Full-Service Travel Management Company
The University of Illinois System has contracted with Anthony Travel, a national leader in higher education travel, for all university funded business travel needs including air, hotel, car rental and more. Employees have the option of working directly with one of our dedicated travel consultants or accessing iTravel which is backed by the software that powers the industry's most comprehensive and innovative online travel booking tool.
iTravel Online Booking Tool
If you are a travel arranger for other employees or guests to the university, email the UPAY Travel Management Office at tmo@uillinois.edu and request travel arranger permissions. After travel arranger permissions are granted, an employee can add you as a Travel Arranger in their iTravel profile so you can book travel on their behalf. Please refer to Arranging Employee Travel Job Aids for details.
iTravel is integrated with the University’s single sign-on authentication process so employees’ access iTravel with their Net ID and password. Employees may assign travel arrangers, add frequent traveler program numbers, seat preferences, passport information, etc., to their individual profile. This information will automatically populate into reservations booked online and assists Anthony Travel agents in providing better service to system travelers.
Job Aids
Benefits of iTravel and Anthony Travel
- Travel industry experts exclusively dedicated to the University of Illinois System.
- Waived transaction fees for travel arrangements made online or with a full-service agent.
- 24/7 online access to user-friendly iTravel, configured to accommodate the System’s travel policy.
- Ability to book for other department members as travel arrangers/assistants.
- Support for reservations made online or with a full-service agent.
- Access to discounts offered by National/Enterprise Car Rental and Club Quarters Hotels (University membership).
- Savings negotiated and obtained due to long-standing vendor relationships, such as discounted room rates, avoided cancellation fees, and complimentary upgrades.
- Discounted hotel rates through ABC-CCRA Premier, the largest hotel program in the world with 53,000+ properties in 185 countries.
- Group travel discounts and benefits, including deposit waivers, free name changes, preferred status on airline group desks, and delayed ticketing deadlines.
- Streamlining labor required by system staff to secure group hotel contracts and mitigating risks associated with agreements.
- Ability to change names on all tickets for a $100 fee with United airlines.
- Maintains profiles for individual travelers listing the traveler's preferences for seats, hotel and car rental, and frequent travel program numbers.
- Proactive management of unused airline tickets. Traveler profiles automatically populated with unused ticket information and alerts travelers of the unused ticket(s) when making future airline reservations.
- Takes every reasonable step to transfer unused non-refundable tickets issued to non-system employees into airline vouchers for the system.
- Fly America Act consultation and informing travelers of visa, passport and health requirements for international travel. In emergency situations, assistance will also be provided to obtain a new or renewal passport.
- Travel assistance provided 24 hours/7 days per week/365 days a year through a tiered support system.
- iTravel training and support through in-person and webinar sessions.
Cancelling Trips / Redeeming Unused Airline Tickets
When an employee purchases an airline ticket for business travel from Anthony Travel and the trip is cancelled, the airline reservation must be cancelled prior to departure. When the reservation is cancelled prior to departure and the purchased airline ticket is non-refundable, it will be held in the employee's profile and may be applied as a credit toward future business travel. When the airline ticket is refundable and cancelled prior to departure, a credit will be applied to the card used to purchase the ticket.