The Controller’s Office is pleased to announce that FSU has transitioned from Concur Travel booking to Lightning, a modern booking platform designed to make university travel reservations easier and more efficient. This change reflects feedback from faculty and staff and supports a more streamlined booking experience.
Over the past several months, hundreds of campus users have been able to preview Lightning, participate in training, and provide valuable input. Their feedback directly shaped improvements to the rollout, and we will continue refining the experience as more travelers begin using Lightning. If you have additional feedback as you begin booking, please continue to share it with our team at travel@fsu.edu.
To support the transition, four Zoom training sessions were held with more than 400 employees attending, and additional in-person sessions are planned.
The Controller’s Office is pleased to announce that FSU has transitioned from Concur Travel booking to Lightning, a modern booking platform designed to make university travel reservations easier and more efficient. This change reflects feedback from faculty and staff and supports a more streamlined booking experience.
Over the past several months, hundreds of campus users have been able to preview Lightning, participate in training, and provide valuable input. Their feedback directly shaped improvements to the rollout, and we will continue refining the experience as more travelers begin using Lightning. If you have additional feedback as you begin booking, please continue to share it with our team at travel@fsu.edu.
To support the transition, four Zoom training sessions were held with more than 400 employees attending, and additional in-person sessions are planned.
New Features
Lightning offers several improvements designed around FSU’s travel needs:
- Book up to 9 travelers at once: Create a single reservation for faculty, staff, and guests, reducing the need for fragmented bookings.
- Flexible split payments: Assign different credit cards by traveler or group, making shared trips and guest travel easier to manage.
- Real-time frequent flyer perks: Traveler status is recognized and applied at booking, allowing eligible seat benefits and upgrades to appear automatically.
- Expanded seat selection: Purchase premium or extra legroom seats during checkout, including the option to use a personal card for non-reimbursable upgrades.
- Seamless unused ticket credits: Available credits appear during booking and can be applied directly without additional steps or phone calls.
What Remains the Same
Although the booking platform is changing, FSU’s travel policies, approval requirements, and support resources remain the same:
- FSU Travel Policies: University travel policies and approval workflows remain unchanged
- Concur: Concur will continue to be used for required Travel Request approvals and for processing Expense Reports after travel is complete.
- Dedicated Support: Travelers will continue to receive support from Collegiate Travel Planners (CTP), FSU’s trusted travel partner.
- Note on Local Carriers: Breeze Airways now operates out of Tallahassee; however, ultra-low-cost carriers are not integrated into Lightning because they do not provide the standard business travel protections, flexible change options, or direct CTP support required for university travel. Employees who choose to fly Breeze must book directly through the airline’s website and are responsible for managing any booking changes.
To learn more about Lightning, including quick start guides, user videos, FAQs, and upcoming in-person training sessions, please visit the Lightning Transition page.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact travel@fsu.edu.
This message to all faculty and staff has been approved by Michael Williams, Associate Vice President for Finance & Administration.
