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New Travel Contracts: Preparing for Northwestern's New Online Booking Tool

December 19, 2024

Northwestern is introducing two new travel vendors to better support our unique travel needs. These changes, effective February 2025, were selected through a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process involving University stakeholders.

Travel Vendor Updates

  • Key Travel:
    • Replacing Egencia as the online booking tool starting February 10, 2025. 
    • Specializes in academic, humanitarian, and non-profit travel.
    • Online booking: No fee.
    • Agent assistance: Fee capped at $25 (charged to the booking school/department).
  • Travel 100 (T100):
    • Continues as a partner for agent-assisted travel.
    • Fees: $30 for domestic and $40 for international travel (charged to the booking school/department).
  • Egencia Transition:
    • Egencia will remain available for bookings through February 28, 2025.

Key Travel Features and Benefits

Key Travel offers enhanced tools and services:

  • Chart string validation and timely expense postings.
  • Book guest travel without requiring a profile.
  • Direct billing for Enterprise/National car rentals.
  • 24/7 agent assistance including emergency support.
  • Live chat with screen sharing.
  • Multi-channel contact options: phone, email, text/SMS, WhatsApp.
  • Fly America filter for sponsored travel.
  • Academic fares for international travel.
  • Access to low-cost carriers globally.
  • Complimentary carbon offsets for certain prepaid hotel reservations.
  • Integrated safety and risk alerts via the Key Travel Mobile app.

Preparing for the Transition

To get started with Key Travel on February 10, 2025, follow these steps:

  1. Log in at KeyTravel.com using SSO.
  2. Find "Create a Profile". Ensure your name matches your travel documents/passport.
  3. If you would like to give permissions to someone to book travel for you, enter that person’s name or email under “Assign Profile Manager”.
  4. Add loyalty program details and your travel preferences. 
  5. Once completed, it will take 24 hours for your profile to become active.
  6. Download the Key Travel Mobile App (look for the green "K"and available on iOS and Android).
  7. Explore the Key Travel Academy for tutorials on using the tool.

FAQs

Here are some additional FAQs related to the transition:

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Can we book travel through Egencia for travel beyond February of 2025?

Yes, you can book travel for calendar year 2025 as long as it is booked by February 28, 2025. Key Travel will also be available for booking beginning February 10, 2025.

Will my airline credits transfer to the new travel management company?

Your airline credits will not transfer to the new travel management company. All refundable airline credits that remain in Egencia will be refunded, less a processing fee, directly to the chart string that was used to book the original flight associated with the credit. This will happen by mid-January.

Non-refundable airline credits can be used for travel in 2025 as long as travel is booked by February 28, 2025 and as long as the credits do not expire before the travel is taken. Credits can only be used for the airline originally booked for travel. Also, if the original flight was for domestic travel then the credit must be used for domestic travel and the same for international travel.

Whether a credit can be transferred to another traveler is up to the airline. You can check with an Egencia agent to see if your credit is transferable.

Will I be able to access my 2025 travel information through the Egencia site?

Yes, if you booked travel in 2025 through Egencia, you will still have access to the Egencia site to make changes to your booking for a period of time, referred as the buffer period. The buffer period end date is TBD. If your travel is after this date, any changes or cancellations must be made through the airline or hotel directly.

Can I pull past travel itineraries after February 28, 2025?

The Egencia site will be available for all members until February 28, 2025, so you will have access to reporting and past itineraries. You will not be able to book new travel, however. The procurement administrator will be able to pull reports and access past itineraries until the final decommission date, which is TBD.
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