WELCOME
UMCG
BOOK A TRIP
Gray Dawes Travel supports you in booking your business trips. Before you can start using the portal, you first need to create a traveller’s profile. Once you have done that, Gray Dawes Travel will have access to all the necessary details, and you can then use the online travel request form to request a booking. Without a traveller’s profile, the travel request form cannot be processed. If you already have a profile you can login here.
As soon as you have completed the online travel request form, it will be sent to Gray Dawes’s Travel Consultants. You will subsequently receive tailor-made advice and several options by email. In the event of complicated requests, you can also contact our Travel Consultants by email or telephone. If your request is urgent, we recommend that you always contact us by phone.
Business travel also contributes significantly to our CO2 emissions, especially when aircrafts are used during the trip. That is why it is good to look at possible alternatives before you book. A good guideline is: does the journey by public transport take less than 6 hours or is the distance less than 700 km? Then the train is the best option!
Additional information
UMCG's travel guidelines and principles
Click here for UMCG’s travel guidelines and principles.
Visa requests
Frequent Flyer program
Name
Please note that the name on the card should always fully correspond with the name in the reservation. If there is any deviation, points will not be registered. If this is the case, we recommend that you contact the airline. You can contact KLM’s Frequent Flyer helpdesk on +31 20 4309 898.
MinBuza.nl (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Dutch Coordination Centre for Traveller's Advice
Here you can find information on health-related topics for travel abroad, such as a list of standard vaccinations required per country. http://www.lcr.nl
F.A.Q.
What do we mean by ‘foreign business trip’?
A business-related trip for your work outside the Netherlands, with optional extra components such as accommodation and transport. Rules and regulations apply to foreign business trips. You can find these on the UMCG travel portal on the intranet.
Is it obligatory for me to reserve my foreign business trip via Gray Dawes Travel (the online form on the intranet)?
What are the benefits of booking via Gray Dawes Travel?
Can I also contact Gray Dawes Travel by telephone to request my business trip?
No. Requests are always made in writing. If you are short of time, you can ask someone else to request the trip for you (see answer to question 16).
What happens if I book my trip through another travel agency?
In that case, different principles and guidelines will apply.
Can I receive an advance for my foreign business trip?
No, advances are no longer provided. If you book your trip via VCK Travel, the invoice will be sent to UMCG and the costs will be charged to the cost centre/project code or personal/position-related budget you have indicated.
Are there any expenses I need to cover personally?
The expenses you may claim are outlined in the travel principles and guidelines. Any other expenses are at your own cost.
Does UMCG make use of savings programmes?
Yes, for its business customers, UMCG participates in the savings programmes of KLM and Lufthansa. For each booking with these airlines, UMCG receives points. These points do not affect the savings programmes of individual travellers. After the first six months of 2019, UMCG will evaluate how many points have been saved and how the proceeds will be spent.
About Gray Dawes Travel
How do I book a foreign business trip via Gray Dawes Travel?
Go to the UMCG intranet and then to the UMCG travel portal. Click on ‘foreign business trips’. You will then get to Gray Dawes Travel’s UMCG site. Here you will find the travel request form you can use to request a booking.
Why do I need to create a profile?
Each traveller needs to create a profile under ‘Profiles’ before a request form can be processed. This profile is necessary because it contains all personal details required to make a booking. You only need to do this once. The system will remember your details. ‘Profiles’ starts with a screen containing ‘Umbrella Faces’. Accept the terms and conditions, first by checking the box and then by clicking on the ‘accept’ button. You may only use an email address ending in @umcg.nl or @lifelines.nl.
What types of bookings can I arrange through the request form?
You can use the form to arrange your journey (single or return), accommodation, and car rental.
I always travel first class/business class. Can I still do this?
See the principles and guidelines and question 14.
If I book trips through Gray Dawes Travel, will I still be able to make use of personal savings programmes, such as KLM’s Flying Blue Miles?
Yes, you can. In ‘Profiles’ you can add your personal account number to your profile. You will then save your own points, which you can use yourself. See also the answer to question 8.
What kind of extra wishes can I fill in on the travel request form?
Bearing in mind the principles and travel guidelines, you can add any specific wishes to the form. VCK Travel will take them into account and will send you two options by e-mail.
What if I don’t like some parts of the proposal made?
You can always discuss the options with VCK Travel. If you are unhappy about the service provided, you can submit a complaint through the Service Line (12345).
Can I ask someone else to make the request on my behalf?
Yes. The person sending in the request does not have to be the traveller, but the traveller will bear ultimate responsibility for the request.
