Travel & Business Expense Reimbursement Policy
Reimbursable Expenses
 Airfare
Whenever possible, flights should be booked in advance to ensure lowest rate
Coach and/or lowest available price tickets will be reimbursed; ALKU does not
reimburse first class tickets
Consultants must directly contact ALKU regarding flight change fees.
One checked bag per flight will be reimbursed
Flights booked in advance may only be claimed on the expense report during
the week they are actually incurred
 Car Travel
Rental Cars
 Only economy class vehicle rentals will be reimbursed
 Full gas tank upon rental return is required
 Rental insurance is not covered by ALKU
Personal Vehicle: Consultants who use their personal vehicle for business
purposes may expense mileage according to the policy established by the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS). Mileage allowance is in lieu of actual expenses for
gasoline; therefore actual expenses for gas will not be reimbursed if a personal
vehicle is used for business. When logging this expense, consultants must track
mileage.
Gas: Normal and reasonable gas expenses will be reimbursed for rental cars.
Parking: Standard daily parking is reimbursable; valet parking is not
Cabs/Taxi Service: Cab fares are not reimbursable without the receipt;
discretionary cash tips will not be reimbursed
 Lodging
Hotels: Use corporate rates whenever available, otherwise reasonably priced
rooms in close proximity to the work site will be reimbursed.
 Meals: Personal meals are defined as meal expenses incurred by the traveler when dining
alone on an out of town business trip.
Meal charges may not exceed $50 per day.
 Breakfast: $10.00 maximum
 Lunch:
$15.00 maximum
 Dinner:
$25.00 maximum
Meal caps are not equivalent to per diem rates. Should the cost of a meal amount
to less than the cap, the consultant must input that amount onto the expense
report. If the cost of all three meals for a particular day amounts to less than $50,
only the total amount of all three meals may be claimed.
Itemized meal receipts must be submitted to receive reimbursement. Tips
included on the receipt will be reimbursed.
Room meal charges: room services charges, as well as any charges made from
room mini bar/hotel bar are not reimbursable.
Alcohol: One alcoholic beverage with dinner is acceptable and reimbursable.
Non-Reimbursable Expenses
 Personal items including, but not limited to:
hygiene products
cooking utensils
membership fees/dues
meal or travel charges for family members/guests
lost or stolen property
laundry
“no-show” charges for hotel or car service
Missing Receipts
 Receipts are required for all expenses for which the consultant wishes to be reimbursed.
The only exception to this policy is if the client has specified a per diem rate for meals.
 Hand-written or illegible receipts will not be accepted.
 Credit card statements in lieu of receipts will not be accepted.
Incorrect or Incomplete Expense Reports
 Expense reports that are incorrect, incomplete, or include disorganized receipts will be
returned to the consultant for completion and may result in delay or non-reimbursement
of specific items.
Reporting and Submission Guidelines
 Consultants must file expense reports no later than 30 days following the completion of
the trip or incurrence of the expense. Expenses submitted after the 30 day period will be
reimbursed at ALKU’s discretion.
 It is suggested that all consultants submit expenses with timesheet of corresponding week
to ensure timely reimbursement.
 The consultant’s manager must approve all expense reports. Only approved expense
reports will be reimbursed.
Note: ALKU strongly advises against using any sort of nonrefundable website when booking travel of
any kind (flight, hotel, and car). If there are any changes made to your assignment’s work schedule, a
project is cut short, or you are let go due to performance issues, we cannot guarantee that the fare will be
reimbursed.
2
The aforementioned policies and procedures are designed to act as a guideline for business
travel and expense reimbursements. They are based on practices employed by most
organizations and take into consideration reasonable and customary expenditures.