Plan Your Trip
Getting to Rexburg and getting reimbursed is straightforward once you know the order. You'll arrange your hotel and flights through the BYU-Idaho Travel site; here's the whole process, step by step.
What you can get reimbursed for
- Hotel — your lodging for the conference.
- Food during travel — meals on your way to and from Rexburg. Most meals during the conference itself will be provided.
- Mileage — if you drive your own car (reimbursed per mile, which covers both gas and wear and tear).
- Flights — booked and paid directly by the university, so there's nothing to reimburse — you won't pay out of pocket for airfare.
Getting to Rexburg
Most of us are driving up from Utah, so carpooling is the plan — it's the easiest, most economical way to travel, and honestly the conversations in the car are half the fun. If you'd rather drive up on your own, that's completely fine — but ride together if you can. Coordinate with the group to line up a carpool. One attendee is expected to fly.
Where you'll stay
You'll stay in a nearby hotel, and you're welcome to share a room or have your own. If you share, only one person reserves the room — everyone else leaves lodging off their own booking. You'll book your hotel after your Spend Authorization is approved (see Before the trip, Step 2). BYU-Idaho keeps a handy list of local hotels.
Before the trip
Click each step to open the details.
Step 1 — Create your Spend Authorization
A Spend Authorization is your pre-approval to spend on the trip. Create it in Workday as soon as the dates are set.
How to create it (quick version):
- Log in to Workday and open the Expenses app (or search "Create Spend Auth").
- Choose Create Spend Authorization.
- Enter the dates of the trip.
- Give it a description (e.g., "AGM Conference").
- Under Business Purpose, choose I: Employee Travel.
- Click + Add to enter each expense item (lodging, meals, mileage, airfare). Add them all before you submit.
- Check your Cost Center (see the note below).
- Click Submit, then complete the questionnaire — it won't route for approval until the questionnaire is done.
What to include in your estimate:
- Hotel — your estimated lodging cost (or nothing, if you're sharing a room someone else is reserving).
- Food — estimate your meals at an average of $25 per meal, times the number of meals you'll need. You'll keep your receipts and reconcile the real amounts after the trip.
- Mileage (if driving) — you don't claim gas. Instead, you're reimbursed per mile, which covers gas plus wear and tear on your car. Estimate your round-trip miles.
- Flight (if flying) — your estimated airfare (you can look it up in Deem — see Step 2).
Step 2 — Once approved, book your hotel and flight
When your Spend Authorization is approved, book your travel in Deem using the Book Travel button on the BYU-Idaho Travel site.
- Hotel — reserve your room. If you're sharing, only one person books it.
- Flight (if flying) — look up your airfare and book it right in Deem.
During the trip
- Pay with your own credit card for your expenses.
- Keep all your receipts.
After the trip
You reconcile your receipts by creating an Expense Report in Workday.
- Connect the report to your approved Spend Authorization — most of your trip details carry over automatically.
- Enter the actual amounts (especially your meals).
- Attach each receipt (your photos are fine), add any notes you need, then submit.
Questions on reconciling? Accounting Office, (208) 496-1997, expensereports@byui.edu.
Who to call for help
Start with your ADI. For the specifics, BYU-Idaho Travel has a team for each part:
- Spend Authorizations — Travel Administration, (208) 496-1974 or (208) 496-1975, traveladmin@byui.edu
- Booking hotels & flights — Procurement, Travel, and Contract Services, (208) 496-2340, traveloffice@byui.edu
- Expense reports & reconciling — Accounting Office, (208) 496-1997, expensereports@byui.edu
- Emergencies — (208) 496-TRIP (8747), or call your ADI.
You'll find more detail and quick-reference guides on the BYU-Idaho Travel site.