Direct Travel

Columbia University has partnered with Direct Travel (DT) to support faculty, staff, students, and affiliates with business travel arrangements in accordance with University travel policies, preferred suppliers, and cost-management guidelines.

Direct Travel provides the following:

Self-service booking through the Concur Travel Online Booking Tool (OBT)
Agent-assisted reservations by phone
Air, rail, hotel, and car rental bookings
Itinerary management and e-ticket issuance

To book travel through Direct Travel, travelers must maintain an up-to-date travel profile in Concur that includes required personal information.

When booking by phone, travelers and Travel Arrangers will be asked to provide their Columbia Employee ID number. This number can be found in your Concur profile and in PAC.

For information on booking fees, please refer to the Transaction Fee Chart for a complete list of business travel transaction fees associated with reservations made through Concur Travel or with a Direct Travel agent.

Hours of Operation

Columbia Dedicated Travel Team

Columbia University's dedicated Direct Travel agents are available:

Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. ET

(Excluding University holidays)

After-Hours Emergency Service

Direct Travel provides travel assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Calls received outside regular business hours, including weekends and holidays, are routed to Direct Travel's Emergency Service Center. A $25 after-hours service fee applies to each call.

Please have your Columbia Employee ID number available when contacting a Direct Travel agent.

Contact Direct Travel by Phone and Email

Within the United States: 888-352-8030

Outside the United States: 646-494-7335

For non-urgent travel inquiries, contact the Columbia University dedicated travel team at [email protected].

For urgent travel requests or immediate assistance, please call a Direct Travel agent.

Concur Travel Support

For assistance with navigation or technical issues within the Concur Travel Online Booking Tool call 800-999-7939 Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m. ET.

You may also submit a support request for assistance with the Concur Travel Online Booking Tool by emailing [email protected].

Travel Support & Convenience

24/7 Travel Support: Direct Travel provides assistance with changes, cancellations, and itinerary modifications when needed.
Centralized Travel Information: Itineraries and receipt information for air, rail, hotel, and car reservations booked through Concur Travel or Direct Travel are automatically available in Concur Expense.
Preferred Travel Options: Columbia's negotiated vendor discounts and preferred travel programs are available when booking through Concur Travel or Direct Travel.
Preferred Vendors: Preferred vendors are identified in Concur Travel with the designation "Preferred" displayed below the vendor's name.

University-Paid Travel

Central Pay: Air and rail reservations booked through Concur Travel or Direct Travel using the Central Pay method are paid directly by the University, eliminating the need for the traveler to pay out of pocket.

International Travel Support & Protection

Crisis24 Travel Monitoring: International travel booked through Concur Travel or Direct Travel is automatically registered with Crisis24 for itinerary monitoring. Travelers can receive pre-trip destination advisories and real-time alerts for their destination countries.
International Travel Insurance: Crisis24 partners with Zurich to provide health insurance for Columbia affiliates on official international Columbia-related Travel and travelers are registered for international Travel Insurance coverage through Zurich. Visit International Travel to learn more about Crisis24 and Zurich.

Travel Accident Insurance

Air or rail travel booked through Concur Travel or Direct Travel using the Central Pay method includes Travel Accident Insurance provided through third-party providers of Bank of America.

For information about coverage, including policy inclusions and exclusions, please refer to the Bank of America Description of Coverage.

Additional Airline Benefits

Columbia's partnerships with select preferred airlines may provide additional benefits when eligible tickets are booked through Concur Travel or Direct Travel, including:

Fare Discounts: Discounts on most fare levels.
Name Change Option: For eligible wholly unused, nonrefundable tickets, a name change may be permitted for a nominal fee, allowing the remaining nonrefundable value to be used by another traveler within the department.
Preferred Seating: Access to select preferred seats, such as aisle, exit-row, or seats near the front of the aircraft, at no additional cost, when available.
Priority Boarding: Eligible Delta SkyMiles® members may receive priority boarding.

Benefits and eligibility may vary by airline, fare type, traveler status, and applicable program terms.

Columbia University has contracted with Direct Travel (DT) to assist Columbia travelers in making business travel arrangements, consistent with Columbia University’s travel policies, cost considerations, and preferences. Direct Travel services include self-service via the Concur Online Booking Tool (OBT) and assisted service over the phone via DT Travel Agents for reservations, including air, rail, lodging, and car rental, producing itineraries, e-tickets, and receipts. In order to book travel with DT, travelers must maintain a travel profile that contains personal information.

Direct Travel's privacy practices, including information on the collection, use, sharing, and protection of personal information, are available on the Direct Travel Privacy Notice page. Travelers may also review their privacy rights and submit privacy-related requests through Direct Travel's privacy rights portal.

1 About Direct Travel (DT)