Frequently Asked Questions - COVID-19

The following FAQs apply to travel cancellation and reimbursement issues resulting from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). These FAQs are in effect until further notice and are subject to change as the situation develops. Before seeking reimbursement from the university, please make all efforts to obtain a full refund from the vendor.

Will UC’s Travel Insurance Program cover lost costs and penalties?

You may be able to recoup some of your costs for international trip cancellations.

If the airline or travel provider refused to issue a refund or a travel credit or charges a penalty for changes for travel to international destinations, travelers should submit their claim through the UC Travel Insurance Program.

You can submit a claim for airfare, hotel, cancellation fees, or conference registration for up to $2,000 for international trips (domestic trips are not covered). Once a claim is submitted, a determination will be made by the UC Insurance Carrier, Chubb, regarding...

What should I do if I need to cancel my trip and I booked outside of ConnexUC?

Contact the airline or agency and cancel your ticket prior to initial date of departure Request a full refund without penalty (due to COVID-19) If they will not provide a full refund without penalty, then request a refund (with the penalty) or request a credit towards future travel Whether the traveler selects a refund with penalty or credit towards future travel may depend on a number of factors specific to each situation For instance, if the traveler expects to travel on business prior to the expiration of the credit, and the airline is not charging a change fee for travel credits, it may...

What should I do if I need to cancel my trip and I booked my travel through ConnexUC?

If you booked using ConnexUC, the UC System's online booking tool, you can cancel online in ConnexUC with the ConnexUC agency where you made the booking, or you can contact the agency by phone. The agency will attempt to get a refund or future travel credit. If you receive a future travel credit through ConnexUC, you will only be able to use this credit by booking through ConnexUC using the same agency that the original reservation was made. Travelers should be aware that travel credits must not be used for personal purposes. If it is used for personal purposes, the traveler must reimburse...

What documentation do I need to provide to get reimbursed?

All travel receipts (for example: airfare invoices, hotel folios, conference registration fee charges, etc.), and documentation of attempts to obtain refunds.

For travel credit reimbursements, please attest in the expense report the following:

"I will not use the travel credits for personal travel. In the event that I use it for personal travel, I will reimburse the university for the cost of the ticket less any cancellation fees."

What costs will be reimbursed if I need to cancel a trip due to COVID-19?

Please make all efforts to get full refunds for all of your costs. If you are unable to get a refund, document the steps you took to obtain a refund.

You may request reimbursement for your unreimbursed travel expenses. These costs may include:

Airline cancellation fees and/or penalties For international trips, please first attempt to get reimbursed through our travel insurance program If you don't get reimbursed through our insurance program, please submit through the Reimbursement system and provide documentation of the denial Domestic trips are not covered under UC’s travel...

Is UC Berkeley Travel currently reviewing expense reports submitted through the Reimbursement system?

Yes.

The Travel department is working remotely, fully operational, and reviewing expense reports where applicable.

Can I travel?

All UC Berkeley nonessential international and domestic travel is suspended until further notice. Personal international and domestic travel is strongly discouraged.

Anyone arriving from CDC Level 3 countries must self-quarantine for 14 days from the time they left that country. If you decide to travel, be aware that other countries could change travel restrictions without notice, flights may be canceled, or new re-entry restrictions could be imposed when returning to the United States.

Currently, most states do not have restrictions on domestic travel, but you should be...