Planning a Trip

A core component of RoboJackets is travel to events and competition. This article targeted at Project Managers to assist them in understanding the steps and policy around planning a trip.

Before you Book

Budgeting for Travel

All trips, including an accurate account of all expected expenses, shall be included on the project budget in each annual proposal. This budget might include, but is not necessarily limited to, line items for the following expenses:

• Competition Registration
• Primary Transportation (I.e. A flight or long drive)
• Secondary Transportation (I.e. Rental car or train after a flight)
• Gas
• Baggage Fees for bags containing RoboJackets property (If flying)
• Customs / Duty Fees (I.e. An ATA Carnet)
• Lodging
• Trip contribution from members (represent as a negative amount)

You should not budget for any of the following:

• Meals or Snacks
• Baggage fees for personal luggage (Unless personal luggage allowances were displaced by RoboJackets bags)
• Anything else listed under the prohibited allocations

TODO: Add How to budget for these line items

Gathering Interest

As early as feasible, PMs should solicit interest in attending competition from members. The form should contain critical information on the trip (including dates) and at least the following questions:

1. Are you interested in attending competition?

• Yes, Maybe, no

1. Are you available to attend competition?

• Definitely, Probably, Probably not, No

It is frequently wise to ask additional questions to help select attendees. Examples of additional questions include:

• What subteam are you on?
• How many years have you been in RoboJackets?
• How long have you been at GT?
• How many times have you been to competition before?

Picking Who Will Attend

The final decision as to who will attend a competition is left to the Project Manager. The final number attending competition should be based on the expected attendance from the proposal, adjusted in response to any significant changes in prices.

When selecting a group, it is important to bring as diverse a group as possible. Ideally, it will include members from all disciplines (Software, Electrical, Mechanical) and it will include members from all age groups, including 1st year members. Competition is regularly cited by older members as the moment when RoboJackets became their passion, so it can be a good way to prepare new members. Finally, all team members must be eligible per the RoboJackets Travel policy

Additionally, priority should be given to current and future team leadership (if known).

Once the list is chosen, personally invite each member. Avoid sending out a list or reading names at a meeting. Be prepared to contact alternates as necessary.

At this point, collect all necessary information from the travelers. Depending on the nature of the trip, the information may vary. Additionally, depending on your mode of transportation or competition registration system, it may not be possible to change the travelers after the date of commitment. Provide information on the cost of a given trip prior to this point in the process.

Common Questions

• How do I know if we should fly or drive?
  • First, you can look to previous year for precedent. Second, consider if the cargo can all be carried on an airplane (Consider size and chemical composition). Finally, if Flying and Driving Remain an option, drive for trips under 650 miles and fly for trips over 650 miles. This is a loose guideline, and depending on flight and fuel costs, you can decide to justify either decision.
• When do we book a rental car vs using a personal vehicle?
  • For out of state trips, it is preferable to use rental cars to reduce risk or burden on an individual member. For in-state trips, generally advisable to use personal vehicles to reduce the workload of leadership.

Making Reservations

Flights

Ground Transportation

See Rental Cars Trains (Europe/Asia)

Lodging

RoboJackets uses all available resources to find the most ideal housing situation for members. In the past, teams have stayed in hotels, hostels, and AirBnBs. Hotel reservations should be made as early as feasible, which is typically as soon as it is known how many people will attend the trip.

Hotels

RoboJackets typically seeks mid-grade hotels that feature breakfast. A typical room will have two queen beds and will hold four members. Additionally, consider booking suites if they allow getting a lower price/person ratio. It is not advisable to put more than 2 people per bed per room.

Examples of mid-grade hotels include, but are not limited to, La Quinta, Hampton Inn, and Holiday inn. Cost can vary widely based on location, so review financial records from previous years to estimate cost.

While the use of third party booking tools, such as Expedia and Booking.com may assist in finding properties, there are significant risks to using these services. At a minimum, they rarely guarantee room type (kind vs 2 queen). Since you do not have a contract directly with the property, dispute resolution is very difficult. Therefore, using these services should be avoided when feasible.

