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[larryc]

At my school we need to make all travel arrangements through the semi-competent official campus travel agency if we expect reimbursement.  This annoys me because my wife is a kung fu master of finding and booking travel deals and often accompanies me on these trips. We do so much better booking ourselves.

[polly_mer]

At my school we need to make all travel arrangements through the semi-competent official campus travel agency if we expect reimbursement.  This annoys me because my wife is a kung fu master of finding and booking travel deals and often accompanies me on these trips. We do so much better booking ourselves.

I haven't been in that particular annoyance for awhile, but, yeah, I was livid the first time that I had to use the official travel website to make arrangements for significantly more money than the same arrangements would have been through directly with the hotel and airlines.   That was a real "good use of government money there" moment.

[miloclawdia]

Government rate to D.C. (from east coast south) = $800 through our university travel agent.  Nonrefundable rate=$248

[polly_mer]

Government rate to D.C. (from east coast south) = $800 through our university travel agent.  Nonrefundable rate=$248

Yep. 

For those kinds of people, the documentation of what a minion would have booked me instead of what I booked myself* can also be a huge time (and therefore money) sink for piddly amounts.  Yep,  it's a good thing I can document that $20 price difference in half an hour when you bill me out (with overhead and everything) at >$100 an hour.

*combined work and non-work travel, better timing because I have multiple obligations this trip