Can the online travel request form of Gray Dawes Travel be used by every employee?
Yes. All employees can request trips themselves. Of course, you should discuss your trip beforehand with your immediate superior or budget owner.
Could my partner book exactly the same trip via Gray Dawes Travel at their own cost?
No, Gray Dawes Travel is a business travel agency. You will need to book the trip for your partner via a different travel agency.
Can I use my (extra) personal/position-related budget for booking through Gray Dawes Travel?
Yes, you can use your (extra) personal/position-related budget for this. The invoice will then be paid by UMCG and will be taken off the balance of your (extra) personal/position-related budget. If the balance is insufficient, the remaining costs will be deducted from your next salary payment.
Small print
How does Gray Dawes Travel deal with my personal details?
In accordance with the GDPR, Gray Dawes Travel is obliged to deal responsibly with personal data. Without your explicit consent, your email address will not be used for newsletters and you will not receive ‘news alerts’ from the travel agency.
What are the contractual agreements between UMCG and Gray Dawes Travel?
Gray Dawes Travel organises foreign business trips for UMCG at rates that are as economically beneficial as possible, taking into account the nature of the request. For its services, Gray Dawes Travel receives a predetermined fee.
May Gray Dawes Travel refuse a request for a foreign business trip?
If Gray Dawes Travel receives what seems to be an excessive request, VCK Travel will discuss it with its central contact at UMCG.
When and how will Gray Dawes Travel send me my travel documents?
You will receive your documents, such as tickets and hotel/rental vouchers, by email.
What if anything needs be changed unexpectedly?
If any changes need to be made after the reservation has been completed, you can contact Gray Dawes Travel directly. The relevant contact details can be found on your travel documents. You can reach VCK Travel 24 hours a day.
What will Gray Dawes Travel do in case of emergencies?
Gray Dawes Travel has what is known as a ‘Duty of Care’ obligation. This means that, in the event of an emergency, Gray DawesTravel will inform the central contact at UMCG by means of a news alert.
Are my business trips insured via UMCG?
Yes, the liability insurance automatically provides coverage. However, for coverage under the travel insurance, prior registration is required. If you book through Gray Dawes Travel, it may seem like everything is arranged, but that is not the case. Even when booking via Gray Dawes Travel, you must register the business trip. On the travel insurance page, you will also find useful information for your trip, such as the emergency center’s phone number.
Why do we have ‘travel guidelines’ rather than a ‘travel policy’?
Guidelines allow room for a dialogue between employees and their manager/budget owner. This underlines the organisation’s confidence that employees and managers will make appropriate financial decisions in the interest of UMCG. The guidelines are derived from UMCG policy, collective labour agreements, and government stipulations. In consultation with your manager or budget owner, you are free to decide how to apply them to your trip.
Which internet browsers should I use to be able to book my trip?
Profiles and the Travel request form work with the internet browsers of Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 11. Older versions do not work or work poorly.
PROFILES
At Gray Dawes Travel, we take data privacy very seriously, which is why we hold ISO 27001 certification. In our Profiles tool, you can manage traveller profiles yourself, and you are independent of your Travel Management Company (TMC) as you own this data. The profiles containing travellers’ personal details, including passport details, frequent flyer cards and credit card details, are fully encrypted, can be managed in real time and are always fully up to date, both online and offline.
You can find your traveller profile in the online booking tool.
CONTACT
| Address | Molenwerf 24 1014 BG Amsterdam |
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| Telephone |
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| Office hours | Monday to Friday 08.00 – 18.00 hrs | ||
| teamorion@gdg.travel |
24×7
All your bookings will be dealt with by our Travel Team . The team is available from Monday to Friday from 08:00 – 18:00 hours. Outside office hours, your call will be automatically transferred to our 24/7 service.
Gray Dawes Accelerates North American Growth with Acquisition of Executive Travel
A new chapter in our global growth story… We’re delighted to announce our acquisition of Executive Travel, one of the USA’s most respected corporate travel management companies.
New MD Role for Dave Bishop
Following our acquisition of VCK Travel at the start of this year, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Gray Dawes Group COO, Dave Bishop, as Managing Director of our Netherlands-based operation.
European Expansion
As part of our strategic global growth plans, Gray Dawes Group has acquired the Netherlands based travel management business, VCK Travel. A well established powerhouse within the European business travel market, VCK Travel will further strengthen our ALWAYS ON global value proposition while also acting as a springboard for our expansion into Europe, providing huge benefits for all our clients.