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Travel and expense resources for volunteers

Traveling on behalf of the OPTN

UNOS Meeting Partners provides comprehensive meeting and event planning services for the transplant community. Any time you travel on behalf of the OPTN, you should connect with Meeting Partners. We offer:

  • Expertise: Booking travel and planning meetings successfully takes experience and travel industry knowledge. UNOS Meeting Partners staff members have the skills that it takes to avoid travel planning pitfalls and ensure a successful event.   
  • Accountability: UNOS cares about volunteer members and we want to make sure you are taken care of in the event of an emergency. Utilizing UNOS’ travel planning services provides the peace of mind of knowing that you are covered if anything should happen during your trip.
  • Cost savings: The travel we do for the OPTN is funded largely by patients on the waitlist. It is UNOS’ duty to be good stewards of that money.

How can we help?

Questions about OPTN meeting or travel? Contact UNOS Meeting Partners at [email protected]. Or call us at (804) 782-4830 or (800) 528-1798.

For after-hours services (after 4:30 p.m. EST or weekends) please call (800) 366-1544.


Questions about reimbursement after the meeting? Contact the Reimbursement Support Team at [email protected].

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We’re here to help.

UNOS Meeting Partners care about you and are grateful for your volunteer service. We’ll prove it with our service and follow through.

Concur Travel and Expense resources

Quick training on UNOS Connect

Training for frequently asked questions

  • TravelSmart Training: We highly recommend this training before you book your travel! We’ll walk you through everything you need to know to safely and efficiently travel with UNOS Meeting Partners.
  • Travel Expenses and Reimbursement: a quick, interactive training module for OPTN travelers. Learn how to use the Concur Expense application.

All training sessions for members are available in UNOS Connect. (After logging in to UNOS Connect, search “Travel” and click on the training session title.)

Concur documentation and videos

Access Concur Travel and Expense


Signing in to Concur with Two-Factor Authentication

Create an expense report

Your account

Transportation and lodging

Air
When traveling on OPTN business, the best way to book air reservations and rail travel is to use Concur Travel and Expense, our online booking tool. For your convenience, a Concur login has been created for you by the Travel and Expense team. This log-in will be used to access both Concur Travel for booking trips and Concur Expense for submitting expense reports. It is important to complete all arrangements for OPTN travel in a timely manner once the Committee Meeting booking email invite has been received. This best practice helps Meeting Partners control costs and ensures you are able to book the flights, seats and hotel of your choice.

To log in for the first time, you will:

Tips:

  • For your convenience, an initial Concur account has been created for all committee members. But, if this is your first time logging in, you will need a little more time to set up your Travel Profile with the minimum contact information (birthdate, legal name as it appears on your ID, address, phone number).
  • You can make several travel changes yourself through the Concur Travel portal’s new user-friendly travel booking tool.
  • Focus on the finding the best times for your trip, not the best price. Travel agents will review every trip booked and will contact you prior to issuing your ticket if there is a lower cost option that might work for you.
  • If your flight is delayed, the airlines will usually provide alternative flight options. You can contact UNOS Travel to speak with an agent for personal booking assistance; please call (800) 366-1544 or (781) 496-3745. The OPTN will cover costs associated with being delayed while traveling for business.
  • If you have to change or cancel a trip once you have confirmed it, it is critical that Meeting Partners staff is aware. In most cases, there are fees associated with changes, but the costs can be minimized by following proper protocol, which is dependent on timing. If you need to make a change:
    • From time of booking to 4:30 p.m. EST of your last business day in the office – Call the Meeting Partners office at (804) 782-4830 or email [email protected]. If you contact us by noon EST, you will receive a reply by 4 p.m. the same day.
    • The day of your trip after 4:30 p.m. EST – Call our after-hours service at (800) 787-0588 or work through the airline directly. Keep in mind that if it’s a weather-related issue that is impacting thousands of travelers then the after-hours service and the airline will likely have lengthy hold times.
Hotel
You will NOT need to select a hotel while booking your flight or rail travel. Your guest room will be reserved by the Meeting Partners planner based on your booked travel. You will be asked to present a credit card at check in for any incidental charges billed to your room.
Train
Amtrak is sometimes the best option for traveling to a meeting. You can now book train travel directly through the Concur Travel and Expense portal.
Ground transportation
  • Destination transportation: There are instances when Meeting Partners will provide group transportation for members. If that transportation is provided, you are encouraged to take it.
  • Cabs: Most airports and hotel locations have cab service available. Pay upfront and submit receipts for reimbursement in your expense report.
  • Rideshare apps: UNOS will reimburse for rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft to travel short distance during your trip. Download the appropriate app and save your receipts for reimbursement.

Rideshare safety tips:

  • Ask the driver who they are picking up and do not get in until your name is provided.
  • Confirm the license plate number.
  • Sit in the back of the car.
  • Share your location/trip status with family, friend or coworker.
Use of personal vehicle / mileage reimbursement

Home airport: The OPTN will reimburse mileage, if necessary, for volunteer members to/from a member’s home and the airport.

Mileage incurred for OPTN travel is reimbursable at the applicable IRS rate based on travel date up to the cost of the least expensive mode of transportation. The IRS rate changes annually. Find the current rate at the IRS’s standard mileage rates webpage.

Helpful vendor apps

We recommend downloading the apps provided by your airline and hotel.

How can we help?

Questions about OPTN meeting or travel? Contact UNOS Meeting Partners at [email protected]. Or call us at (804) 782-4830 or (800) 528-1798.

For after-hours services (after 4:30 p.m. EST or weekends) please call (800) 366-1544.


Questions about reimbursement after the meeting? Contact the Reimbursement Support Team at [email protected].

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