Key Travel FAQs

It’s likely your booking profile has not been passed to Key Travel for access via the regular HR feed. You may need to be added manually to the system. Please check with travel@northwestern.edu if this happens, and provide a screenshot.

Based on the trip you’re about to make, please select whether the trip will be Federally Funded or not. Federally funded travel typically will involve fund codes as listed (610, 611, 620, 620, 621 ,191, 192, 193). The Federally Funded Travel department shows you Fly America compliant flights. Soon, there will also be a department for guests and non-paid students to use as well.

You can make the booking online on their behalf right away, without the need to manage a profile for them – just add their passport name into the booking process when prompted for the traveler's details. Be sure to include the traveler’s email so they can receive the booking confirmation and travel alerts as they arise (your email will already be in the file as the booker). If your guest will be a frequent visitor, it would be a good idea to create a profile for them. However, if you wish to enable access for a student or a guest to self-book online, then Travel Services will need to create access for you. Please contact travel@northwestern.edu to request overnight access for the user.

Paid graduate students, post docs, and fellows will automatically be able to access Key Travel. All other students, undergraduate and Masters, will not. You may book travel on their behalf or request access for them as mentioned above.

You can delegate profile manager access to someone on your organization by adding their email address in the profile manager section online – see the head and shoulders icon on the top toolbar when you’re on the flight search screen. This gives permission for someone else to access your profile.

Alternatively, if you’re a booker for other travelers, you can create a traveler profile on their behalf to manage (they will be notified) or request they fill one out for themselves for you to manage. But anybody can book for anyone. You do not need special permission to book travel for others.

You will be able to book travel right away, but your profile information will not be synched up until the next day. So, if you would like that information to auto populate, then you will have to wait a day to book. Any changes you make in the system will take overnight to synch-up.

You may not use Key Travel to book personal leisure travel.

If you are traveling on University business and you would like to bring your spouse, you can do this by calling Key’s agent assist people. You will be able to charge your travel to a chart string and your spouse’s travel to a personal credit card.

For now, you can book rail reservations through a customer service agent through Key Travel, northwestern@keytravel.com or call 646-289-6820. You will be able to book rail through the booking tool in the near future.

Key Travel’s offline reservation team will be happy to help with your inquiry. You can contact them via phone or email. (We recommend phone for more urgent requests). Their contact details are available on the online landing page, or within your Northwestern Travel Pages.

Travel cancellations will work the same way that they did with Egencia. If you book a refundable flight and have to cancel, your chart string will be refunded. If you book a non-refundable flight and have to cancel, the flight will be left open in the system to use at another time (fare rules permitting). To use your credit for another flight, you must work with an offline agent by calling 646-289-6820. For hotels, if your reservation allows cancellation and you cancel by their cancellation date, your chart string will be refunded.

If you are arranging travel for 10+ people, or planning a conference or event, the Key Travel Specialist Travel Team will be able to assist. Their contact details are on the Northwestern Online landing page – STTGroups.us@keytravel.com.