Grant Management & Financial Oversight
Choosing How to Travel
Read Part One: Travel Trouble: Why “Just Charge It to the Grant” Isn’t Always Safe
You’ve been approved to travel—now comes the fun part: figuring out how to get there. Transportation costs are among the most scrutinized parts of sponsored travel, so let’s unpack planes, trains, and automobiles before your grant takes an unexpected detour.
Federal regulations don’t dictate how you should travel, but your institution probably does. Rather than using a strict “drive vs. fly by X miles” rule, my institution applies a cost-comparison approach, which allows flexibility while still emphasizing fiscal responsibility. When comparing travel options, be sure you’re capturing the full picture:
- Flights should include airfare, baggage fees, ground transportation, and airport parking.
- Driving should include mileage, tolls, and parking fees.
Think of cost comparisons as your financial remix same trip, different versions, and you’ve got to pick the one that won’t land your grant in the “explicit lyrics” section of an audit.
The goal isn’t to force the cheapest option every time—it’s to document that the method selected is reasonable and cost-effective.
A Real Example
I once had a group of five traveling from Blacksburg, VA to Washington, D.C. Everyone wanted to drive separately for personal convenience. While a four-hour drive made sense on the surface, once we added downtown parking for five cars, the trip would have cost an additional $500.
By comparison, the group could either carpool or take Amtrak for around $100 per person round-trip.
One of my favorite quotes from our Controller’s Office is:
“We don’t pay for convenience.”
Using that philosophy, the reimbursable option was the train (not five separate cars).
Picking the “Right” Flight
The cheapest flight might add hours to your travel day. The fastest flight might double the cost. And here’s the part people forget: your time has value too.
A good test to apply is this:
Would a reasonable person spend their own money on this option, given the price difference and time impact?
If your answer is “No—that’s absurd,” it likely won’t hold up in an audit either—because compliance rules don’t care whether your trip is “fly like a G6.”
While this approach isn’t written into policy, my personal rule of thumb is:
- Sort by lowest price to understand the baseline.
- Then sort by shortest duration to see what “efficient” looks like.
- Book something in the middle that balances time and cost appropriately.
And while you’re at it, take a screenshot of your cost comparison when you book. You’re already there. A few extra seconds now can save a lot of explanation later.
First Class Dreams and Business Class Reality
Thinking about first class? Don’t get your hopes up.
Business class may be allowable on some international flights, particularly transatlantic—but only if your sponsor allows it. Some explicitly prohibit it, so always check the award terms and keep your documentation handy.
Mixing Business and Personal Travel
Bringing a spouse? Adding vacation days? Traveling with your whole crew? That’s perfectly fine, but it changes what’s reimbursable.
When mixing personal and business travel, you must be able to show:
- What the flight would have cost for business-only dates
- What the rental car would have been for a base model sedan
- Which hotel costs were tied to personal guests
If you upgrade to a minivan, book a suite, or extend the stay—those extra costs are yours. Documenting the “what if” price protects both you and the award.
In the end, transportation decisions don’t have to be complicated, but they do have to be defensible. A little planning, documentation, and good judgment at the booking stage can prevent major headaches later and help ensure your travel costs land safely where they belong.