Combining State and Personal Business

If a traveler combines personal travel with official state business travel, the traveler is only allowed reimbursement amounts that fall under the Textravel Chapter 660 of the Texas Government Code. Meals, lodging, or car rental that was incurred on personal days cannot be reimbursed.

Combining personal and business travel can not increase the cost to Texas A&M University or any of its System Members. For airfare if there are personal days included in the business trip, it must not increase the cost of the airfare during the business travel dates. To show there is no additional cost to the member, please attach documentation showing the airfare costs for an itinerary showing the business travel start and end date. Any costs above the business itinerary must be paid personally or in the event of mistakenly being paid with member issued card, then marked unallowable in the travel and expense system to be reimbursed by the employee.

Overnight meal and lodging expenses incurred while traveling to and staying at a duty point the day before official State of Texas business begins at the duty point are reimbursable. Overnight meal and lodging expenses incurred while traveling to and staying at a duty point for more than one day before official state business begins at the duty point are not reimbursable unless the expenses are incurred to qualify for a discount airfare, or traveling to the duty point reasonably requires more than one day and the expenses are reimbursable.

Overnight meal and lodging expenses incurred while staying at and traveling from a duty point the day after official state business ends at the duty point are reimbursable. Overnight meal and lodging expenses incurred while staying at and traveling from a duty point more than one day after official state business ends at the duty point are not reimbursable unless the expenses are incurred to qualify for a discount airfare, or traveling to the duty point reasonably requires more than one day and the expenses are reimbursable.

A state employee who uses a rented motor vehicle for both personal business and official state business may be reimbursed only for the portion of the rental charges that is attributable to official state business. A state employee may not be reimbursed for the rental of a motor vehicle if the rental was necessary only because the employee combined personal business with state business.

The university travel card should not be used to fund any costs related to the personal portion of the trip.