Questions often arise about when travel expenses can be reimbursed and when CTA and payment card transactions must be reconciled, particularly following recent policy changes.

A new one-page Travel-Related Expenses Reimbursement and Reconciliation Timeline summarizes the requirements for sponsored and non-sponsored travel. The guide covers out-of-pocket expenses, PCard and Travel & Hosting Card transactions, and CTA transactions.

It also provides examples of key deadlines and explains what may happen when expenses are submitted after the applicable deadline.

For additional information about late reimbursement of employee out-of-pocket expenses, review Tax Compliance and Planning’s General Guidance on Late Expense Reimbursements.

Beginning October 19, 2026, a new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) rule will change how airlines classify and report certain flight delays and cancellations.

The rule identifies 10 types of events that airlines will not longer report as being within their control. These include certain aircraft maintenance issues, air traffic control shutdowns, baggage system outages outside the airline’s control, some medical emergencies and disruptive passenger incidents, and certain types of aircraft damage.

This Fox2Detroit article provides additional information about the rule and what it may mean for travelers.

For official guidance about passenger rights when flights are canceled or significantly changed, visit the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Refunds webpage.

Travelers can take advantage of two limited-time opportunities to experience AAdvantage status. Eligible travelers must register by October 23, 2026.

Already have status with another airline?

Travelers with eligible status from United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, or JetBlue may qualify for an AAdvantage status match, with some travelers eligible for a higher tier. Matched status is available for four months and may be extended by meeting applicable Loyalty Point goals.

👉 Register for the status match opportunity

New to airline status?

Eligible travelers without status can receive AAdvantage Gold status for four months, with benefits including:

• 40% more miles and Loyalty Points on eligible flights
• Priority airport privileges and Group 4 boarding
• Complimentary upgrades when eligible
• One free checked bag
• Complimentary Preferred Seats at booking and access to Main Cabin Extra

👉 Register for the AAdvantage Gold® opportunity

Review each offer’s registration page for complete terms and conditions.

Southwest Airlines is offering eligible Rapid Rewards members a limited-time opportunity to earn A-List status through the end of 2026 and up to 20,000 bonus Rapid Rewards points through qualifying business travel.

🗓️ Offer valid through October 31, 2026

🔗 Register at Southwest.com/2026BizOffer

To participate, first log in to your Rapid Rewards account, then register for the Southwest business travel offer.

Review the offer’s registration page for complete terms and conditions.

The Travel Program Team continues to look for ways to improve the university business travel experience. In February 2025, the Central Travel Account (CTA) became the default payment method for CTP rail bookings.

Ongoing challenges with CTA-paid Amtrak transactions, including difficulties identifying travelers and processing refunds, have prompted a change. Effective November 2, 2026, the CTA will no longer be available as a payment method for rail bookings.

Beginning November 2, travelers and arrangers should use a PCard or Travel & Hosting Card when booking rail travel. If a U-M payment card is not available to the traveler or arranger, a personal credit card may be used. This change will simplify payment and refund processing and reduce transactions that cannot be matched to a traveler or booking.

Unresolved Amtrak refunds

The Travel Program Team has resolved many previously unidentified Amtrak refunds, but some still need to be assigned. In certain cases, Amtrak refunds did not include enough information to identify the associated traveler or booking.

If you or someone on your team expected an Amtrak refund within the past few months but did not receive it, email travelprogram@umich.edu. Include any available documentation, such as an Amtrak cancellation notice, to help the team research and assign the refund.

Questions about rail bookings or unresolved Amtrak transactions may also be directed to travelprogram@umich.edu.

Effective October 1, Delta offers new Basic, Classic, and Extra experience levels within its classes of service. The most significant changes involve the Extra experience, which provides greater flexibility and additional amenities at a higher cost.



Carefully compare the options before booking to determine whether the added cost of an Extra experience provides a business benefit and is permitted by your unit.

Delta’s classes of service are now:

• Delta Main (formerly Main Cabin)
• Delta Comfort (formerly Delta Comfort+®)
• Delta Premium Select
• Delta One®
• Delta First (formerly First Class)

Delta Main includes three experience levels:

• Basic: Lower fare with limited flexibility; highly discouraged for U-M business travel because of its restrictions
• Classic: Greater flexibility than Basic
• Extra: Enhanced amenities and the greatest flexibility at an additional cost

All other classes will offer Classic and Extra experiences.

Did you know booking through CTP may improve your priority for a complimentary Delta upgrade? When travelers include their SkyMiles number and book eligible business travel through CTP, Delta recognizes them as corporate travelers.

For purposes of this benefit, Delta generally considers reservations booked directly through Delta.com to be leisure bookings, even when a U-M PCard is used for payment. Using a university payment card does not, by itself, identify the traveler as a corporate traveler in Delta’s system.

Corporate traveler status is one factor in Delta’s upgrade hierarchy and may provide an advantage over similarly situated leisure travelers when an upgrade is available. Upgrade eligibility and priority also depend on factors such as Medallion status, fare class, and eligible Delta SkyMiles American Express Card membership.

Want to see where corporate travelers fall in the upgrade hierarchy? Review Delta’s When Complimentary Upgrades Clear table for details.

Planning to rent a car for personal travel? Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental offer personal-use rates to eligible U-M renters.

Personal rentals must be paid with a personal form of payment and do not include insurance or other coverage products. Renters should review their personal coverage and be prepared to provide proof of their own coverage when required.

Use the links below to access U-M’s personal-use rates:

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• National Car Rental

The U-M Travel Program’s Virtual Supplier Feature series continued this month with a spotlight on United Airlines. These quarterly Zoom sessions allow U-M travelers to connect directly with preferred travel suppliers, learn about available services and benefits, and ask questions.

Missed the session?

Review the United Airlines presentation slides.

Details about the next Virtual Supplier Feature will be announced on the Travel Program webpage.

The Travel Program Team hosts multiple training and Q&A sessions that are open to all employees each month, all of which cover the same core material. We encourage you to attend the session that best fits your schedule. Representatives from CTP and U-M will be available at each session to answer your questions. We look forward to seeing you!

• October 14 | 1 to 2 p.m.—Q&A
• October 27 | 1 to 2 p.m.—Training
• November 11 | 10 to 11 a.m.—Q&A
• November 30 | 2 to 3 p.m.—Training
• December 10 | 9 to 10 a.m.—Q&A
• December 15 | 1 to 2 p.m.—Virtual Supplier Feature: Metro Cars
• December 16 | 10 to 11 a.m.—Training

Use the Zoom link and passcode below for all sessions.

https://umich.zoom.us/j/96013633019

Passcode: 684564

Dates for additional sessions will be published on the Procurement Services travel webpage as they’re scheduled.

We encourage you to join the U-M Travel Program’s Slack channel, #travel-program, to stay up-to-date on all things related to U-M travel, including program updates, announcements, travel tips, events, and more. 

If you haven’t heard of Slack, we encourage you to check it out! Creating an account is easy, and we hope to see you on Slack soon!