Clark Paulsen, Division Chief
On-Line Air Reservations
ResX allows travelers to make airline reservations only, bypassing the screens for rental car and hotel reservations. (If you are in need of both a car and/or hotel, you can still use this screen - see the travel wizard below...)
Login to ResX
An employee must have a personal ResX account before ResX can be accessed and used. For instructions on how to request a ResX account, click here.
To begin, open ResX by clicking on the icon in the left margin or by logging in at https://www.resx.com/login/sw_caltrans/
Enter the following information and then click the GO button.
| Employee ID: | Employee ID number (without the 's') |
| Password: | Personal password |
After the traveler logs in, a Welcome page will appear. The Welcome page references general Department travel policies, instructions, and refers the user to the Caltrans Travel Guide and ResX reference information, click continue to gain access to the Home page.
Reservations
The Home Page defaults to the round trip air screen; this is the starting point for creating a reservation.
From this screen, a traveler may:
- View the Department's travel policies (top right side, click Travel Policy Summary).
- Review and/or change Travel Preferences (to request refundable or non-refundable tickets)
- View an Interactive Map to choose departure and destination to most major cities
- View their Trip List to review Pending and Archive trips, edit, and cancel reservations.
- Update their Profile (middle gray tab above Travel Policy Summary)
- Make roundtrip, one-way, or multiple cities travel arrangements. (This can include air, car and hotel at the same time.)
Note: If you require a car, check Include Car; if no car is required do not check box. If Include Car is checked, another box will appear based on air search criteria.
The ResX system's standard practice is to automatically select the rental car pick up/drop off times and dates based on your flight schedule. If your business needs require you to select pick up/drop off times other than those automatically selected by the ResX system, while making your reservation un-check the "Based On Air Search Criteria" and select pick up/drop off times based upon your needs. Once the itinerary is satisfactory, submit your request for approval.
If you require a hotel check Include Hotel. If no Hotel is required do not check box. If Include Hotel is checked, another box will appear based on air search criteria. If you require a hotel in a different city or require alternate check-in/out date's un-check based on air search criteria and ResX will allow you to make the necessary modifications. If you want to restrict the search of the database by selecting specific parameters scroll down to Hotel Travel Preferences.
Enter Travel Plans
On the Air Home screen the traveler should respond to the hypothetical question "What are your travel plans?" by following the directions below:
- From: Enter the departure city name or airport code (e.g. Sacramento or SMF).
- To: Enter the arrival city name or airport code (e.g. Los Angeles or LAX).
- Departure Date: Enter the departure date (i.e. mm/dd/yy) or click the calendar tool and select the specific date.
- Time: Click the pull down arrows to select the departure and return times. Both departure and return times default to depart airport time; this may be changed to arrival time.
- Return Date: Enter the return date.
- Time: Click the pull down arrows to select the departure and return times. Both departure and return times default to depart airport time; this may be changed to arrival time.
- At this time you can select 'Include Car" and/or "Include Hotel".
- Click either the SEARCH BY PRICE or SEARCH BY SCHEDULE button.
The Search by Price function will find the least expensive airfare based on the indicated travel dates and times.
The Search by Schedule function will provide a list of departure and return flights from which to choose. If using this option, specific flights must be selected for both departure and return.
ResX may prompt the user to verify a city or airport requested. If so, the user will be required to select the airport from a list of possible choices. Click the Use as Default field to add the airport to the traveler's profile for use in the future.
- Itinerary Preferences: The default search is a non-refundable fare. To select a State or refundable fare, click Travel Preferences. Travelers can limit the search to refundable fares for the trip in process by deselecting the "Accept Non-Refundable Fares" option.
- Click the Search button to proceed.
