Mississippi Travel Manual - Read and Heed!
Mississippi Travel Website - Complete Online Resource
Definitions: The Mississippi Travel Manual refers to internet and other airfares as "penalty fares" because if your travel plans change the airlines can charge you a penalty to make the change. Official Contract Rates are those negotiated by the state and which allow plans to be changed without penalty.
Tip 1: Book your flights as early as possible to receive the lowest (penalty) airline rates. The lowest airfares are usually booked at 21 or more days from the day of travel with prices increasing at 14 and 7 days from travel.
Tip 2: According to the Mississippi Travel Manual, "where the employee is required to go a day early to qualify for a low priced penalty airfare, the state will pay the additional lodging and meal expenses not to exceed the amount of savings in the airfare."
Tip 3: According to the Mississippi Travel Manual, state employees cannot keep Frequent Flyer miles for personal use but instead those miles must be used for future official travel. Since most state employees will not use commercial airlines as often as a business traveler, it is critical that they concentrate their flights on only one or two Frequent Flyer programs in order to maximize their rewards. One of those programs should be include the airline that has the state contract rate fares from the nearest airport.
Tip 1: Government rates must always be requested by all travelers and the rate confirmed both at the time reservations are made and at check-in. In order to get the government rate, travelers should carry with them their agency identification cards or their business cards to prove they are eligible for the government rate.
Tip 2: Since hotels charge for unkept reservations, you must notify the hotel as soon as your travel plans change. You will NOT be reimbursed by the State of Mississippi for lodging expenses incurred due to your negligence in cancelling hotel reservations or if the change is due to personal decisions made after the deadline for cancelling reservations. (Exceptions may be made for emergencies beyond the employee's control.)
Tip 3: Conference Hotels where a block of rooms has been created by the conference organizers can be booked thru either the Conference-approved travel agency or directly whichever is applicable. State contract travel agencies will NOT book conference hotels! A copy of the conference literature or registration form showing both the conference hotel AND the conference rate must accompany the Expense Voucher in order to be reimbursed.
Tip 4: When booking commercial lodging, try to use hotels that will get you points with the airline Frequent Flyer program that you are booking most of your flights with.
The tips below are for those renting an unauthorized car for their personal use. The state has negotiated a really great deal for its employees and you are required to follow it if authorized a rental car while traveling at state expense.
Tip 1: We don't think there is much use in comparison shopping for rental cars across different websites since all of the agencies list their prices with all of the online travel booking agencies. Just search through our listings for the best deal for you.
Tip 2: To avoid missing your return flight, try to rent a car from an agency with an onsite return at the airport.
Tip 3: To avoid being gouged on insurance when renting the car, make sure you know what your own credit cards and car insurance already cover before you start your trip.