Faculty, staff, students and UBC guests can plan or book their UBC related travel through Concur or through Direct Travel, a full-service option.
Concur is UBC’s convenient employee profile management system and online booking tool for air, car and hotel reservations. The system is supported by Direct Travel, UBC's travel management provider.
Before booking your travel, UBC employees should register and complete their employee profiles. This applies for travellers (including students with employee status) and admins who are booking or paying on behalf of employees or non-employees.
Once you have registered using your UBC email address, you will receive an email on the same business day to set your password and access your profile. If this email is not received or you can’t find your email domain, please refrain from creating another registration and contact online support during business hours (8am – 5pm) by emailing onlinesupportcan@dt.com or by calling 604-637-1466 or 1-844-905-3824 (option 4).
After you've completed your employee profile, you can book travel in two ways:
Login using SAP-Concur
or
Contact an Advisor at Direct Travel
- By email psi.travel@dt.com
- By phone 604-637-1466 or toll free at 1-844-905-3824 (option 1)
Two-factor authentication:
All UBC employees accessing SAP-Concur via desktop or mobile will be required to set up two-factor authentication (2FA). The UBC Duo app may be used for this authentication.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) in Concur is an essential security measure for UBC travellers, providing an additional layer of protection for your account. By requiring a second form of verification, typically something you know (like a password) and something you have (like a mobile device), 2FA significantly enhances the security of your Concur account. This extra step helps safeguard your personal and sensitive travel information from unauthorized access, reducing the risk of potential security breaches and ensuring that only authorized individuals can access and make changes to your account. In today's digital landscape, where cyber threats are prevalent, implementing 2FA is a proactive measure to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your corporate travel data.
Relevant resources:
- Training guide for first-time UBC Concur users
- Web training guide: Updating Your Travel Profile
- SAP-concur two-factor authentification enrollment process
Why use UBC's travel booking resources
By using UBC’s travel booking services with Concur and/or Direct Travel, not only will you automatically receive important pre-travel information, but you will also have access to:
- 24/7 support (i.e. rebooking services) in emergency situations
- Travel advice & recommendations
- More efficient process to be informed of travel requirements for UBC related travel
- Vendor issue support
- Access to select post-secondary vendor discounts (Air, Car, Hotel)
- Same day low fare guarantee
- UBC travel policy is automatically referenced
In addition, by using UBC’s booking services, you are helping the university meet its climate action goals, as we will have better tracking and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, for future budgeting.
- Some Concur itineraries may be changed online in Concur, if not contact an advisor at Direct Travel, 604-637-1466 or 1-844-905-3824 (select option 1)
When to use Concur or Direct Travel
Concur
- UBC related travel only
- Simple point-to-point travel within Canada, the US, or major cities for international destinations
- Book Air, Car and Hotel on the same itinerary (for a round trip itinerary)
- Use the “add to itinerary feature” instead of creating a new trip to avoid additional fees and have a more efficient process
- Use Concur as a planning tool or to get approval you can email the purposed itinerary with pricing within the tool
Direct Travel Advisor
- UBC related or personal travel
- Complicated itineraries
- Short on time to search online
- Multiple travellers or group bookings
- Purchase Travel cancellation insurance (Note: medical insurance or all-inclusive insurance can not be submitted for reimbursement)
- General advice
Contact an Advisor at Direct Travel: By email psi.travel@dt.com or by phone 604-637-1466 or toll free at 1-844-905-3824 (option 1)
- Through leveraging UBC's purchasing power, get access to various discounts not available through public sites or other services
- Access to a variety of discounted rates, seat sales, and internet fares
- Easily manage itineraries all stored in one place
- E-tickets and e-invoices sent via email from Direct Travel
- Automated travel and health advisories, visa and vaccination requirements, and other important trip information before you travel
- Service assistance available after business hours 24/7
- Traveller tracking and ticketing assistance in case of emergency and/or global incidents
- Securely encrypted credit card data and email notifications when any charges are processed on your credit card, which reduces your risk of fraud
- Lower service fees when using Concur
For the best fares and to be able to compare airlines easily, book online through Concur or Direct Travel.
- Since the airline industry is introducing more restrictive fare types, make sure you review the change and cancel policies.
- UBC discounts do not always represent the most economical fares however Concur or Direct Travel will efficiently compare all airlines to find the most economical fares consistent with the trip
- The least expensive fares have limited inventory and when they sell out, or when the traveler is authorized to travel in a higher fare (i.e. premium economy or business class), UBC's contract fares ensure that we are not paying a premium
- Pay for the trip using credit card programs
- Seat Selection: Reduce the cost of your trip by using the airline website check-in service 24 hours prior to each departure flight and receive free seat selection
- No matter the fare type advance check-in and seat selection is always recommended to avoid the airline bumping you off the flight if they are oversold
- UBC Business Expenses Policy and Business Expense Rules allows for the reimbursement of seat selection
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA): By using Concur and/or Direct Travel, you are consenting to the disclosure and storage of the information outside Canada for the purpose of facilitating and processing your travel requirements. Your personal information is collected under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you have any questions about the collection of your personal information, contact Judith Fograscher, UBC Travel Manager (Ph: 604-822-5878).