UCSD's Travel Agency Program (UTAP) is composed of a partner agency, Balboa Travel, and several secondary agencies called associate agencies. The program provides:

• Enhanced travel services
• Direct billing of most airfare and service fees
• Controlled fees
• Leveraged buying power
• Capability for online expense reporting

Balboa Travel is UCSD's partner travel agency. Using Balboa Travel whenever possible enables UCSD to best leverage its purchasing power, contain fees, and attain higher service levels. Balboa Travel's services include:

• Travel agents assigned specifically to UCSD
• A competitive service fee policy
• An experienced and highly technical management support team

Associate agencies: If you are planning specialized travel or want to choose your own travel agency, you may contact one of UCSD's associate agencies. They provide fewer benefits because they have no formal agreements with UCSD. In addition, UCSD Travel cannot guarantee service levels and fees.

Agencies and billing: You can choose from several payment options when billing airfare through the partner agency:

• Balboa Travel can bill:
  • Employee and non-employee airfare directly using a corporate Travel Card account when you provide an event number
  • The employee's UCSD Travel Card when you provide an event number
• An Associate Agency can bill:
  • The employee's UCSD Travel Card when you provide an event number

The event number is generated when you complete the Going on a Trip screen in TravelLink. The 8-digit event number certifies the trip as official UCSD business travel and authorizes and tracks pre-trip payments.

Note: An event number provides reasonable protection against unauthorized charges. An event number is required if UCSD pays any travel expense (either up front or by reimbursement).

Service fees:

• Are billed separately from, not included in, the ticket cost
• Must be associated with a specific traveler and event
• Are handled somewhat differently, depending on the agency

See the guidelines on how to pay for service fees:
• Charged by an associate travel agency

Electronic processing: UCSD Travel electronically processes Balboa service fees in TravelLink, generating an advance for the fee for each event.

Since most UCSD travelers use Balboa Travel, this process eliminates additional work for departments other than to claim the fee as an advance to the traveler. The advance generated for a service fee displays on the Event Summary screen in TravelLink like all other advances.

Unfortunately, the electronic advance process is not feasible for associate agencies.

Questions? Contact UCSD Travel or an individual Travel Team member.