Booking your trip

Preparation for the trip

1. Greener travel with OsloMet - checklist for sustainability

   Before booking your trip - have you considered alternatives?

   Can you for example:

   • attend a digital meeting? 
   • follow a live event (streaming) or watch it digitally afterwards, if it is available?

   The above options contribute to reducing the amount of travel for OsloMet.

   This checklist is also useful when inviting guests, examiners, external researchers and lecturers who needs to travel to get to their assignment at OsloMet. 

   Is it a necessary journey? 

   E-mail, phone, and digital meetings through Teams and Zooms makes it easy to collaborate without traveling. Information and guidance for digital teaching. 

   Are there good alternatives to flying? 

   If the price of trains/buses is approximately equal to the flight price, environmentally friendly transport is recommended. 

   Check if you have the opportunity to merge several short journeys? 

   Can you merge partner collaboration with several people in the same region? For example, it is easier to get around by train if you can merge several meetings on the same journey on the European continent. Are you and your partners still going to the same seminar and can take the meetings there? Do you have research projects that can have a mix of physical travel and digital seminars? 

   Can you take the train getting there and fly on the return? 

   If OsloMet is to contribute to global sustainability goals, all small and large contributions count, and then taking the train even one way will almost half the travel emissions. 

   Can sensors/opponents/guest researchers avoid flying to meet at OsloMet? 

   Consider whether digital conference can replace the journey for one or more persons? Or at least for the one with the longest route. Avoid setting up internal meetings/seminars to locations you have to fly. 

   Prioritize public transport for local travels 

   Using public transport is the least expensive and most green form of travelling. If no public transport is available, feel free to book an electric car from OsloMet. We have 2 comfortable electric cars that are service vehicles available that are better for the environment and easier for you as you don't have to submit an expense report. If taxi is the only option, ask for an electric car or hybrid when booking. 

   Travel together

   When travelling where hiring a car is the only option, plan to drive together to save emissions. 

2. Travel checklist

   • Book your trip through your company's business travel agency. OsloMet uses Berg-Hansen.

   • Check current travel information for the countries you are travelling to.

   • Book flexible tickets that can be easily cancelled.

   • Rent a car or take public transport to your destination instead of flying.

   • Pack your personal protective equipment, disinfectant and wipes.

   • Send a copy of your itinerary to your family or friends in the event of an emergency.

   • Update your personal data in your profile with the business travel agency.

   • Bring a medicine card with information about blood type, allergies, medications you use, and emergency contact information.

   • Make sure your phone is approved for international roaming and add local emergency numbers to your contact list. Check with OsloMet's IT service desk that your phone is approved for use in the country that you are travelling to.

   • Ask the travel agency if any new travel safety protocols have been introduced

   • Make sure that you receive notifications via your mobile app about any travel changes

   • Don't be afraid to consult your travel agency if it's something you're unsure about or that worries you, they're there to help you! Make sure you know how to contact your travel agency in the event of a problem during your travels

   • Please get a travel PC when going to high risk areas (nettskjema.no).

   Berg-Hansen telephone: +47 20 02 45 50

   Berg Hansen e-mail: kundeservice@berg-hansen.no

3. Travel approval

   All trips must be pre-approved by your immediate manager.

   How to make a travel application

   Read about how you can handel travel applications and travel expenses in SAP portal.

4. Check and update your profile with the travel agency: Berg-Hansen

   You have a profile with Berg-Hansen travel agency. Before booking your first trip please:

   Update your profile with your personal information

   • Enter your credit card details
   • Apply here if you need a credit card.
   • Fill in passport information before booking international travel - this will make booking faster. Make sure that the name in the profile matches the name in your passport
   • If the name is wrong, contact your departmental contact for payroll matters to correct your name. This will be updated in SAP and Berg-Hansen's booking system the next day.

   Check your profile here. Use your OsloMet username and password.

   Outside OsloMet/campus?

   If you are outside Met/campus, log on to your computer with VPN. See guidelines for VPN here.

5. Methods of payment

   Credit card

   Your travel expenses are charged to the credit card registered to your travel profile in the travel agency. The first time you book a trip, you must enter your credit card details. If you need a business card, apply for a credit card here.

   Paying for travels with invoice

   If, for very special reasons, you cannot or do not want to use a credit card for paying for your travels, you must apply for an invoice profile with the travel agent well in advance of the first booking so that an invoice can be sent for the trip.

   Apply for invoice profile

   • Fill out the invoice profile application form (.doc)

   • The form must be signed by the nearest manager with budget allocation authority (BDM)

   • Send the application form to reiseportal@oslomet.no.

   "Book-now-pay-later" business card agreement

   The Corporate Eurocard that OsloMet has a business card agreement with comes with the "Pay later" or "Book-now-pay-later" function.

   This means that the payment for the trip can be postponed up to 120 days for a fee of NOK 80 if you book long before the trip is to take place.

   Travel advances

   Travel advances should in theory not be necessary. Contact a finances co-worker if you are wondering whether you may apply in advance.

   However, if a travel advance is absolutely necessary, it should preferably only cover the actual cost you are faced with upon booking, such as registration for seminars that require online payment by credit card, hotel expenses abroad or car rental.

   The advance is entered into the travel application in the SAP portal.

6. Download the travel app

   Before you travel, it is a good idea to download the app from our travel agency so that you bring your tickets and all the travel information you need.

   1. Log into Webgate, Berg-Hansen's online booking portal, from your computer the first time:

   • Webgate - onlinebestilling
   • In the profile, under your name at the top right you will find your user name. Make note of the user name, 7 digits.

   2. Download the Berg-Hansen app

   • Download the app from App Store for iOS or
   • Download the app from Google Play for Android

   3. Logg on to the app

   Your OsloMet login does not work on the app, but you have to make your own password for first time use in the app together with your 7-digit user name that you found in your profile via your computer.

   Set up your own password for the app

   • Enter 7-digit user name
   • Press "Forgot username and/or password"
   • Follow the instructions sent by e-mail
   • Set new password in the app.

   Do you need help?

   Contact Berg-Hansen 

   • Phone: +47 21024550
   • E-mail: kundeservice@berg-hansen.no
   • Contact persons for business travel (login required).

7. Travel insurance

   Your travel insurance follows the credit card used for payment of the trip. You can apply for different credit cards.

   Read more about travel insurance and other insurances for services.

8. Use of private car

   Use of private cars must be approved before the trip begins. On a general basis, private cars should only be used if considered an advantage for the employer in terms of costs and time.

   The right to use your private car and to get remuneration for travel expenses during the trip (most affordable public transport), only applies to domestic trips of short distances. The remuneration is calculated as the lowest price of bus / tram, train or shuttle boat.

   See also rent a car.

9. Car rental

   See information about car rental under "Preparation for the trip", "Book your trip" and in "Travel policy for OsloMet".