Direct Billing System

Procedures for UCLA Travelers

The Direct Billing System (DBS) enables departments to make payment for airline tickets directly to the UCLA Travel Center, thereby relieving the traveler of any financial burden.  The Direct Billing System can only be used for tickets issued by the UCLA Travel Center. A BruinBuy/PAC Order number must be received by 3:00PM before any ticket can be issued.   Reservation requests received after 3:00PM will not be processed until the following day.

* * * * * * *NOTICE * * * * * * *

The Direct Billing System procedures have been revised.  Effective August 29, 2005 the following procedures must be followed.  Failure to follow these new procedures could result in your ticket not being issued, fare increases or cancellation of the entire itinerary.

 NEW PROCEDURES TO PREPARE BRUINBUY/PAC ORDERS FOR PURCHASE OF AIRFARE VIA DIRECT BILLING

All BruinBuy/PAC preparers must supply back-up contact name, telephone number and email address in the event BruinBuy/PAC preparer is not available.

All airfare charges and fees (if applicable) must be issued as one line item irrespective of the number of tickets issued, i.e. Professor A and Professor B are traveling together to a conference.  Their tickets are $250 each and the service fee (if applicable) is $30 each.  The amount on line 1 of the BruinBuy/PAC order must be $560.  Exception: When using more than one FAU to distribute charges, multiple line items are permitted.

The tax field in the BruinBuy/PAC order should always be “E” for Exempt, since airfares are sold including all applicable taxes.  Please do not use “T” for taxable when purchasing airfare.

BruinBuy/PAC order description line must indicate the following items:

•   Reservation codes

•   Full names of travelers (should match name in reservation which should be as name appears on   government issued ID for airport check-in)

•   Origin and all destinations (including business purpose for each destination)

•   Dates of intended travel

You may use multiple line items for each traveler, indicating travel details required. Please do not enter airfare or fees (if applicable) on these description lines.

Changes in traveler’s names, dates, reservation codes, origin and destinations, airfares and fees, must be adjusted on original BruinBuy/PAC order prior to issuing tickets.  Any changes after tickets are issued will require a new BruinBuy/PAC order number before new tickets can be issued.  DEPARTMENTS MUST NOT CLOSE OR DELETE BRUINBUY/PAC ORDERS AFTER TICKETS ARE ISSUED EVEN WHEN BOOKING IS CANCELLED.

GROUP TRAVEL:

• Validity: One BruinBuy/PAC order for all departures commencing within one calendar month

• List of all travelers' names, itineraries, and dates of travel must be sent by email to the reservation agent as soon as all travel details are available

• All other procedures above apply to group travel

Travel expenses paid for by personal credit card or purchased from a travel agency other than UCLA Travel Center will be reimbursed by submitting either an expense report via Express or a Travel Voucher.

PAYMENT & RECONCILIATION:

•       Travel Accounting will pay & reconcile all BruinBuy/PAC orders and invoices for each month by the 15^th of the following month; where after final closure will be concluded the month following each quarter.

•       All departments must reconcile their ledgers and communicate back to travel accounting with any questions, adjustments or disputes related to airfares and fees prior to the quarter closure.

•       During the last quarter of the FY, Travel Accounting will be resolving queries, adjustments & disputes related ONLY to the last quarter of the CURRENT FY.

Preparing a PAC Order

Making reservations using the Direct Billing System

Payment processing

Medical Center Procedures

Preparing a PAC Order

Departments have two options for using the Direct Billing System:

Prepare an itemized PAC Order for a specific ticket or tickets.

Establish a "blanket order" for ticket issuance for a specified group, event, or other purpose.

Preparing an itemized order

Departments may use the Direct Billing System by preparing a PAC Order with a line item for each ticket to be ordered. The PAC Order should identify each traveler by name, and include departure dates and routing.

1. Input an order into the PAC system:

   1. Vendor Control Key:

      1. State Fares 096391 004 AMERICAN EXPRESS

      2. Published Fares 090311 011 GE CAPITAL FINANCIAL

   2. Order class:T

   3. Enter one line item only (if you use additional lines for description purposes the amount MUST be zero)
      1. PAC Order Code: SVS
      2. Quantity: Leave blank
      3. Unit: Leave blank
      4. Unit price: Leave blank
      5. Extended Price: Total amount of the order including all ticket amounts and all service fees.
      6. Description: Traveler name; Departure date; Destination, Reservation code and Business purpose
      7. Check to department listed as (N) (Press F11 from the first screen before entering.)
      8. Tax code: I

(The “Check to Department” and “Description on check” fields must remain “N”. If either of these fields is changed to “Y”, a ticket will not be issued.)

2. Post the order.

Preparing a blanket order

Departments may use the Direct Billing System by preparing a blanket order to cover such things as group travel, events, or other special purposes where multiple travelers or trips are involved. A blanket order must be limited to a specific group, event, or purpose and should clearly identify the intended use. A blanket order can only cover departures commencing within one calendar month.

1. Input an order into the PAC system:

   1. Vendor Control Key:

      1. State Fares 096391 004 AMERICAN EXPRESS

      2. Published Fares 090311 011 GE CAPITAL FINANCIAL

   2. Order class:T

   3. Enter one line item (if you use additional lines for description purposes the amount MUST be zero)

      1. PAC Order Code: SVS

      2. Quantity: Leave blank

      3. Unit: Leave blank

      4. Unit price:  Leave blank

      5. Extended price: Total amount of the order including all ticket amounts and all service fees.

      6. Description: Destination, Date(s) of conference, Traveler names, Reservation code and Business purpose.

      7. Check to department listed as (N)  (Press F11 from first screen before entering.)

      8. Tax code: I

(The “Check to Department” and “Description on check” fields must remain “N”. If either of these fields is changed to “Y”, a ticket will not be issued.)

2. Post the order.

If the preparer is not the travel arranger, give the PAC Order number to whomever is ordering the ticket from the UCLA Travel Center. Tickets will NOT be issued purely as a result of the entry of a PAC Order.

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Making Reservations using the Direct Billing System

Customers make reservations with the UCLA Travel Center by telephone or email

The customer calls the UCLA Travel Center and requests the desired itinerary, or submits the travel request form on the Travel Center website.

The travel agent makes the reservation and informs the customer of the proposed itinerary and price.

iii. The customer confirms that the quoted itinerary and price is satisfactory.

iv. The customer enters a PAC Order.

v. The customer contacts the travel agent, requests that the ticket be issued and gives the PAC Order number as form of payment.

Please note that fares are not guaranteed until the ticket is issued and may change at any time.

Tickets will NOT be issued purely as a result of the entry of a PAC Order.

Tickets will not be issued because of an email request. It is a request only, a separate instruction to ticket must be made after the itinerary and price has been confirmed.

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Payment processing

Tickets will be charged to PAC Orders at time of ticketing and charges will appear on the General Ledger within with the PAC Order # referenced.

Any authorized tickets that cannot be charged to the correct account for any reason will be charged to a default account established for each Organization Code.

For further information, contact UCLA Travel Accounting at 310-206-2639 or 800-235-8252.

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