Itinerary Choice
After the traveler has completed his or her airline reservation request, ResX will advance to the Itinerary Choice screen. The traveler may select one (1) of the following two (2) choices:
- View suggested itinerary:
Selecting this option will allow ResX to suggest an itinerary based on the traveler's travel preferences. ResX defaults to this option. Click on CONTINUE to proceed to the next screen. - Create an itinerary by selecting options:
The traveler builds the itinerary by selecting one of several suggested itineraries or by selecting individual trip segments. Selecting this option and clicking CONTINUE will bring up the Priced Air Itineraries screen.
On the Priced Air Itineraries screen, ResX will suggest several itineraries that may meet the user's needs.
If the suggested itineraries do not meet the traveler's need, the traveler may click VIEW FLIGHT SCHEDULES and view available flights and prices. In this screen, the traveler is required to select a departure and return flight. Select the desired flights and click PRICE OPTION. ResX will price the selection and will allow the user an opportunity to make changes. Clicking PRICED ITINERARIES on this screen will return the traveler to the Priced Air Itineraries screen.
Click Select by the desired itinerary and ResX will advance to the next screen.
Suggested Itinerary
At the Suggested Itinerary screen, the traveler may (a) review the itinerary prior to purchasing and (b) make changes to or add individual segments (Air, Car, or Hotel). If any of the suggested segments do not meet the traveler's business needs, click the "More Options" button next to each segment.
Once the itinerary is satisfactory, the traveler may save the itinerary for future completion or choose to complete the request for forwarding to the supervisor (trip authorizer) for approval.
- Save Research:
To save the flight options go to the Shopping Cart (top left of the screen), enter a Trip Name and click Save Research. Saving an itinerary does not reserve any segment of the trip; it only saves the information for future completion. Fares and availability are subject to change until the trip is actually reserved.
The traveler can retrieve the saved trip by clicking TRIP LIST on the Home page. Locate the trip from the Trip Research list and click View to continue with the request or delete to remove. - SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL:
Selecting SUBMIT FOR APPROVAL will make all reservations requested and ResX will advance to the Reporting Information screen.
Reporting Information
All reservation requests require cost coding. It is the traveler's responsibility to enter correct cost coding information to be used to record travel expenditures. To ensure accurate expenditure reporting, it is critical that accurate information is entered in the following fields:
- Larger Car Justification: Applicable if a car larger than a standard vehicle was selected.
- Source District.
- Source Unit.
- Charge District.
- Expenditure Authorization.
- Respond to "Are you conducting business outside of California?" by selecting NO or YES as
appropriate.
If conducting out-of-state travel, the traveler is required to fax an approved Form FA0257, "Request for Approval of Out-of-State Travel", to the Division of Accounting at (916) 227-8662 when the reservation is made. - Subjob (if applicable).
- Special Designation (if applicable).
- Purpose of Trip.
- Trip Authorizer.
Trip Authorizer
The traveler must select a trip authorizer to approve the trip request. The traveler may scroll through the trip authorizer list to find and select their supervisor/manager. The list of trip authorizers is sorted by first name. If the traveler's supervisor is not on the list, contact Katie Kennedy at (916) 227-8652 or email her at katie_kennedy@dot.ca.gov.
Once the trip authorizer is selected, click the CONTINUE button.
Billing Information
All airfare is charged to the Department's American Express Business Travel Account -
The Department of Transportation
1820 Alhambra Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95816
The screen also provides space to provide any additional information or instructions to the travel agent purchasing the airfare.
Click the CONTINUE button to proceed.
Itinerary Submitted to Supervisor for Approval
This is the final screen. Travelers may name the trip for tracking purposes. Click Change Name when the specific trip name is entered.
If the traveler needs to modify the itinerary to include a rental car or hotel reservation, he or she may click the Add Car or Add Hotel icons just above the airline reservation information. Additional information regarding rental car and hotel reservations is available in Rental Car Reservations and Hotel Reservations.
ResX will send an e-mail to the selected trip authorizer requesting approval of the traveler's trip request. A copy of the e-mail is sent to the traveler. The e-mail generated by ResX has an e-mail address of system.email. The e-mail will be sent to the e-mail addresses listed in the traveler's and the trip authorizer's profiles.