Hostels

When traveling abroad, it may be most cost effective to stay in a hostel. For larger groups (8+ people) it is usually worthwhile to email the hostel to negotiate a group rate. Sometimes if at a small hostel and traveling with a larger group, you may be able to negotiate renting the entire hostel. Be aware the some hostels may require wiring money for a deposit. This is something we can do, but use extreme caution. Also be aware that many hostels cannot accept credit cards.

If the hostel does not feature breakfast, but does have a communal kitchen, save money by going to a grocery store and making breakfast. Typically RoboJackets will pay for the food initially and then get reimbursed after the fact.

AirBnB

AirBnBs are rapidly becoming the easiest way to house a medium number of people on a trip and can be more comfortable than a hotel or hostel. Since AirBnB accounts must be tied to an individual person, it is not possible for RoboJackets to book an a central account. Any member attending the trip may use a personal account to make the reservation, to be paid via RoboJackets card or reimbursement. RoboJackets claims no responsibility for damage to a member's AirBnB reputation, though this has not been an issue in the past.

In the event that robots or equipment will be stored in the AirBnB that is a shared home, there should be facilities to secure RoboJackets property.

International Travel

International travel adds additional steps and risks to a trip that must be addressed to ensure a safe and successful journey.

GT Travel Authority Request Form

When traveling internationally, GT requires all travelers complete a Travel Authority Request form (TAR) and complete the International Questionnaire contained within that document. The TAR form can be obtained from ME Finances or our designated administrative assistant. This form will need to be signed by each traveler, so it is important to start this process before purchasing plane tickets and the end of the school year (for summer trips).

Passports & Visas

For all international trips, all travelers are required to have a valid passport. Many countries require 6 months of validity beyond the planned return date, so be sure to check the policies of the destination countries well in advance.

If a country requires a visa for entry, it may be necessary to present an invitation letter from competition. Contact the competition organizers if you have questions. Additionally, since GT is an international community, be sure to check the requirements for the countries of the passports held by each member. It is unlikely that all travelers will have a U.S. passport.

Import/Export

Due to the high value of the robots and equipment taken to competition, it may be necessary to declare their value. Check the regulations of your destination country for details. When determining the value being imported, limits are typically by person, so if the pelican cases are each below the individual limit, then declaration is not necessary.

For many countries, it is necessary to declare the goods with an ATA Carnet, also known as a "passport for goods". The ATA Carnet is a packet of documents that will be completed by customs officials whenever you enter or leave a country. This paperwork demonstrates to customs officials that you re-exported the goods that you imported and as such are not subject to import duties.

Transiting a Country

Depending on the flight itinerary, it may be necessary to transit a country. Transiting a country is defined as disembarking an aircraft, spending time in the "transit area" of the airport (The area "behind" customs) and leaving the country without clearing customs at the country you visited. For example, taking a flight from Atlanta to Tokyo via Toronto would result in transiting in Toronto. Since it is not necessary to clear customs in Toronto, it isn't necessary to complete any customs forms or pay any duties.

However, some airports, such as Mexico City, do not have a transit area and will require travelers to clear customs prior to connecting. In these instances, it is necessary to review the customs regulations of the connecting country. If travelling with an ATA Carnet, it will be necessary to request additional foils to clear customs.

When planning travel, effort should be taken to avoid connecting via airports without a transit area. Each time a traveler clears customs (and then goes through security again) provides risk that some of our items, such as Li-Po Batteries, will be confiscated.

Currency Conversion

Sometimes competitions or accommodations require RoboJackets to pay in cash of a foreign currency. In the event this is necessary, RoboJackets should use a foreign ATM to withdraw money at the best possible conversion rate. It is inadvisable to convert the money prior to departing, due to the bad exchange rates in the U.S. and the risks of carrying large quantities of cash.

In the event that RoboJackets receives cash in a foreign currency (Such as prize money), all efforts to sell the currency to RoboJackets members on the trip at market rates should be made. If RoboJackets is planning to visit that country again within ~14 months, it is acceptable to retain the foreign cash currency.