Procurement & Payment Services

Travel Agency

For the past several years The College at Brockport has used Grinnel Travel for faculty/staff college related travel. Recently, a new contract was issued by the Office of General Services (OGS) to a new NYS travel agency, Carlson Albany Travel, located at 30 Corporate Drive in Clifton Park NY, for all airline and Amtrak tickets. The College at Brockport has made the switch to the new travel agency that provides the same services previously offered by Grinnell Travel.

Carlson Albany Travel can be reached weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (800) 774-0655 or at fax #(518) 292-9090. For emergency or after hours service, Carlson Albany Travel can be reached at its 24-hour emergency travel services number, (888) 565-9172.

NOTE: Effective February 8, 2008, faculty and staff must provide Carlson Albany Travel a state account number if charging their tickets to the Central Travel Account (CTA).

OGS has been diligent in securing contracts with a number of major airlines to provide reduced air travel fares conbined with beneficial service terms. Even though the state contract prices at times may be more costly when compared to other sources (e.g., web travel providers), the contract airfares offer significant advantages over non-contract airfares. The advantages of the contract prices are as follows:

• Fully refundable and changeable tickets at no extra cost
• State contract rates for last minute bookings
• No minimum stay requirements
• No advance purchase requirements
• Considerable cost savings to the State

OGS and the airlines have negotiated the prices that exist on the state contract for the top cities utilized by travelers and these prices are good for one year. All state contracts are one-way fares. For example, a trip to Chicago may cost $200 one-way, therefore, the total cost of airfare is $400. If Carlson Albany Travel can provide a non-contract savings to the traveler, the traveler is not required to utilize the state contract price. However, if the traveler uses Carlson Albany Travel's non-contract price, the tickets cannot be changed without an additional $100 fee and are non-refundable. It is the traveler's responsibility to take all factors into consideration to determine if the lower price of a non-contract airfare is the best value.

Internet fares are strongly discouraged. If the traveler can locate a lower price, the traveler is required to contact Carlson Albany Travel to see if Carlson Albany can match the price. If Carlson Albany cannot and the savings is $100 or greater, the traveler may purchase the ticket through the internet. However, a detailed justification MUST be attached to the travel voucher documenting what Carlson Albany's price would have been in order to receive reimbursement from Procurement & Payment Services.

All travelers needing Amtrak tickets should also contact Carlson Albany Travel.

Once arrangements have been made for airline or Amtrak tickets, travelers are required to provide the appropriate SUNY account number, name of the traveler, travel destination and dates of the trip via email to Gail Tipton.

Carlson Albany Travel also provides additional services, such as booking hotel rates that honor the New York State per diem. These transactions are billed to the traveler's personal credit card.

Carlson Albany Travel will also reserve rental vehicles through the New York State passenger vehicle rental contract. Rental car invoices for all in-state rentals should be submitted to Procurement & Payment Services with a requisition form for payment.

A Traveler Preference Form is to be filled out and faxed to Carlson Albany Travel by first time users of the agency prior to making travel arrangements. This form only needs to be completed once.

All questions regarding these policies and procedures should be directed to Gail Tipton at ext. 2338.