Accounting Office

When a Pre-Trip Request Is Required

A Pre-Trip Request is required for University business travel and must be submitted before travel expenses can be reported in Concur. An approved Pre-Trip Request is required before booking airfare and is considered best practice for all University travel, regardless of destination or funding source. The Pre-Trip Request supports the University’s duty of care responsibilities by collecting essential trip information in advance and enables access to Concur features that link travel arrangements and expenses to a specific trip.

Who Must Submit the Pre-Trip Request

For employees and students, the Pre-Trip Request may be submitted by the traveler or by a designated Travel Arranger or Concur Delegate, as determined by the department.
For non-employee or guest travelers, a departmental Travel Arranger or Concur Delegate must submit the Pre-Trip Request on the traveler’s behalf, as guests do not have access to Concur. The same delegate is also responsible for submitting the related Expense Report.

Required Approvals

Pre-Trip Requests must be reviewed and approved by the department’s designated Financial Approver before airfare is booked or expenses are incurred. Approval confirms supervisory support, funding availability, and compliance with applicable UC and UC Riverside travel policy. Additional approvals may be required based on funding source, destination, or other policy considerations.

Information Needed Before Submission

At minimum, the Pre-Trip Request must include basic trip details and estimated expenses. Information entered in the Pre-Trip Request will automatically populate the related Expense Report and may be updated as needed after travel. Travelers are encouraged to complete their Concur Profile in advance to ensure access to all system features.

Timing Expectations

Pre-Trip Requests should be submitted and approved before booking airfare and before travel begins. Departments may determine when requests are submitted; however, some Concur functionality—such as associating receipts to a trip using the mobile app—is not available until a trip exists in the system. Pre-Trip Requests do not automatically close after the travel end date and must be canceled if the trip does not occur.

Booking and Payment Considerations

Once a Pre-Trip Request is approved, travelers or Travel Arrangers may book travel through Concur Travel or through the University’s preferred travel management company. Travel Arrangers may book airfare using a University direct charge card by entering the approved Pre-Trip Request ID in Concur Travel. Frequent employee travelers are encouraged to use a University-issued Travel & Entertainment (T&E) Card to reduce out-of-pocket expenses.

When travel is international and federally funded, airfare must comply with Fly America Act requirements. Using the University’s preferred travel management company can help identify compliant flight options at the time of booking.