long as they meet all other policy requirements, but they will require additional approvals from a Dean or Vice Chancellor level approver.

You can access the ConnexUC Frequently Asked Questions page after you have logged into ConnexUC. Please refer to these FAQs for additional guidance when making travel arrangements using ConnexUC. 

In addition to the airfare scheduling and pricing options provided through ConnexUC being equal to or better than most anything you might find on other travel booking sites, booking through ConnexUC and using Direct Bill provides many other significant benefits to our UC business travelers:

• Flexibility to make travel arrangements either online or with an agent by phone
• Cancelled ConnexUC tickets result in a credit that can be used for a future flight, even if the ticket was non-refundable
• Supports the Direct Bill process to charge airfare directly to the university so that our business travelers do not have to pay for their airline ticket(s) in advance and then wait until after the completion of travel to get reimbursed
• Qualify for various airline benefits based on availability
  • Free preferred seats
  • Upgrades to business or first-class seats
  • Priority boarding and priority standby
• Automatic enrollment in Business and Travel Accident Insurance coverage at no cost for employees and students

Yes.

Both the UC Travel Center and BCD Travel have access to Southwest Wanna Get Away fares, as well as exclusive UC-negotiated discounts with Southwest. Either agency can assist you with a Southwest reservation and accept a Direct Bill ID as payment.

Yes.

Basic UC Berkeley directory information is sent to ConnexUC on a daily basis.

You may log in to ConnexUC and use the ConnexUC profile to edit your profile including:

• Emergency contacts
• Loyalty membership and frequent flyer numbers
• Authorized travel 'arrangers'
• Passport and Visa information

If the personal time simply involves arriving earlier and/or staying longer at the destination at which the business travel occurred, then the requirement to use ConnexUC and Direct Bill still applies. If the traveler adds additional locations to the flight itinerary that are for personal purposes, then the airline ticket can not be purchased using Direct Bill.

ConnexUC can be used to purchase tickets for personal travel with travelers paying out of pocket and requesting reimbursement only for the business portion of the flight(s). Booking through ConnexUC automatically enrolls business travelers in the UC insurance program for the portion of their travel that is business. All UC Berkeley employees can use ConnexUC to book vacation travel by paying with a personal credit card.

Unfortunately, at this time, there is no simple way for a business traveler to use ConnexUC to purchase airline tickets for themselves (using Direct Bill) and family members (using personal funds) on the same airfare reservation.

For UC Berkeley employees seeking reimbursement for their airfare when traveling with family members:

• Include a copy of the flight reservation showing travel with family members
• Check the box on the Special Circumstances page that the trip included personal days
• Include a statement in the explanation box that airfare was booked outside of ConnexUC due to traveling with family members

No additional approvals beyond what is customary to be reimbursed will be required.

Yes.

Travelers at a minimum receive all of the same frequent flier and loyalty points and rewards from travel booked through ConnexUC as they would if booking directly with the airline. And, in some cases, we actually have special bonus rewards negotiated with some of the airlines. The next time you log in to ConnexUC, click 'About' and then 'Air' to access, by airline, the different discounts they offer exclusively to the UC and any additional perks and rewards they offer as well.

Airline tickets booked through ConnexUC have no restrictions on them, so if an employee prefers to work directly with the airline to make changes or rebook a cancelled flight they may do so. But, one of the many advantages of the program is that if you need agent assistance and don't have potentially hours to wait on hold for an airline representative, you also have access to live ConnexUC agents (fees may apply depending on the circumstance).

If the original ticket was bought outside of ConnexUC, we want you to be able to use the credit that you received so that those funds are not lost. When you seek reimbursement, please make clear in the explanation box on the special circumstances page of the reimbursement system that the credit was from a ticket bought prior to the November 1st requirement going into effect. You will be required to provide the receipt from when you bought the original ticket to show proof of payment.

If an external party is paying directly for an airline ticket for a UC Berkeley employee, then it is acceptable to purchase the ticket outside of ConnexUC. If the travel is for UC business purposes, you may self-register for UC’s travel insurance coverage on the Risk Services Travel page.

Complete contact information is available by logging into ConnexUC. There is also contact information available on the Contact Information page.

Please be aware that reservations made via telephone are subject to higher transaction fees.

Only UC Berkeley employees are required to book their airfare through ConnexUC using Direct Bill. For non-employees needing UC business travel, a UC Berkeley employee can book travel on their behalf through ConnexUC and Direct Bill using the 'guest' option. This eliminates the need for the traveler to pay out-of-pocket and wait for reimbursement until after the completion of travel.

No.

AB 1887 prohibits the use of state funds to pay for travel to a state on the Attorney General’s list, except where one of the statutory exceptions applies. It does not affect travel that is paid for or reimbursed using non-state funds.

For airfare reservations booked after November 1, 2021 (not the travel date, but the actual booking date), if you are a UC Berkeley employee, you are required to pay for the airfare using a Direct Bill ID. But, because the direct bill option is not currently available for hotel and car rentals, you will still need to use a personal credit card when making reservations for those services through ConnexUC.

We promise our business travelers that we will not disadvantage them with the requirement to book their business airfare through ConnexUC. As we work to continue to improve the program and listen to our business travelers, if you find a better airfare option (price or schedule/routing) that you are unable to find in ConnexUC, you can book the reservation outside of ConnexUC. When submitting for reimbursement, please make sure to upload a screen capture from ConnexUC of the search results found there and explain in the special circumstances section why that was a suboptimal choice. Providing this feedback will allow us to continue to work with the Central Travel Office at UCOP to continue to improve the search results found in ConnexUC. Additionally, it is essential that if you book outside of ConnexUC that you register for the UC Trip Insurance program.

The requirement to book airfare through ConnexUC is not currently being enforced while we gather feedback from campus. We will update this FAQ as needed with any changes.

Yes, for airfare reservations booked after November 1, 2021 (not the travel date, but the actual booking date). If you are a UC Berkeley employee, you are also required to pay for the airfare using a Direct Bill ID. The UC Berkeley Accounts Payable and Travel Office can grant an exception in certain circumstances. We strongly recommend ConnexUC be used for hotel and car rentals, but because the direct bill option is not currently available for those expenses, it is not required.

The requirement to book airfare through ConnexUC is not currently being enforced while we gather feedback from campus. We will update this FAQ as needed with any changes.

Yes.

ConnexUC travel agencies use the same Global Distribution Systems that commercial travel companies such as United, Delta, or Expedia use for scheduling and pricing options. All accredited airlines, schedules, and prices are offered through the ConnexUC travel agencies. Airfare prices booked through ConnexUC should be equal to or less expensive than those you will find elsewhere.