Personal Vacation and Travel Companions

Personal Vacation While in Travel Status

A traveler must indicate any personal expenses incurred during their business trip on the Travel Expense Report. Such expenses include but are not limited to airfare, hotel, car rental and per diem meals. Personal portions of airline tickets should be paid at the time of ticketing with the BYU travel agent. Personal portions of expenses associated with lodging, car rental or other travel expenses transacted on a university credit card need to be allocated as Personal on the Travel Expense Report allocation section. Personal meal periods during the trip need to be deducted from the overall per diem claimed on the Travel Expense Report.

Travel Companions

Family, spouse, or other persons may accompany travelers traveling on university business. However, if such persons are to travel at university expense, advance approval must be obtained through their department in consultation with the Tax Office. The express business purpose of the companion’s travel must be documented on the Pre-Approval. The Family Travel Substantiation form should be provided the Tax Office and attached to the Pre-Approval. Additional expenses incurred as a result of a traveling companion without a business purpose should be identified as personal expenses.

Unrelated persons of the opposite sex should exercise sensitivity and good judgment when traveling together to avoid the appearance of impropriety and so as not to compromise the integrity of appropriate personnel relationships or to reflect poorly on the university or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A person who feels uncomfortable or unsafe traveling in a one-on-one situation with someone may choose to make other travel arrangements.

Unrelated travel companions of the opposite sex must stay in separate lockable rooms during travel. Unrelated travel companions of the same sex may share a room only if no power differential exists (e.g., professor and student) and both agree to the arrangement; however, in no situation should unrelated travel companions of the same sex be required to share a bed (each must be provided with a separate bed).