The e-mail that the trip authorizer receives notifies him or her that a trip has been requested, summarizes the traveler's itinerary, and provides links to either approve or deny the request. When the trip authorizer responds to the trip request, another e-mail will be sent to both the traveler and the trip authorizer indicating that the trip was approved or denied.
Please Note: All ticket requests submitted through ResX have to be approved or canceled by 4:45 p.m. the same business day. Caltrans travel counselors at Brooke's Travel, Inc. are available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. If the request is not approved or cancelled, the airline carrier will cancel the ticket request and a penalty is incurred. It is the traveling employee's (or their travel planner's) responsibility to ensure ticket requests are either approved or canceled the same business day.
Approved Trip
If the trip is approved, the Department's travel agency finalizes the request and e-mails the traveler the final trip itinerary.
Denied Trip
If the trip is denied, a denial does not cancel an itinerary. The traveler must logon to ResX and cancel the trip under "Pending Trip".
Change or Cancel Reservations
Travelers may be required to either change or cancel reservations due to changing circumstances. All changes or cancellations must be made either on-line through ResX or by contacting the Department's travel agency. Caltrans travel counselors at Brooke's Travel, Inc. are available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Employees must not make changes directly with the airlines.
How do I change a reservation if I have not received the final itinerary?
To change/cancel a reservation before the finalized itinerary is issued by the Department's travel agency,
- Logon to ResX
- Select Trip List
- Select View to modify the request
How do I cancel a reservation if I have not received the final itinerary?
Prior to receiving the final itinerary from the Department's travel agency:
- Logon to ResX
- Select Trip List
- Select Cancel Reservation beside the appropriate trip under "Pending Trips"
Once an itinerary has been issued, all cancellations will need to be made through Brooke's Travel, Inc. either by email: CaltransTravelHel@statetravel.net or phone at (916) 612-6105 or (877) 612-6105 or by fax at 916) 442-3716 to make changes to your reservations. Caltrans travel counselors at Brooke's Travel, Inc. are available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday through Friday.
During the Trip
To change a return flight when work was completed or a meeting ended early, the traveler must contact Brooke's Travel, Inc. either by email: CaltransTravelHel@statetravel.net or phone at (916) 612-6105 or (877) 612-6105 to make changes to your reservations.
This should be done prior to leaving for the airport. With sufficient notice, Brooke's Travel, Inc. will complete the changes prior to the traveler arriving at the airport and will bill any additional charges to the State. The traveler will not be charged directly for any additional service or upgrade fees. Travelers must not make changes directly with the airlines.
Airline Reservations Required In Emergencies
An after-hour and weekend service is available for use in emergency situations only. Caltrans is charged a higher service fee for this service; therefore, it is only to be used in true emergencies. Employees who incur these fees may be liable to reimburse the Department for the difference in service fee if the last minute travel arrangements are a result of the failure to plan in advance.
- For emergency/weekend service request:
Fax an approved Request for Travel Ticket, Form FA0008 to Brooke's Travel, Inc. at (916) 442-3716 then call Brooke's Travel, Inc. at (877) 612-6105 for assistance/follow-up. The next working day an approved "Request for Travel Ticket" form, FA0008, must be faxed to the Travel Policy Section at (916) 227-8662. An explanation detailing why the airfare was not requested during regular business hours must be included. - Supervisor unavailable for approval during emergency/weekend travel ticket request
If you are unable to have a supervisor approve your air ticket request via email or through fax, you will need to provide the travel agency with a personal credit card number and the cost for the air ticket will be billed to it. You will be reimbursed for the travel cost via the Travel Expense Claim process (also requiring supervisory approval).
Designating a Travel Planner
The Travel Planners category allows the traveler to view and designate travel planners authorized to make travel arrangements on his or her behalf. When designating a travel planner, the traveler must designate an individual who has an established ResX account. For more information on Travel Planners click here.
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This page last updated: 3 February, 2010 7:34 AM