How Locum Tenens Travel Works

At Weatherby Healthcare, the comfort of our locum tenens providers is important to us. Our travel team works day and night to make it as easy and stress free as possible, so you can focus on providing quality care for your patients once you arrive. Travel is included with every locums assignment, and there is no cost to you for these services.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series on how locum tenens travel and housing work. Jump to Part 2 to  learn more about locum tenens housing.

Auto and Air

How experienced is the Weatherby travel team?

All the members of our travel team are veterans of the travel industry. Each year, the team books travel for thousands of providers, including:

Plane 28,000 FLIGHTS

Vehicle 130,000 CAR RENTAL DAYS

Their goal is to help you to arrive at your destination fresh and ready to go to work.

What travel is covered on my assignment?

The following travel costs are covered by Weatherby up front:

Airfare

We book your airfare1 and pay in advance, so all you have to do is check in and get your boarding pass. Any of the following check-in methods will work:

  • Go online with the confirmation number and print your boarding pass

  • Use the airline app to get an electronic boarding pass

  • Go to a kiosk and swipe your credit card for a printed pass

  • Go to the ticket counter for a printed pass


Rental Car

Car rentals are paid directly to the rental agency by Weatherby. To pick up your car:

  • Report to the rental agency counter

  • Provide your valid driver's license

  • Get the keys and hit the road

Rental insurance is included. For more information, see car rental details below.

Are all my travel expenses covered or am I responsible for anything?

Although your assignment includes standard airfare and rental car, you may want additional perks or upgrades. In most cases, you will be responsible to pay for any add-ons, such as:

  • Paid seat upgrades

  • In-flight services and meals

  • Alcoholic beverages

It’s important to remember that as a 1099 contract employee, some travelrelated expenses may be tax deductible. Save your receipts and consult your tax advisor.

What travel expenses can I be reimbursed for?

You may have to pay for some travel-related expenses up front, but we’ll reimburse you for many of them, including the following:

Baggage fees

Depending on how long your assignment is, you may be able to be reimbursed for checked baggage.2 The amount reimbursed varies by assignment, but as a general rule the longer the assignment, the more bags you can check and be reimbursed for.

Driving Expenses

Parking fees and tolls incurred while on assignment are reimbursable. If you have a rental car, Weatherby reimburses for the cost of your fuel. Or if you are driving your own vehicle, we’ll reimburse you for the mileage at the IRS mileage reimbursement rate.

How do I submit expenses?

Saving your receipts

Be sure to save the receipts for all expenses you wish to be reimbursed for. A good practice is to scan your receipts or take photos with your phone so you can submit them electronically. It’s important to make sure scans/photos are clear and in focus.

Submission deadline

All expenses should be submitted to your assignment coordinator within 14 days of completing your assignment.

What’s the process for booking my travel?

Booking travel through Weatherby is easy, because our team does all the work. Here’s what you will do.

Bullet Number 1

Share preferences

Once you have accepted your first assignment, your assignment coordinator will contact you to learn your travel preferences. For example:


  • What are your airline reward numbers?

  • Do you want a window or aisle seat?

  • Do you prefer to fly at a certain time of day?

  • Do you have any other special requirements?

Once we have your travel preferences, we’ll save them for future use. You only need to contact us if they change


Bullet Number 2

Choose your flight

We do our best to provide you with easy, convenient schedules that match your preferences. We’ll provide you with as many choices as possible so that you can see your options and choose the flights that work best.


Bullet Number 3

Receive Confirmation

Once we have booked your flight, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the details of your itinerary. Typically, your confirmation will come within two days of being contacted by your account coordinator. View Sample Travel Itinerary


Additional booking options

In addition to the standard service that comes with your assignment, we’re happy to assist with any of the following booking options.

Upgrades

If you want to upgrade to a higher class using frequent flyer miles or a paid upgrade, our travel team is happy to help. If there’s a cost to upgrade, you will be responsible for covering the difference.

We encourage you to sign up for airline rewards programs. This enables you to take advantage of the benefits of achieving their top status, such as:

  • Complimentary seat upgrades

  • Priority check-in

  • Boarding Privileges

  • Lounge access

You will keep all the points you earn for every flight.

Book your own travel

If you prefer to book your own travel, Weatherby will reimburse you for the cost of reasonable travel as defined by your contract agreement.

The downside of booking your own travel is that it limits our travel team’s ability to assist you if there is a problem. When Weatherby books your travel, we can track your progress and quickly help in case of a cancelled flight, weather-related delay, etc.

Car rental details

travel-mountains

Insurance

You’re insured by Weatherby when you have a car rental through us. We even have a secondary policy that covers the deductible in case you’re in an accident. For full details, including coverage amounts, ask your consultant.

Warning: Certain activities can negate your insurance coverage. For example:

  • Driving the car to another country asuch as Canada or Mexico

  • Driving with an invalid driver's license

  • Driving under the influence

  • Using the vehicle for an unintended purpose, such as driving on an unpaved road

For more details, read the Rental Car FAQ or talk to your consultant.

Upgrading

In most cases, Weatherby pays for standard vehicle rental, but you can ask for an upgrade subject to availability. You just pay the difference in cost.

Gas

If you’re using a rental car, we will reimburse for any gas used while on assignment.

If you’re using your own car, we provide a mileage reimbursement at the IRS mileage reimbursement rate, which allows for cost of fuel and standard maintenance of the vehicle. You will not be reimbursed for gas purchases.

Tolls

If you need to travel on a toll road while on assignment, keep the toll receipts and Weatherby will reimburse you at the conclusion of your assignment.

Please note: Many toll roads now use electronic toll collection systems and may not have cash lanes. If you don’t have a transponder, you may be charged a photo-enforced toll. Weatherby reimburses for tolls, but not for the service fees associated with a photo-enforced toll. So make sure you use toll-roads with cash lanes or your car has a transponder.

Personal use

Rental cars provided by Weatherby are intended for use while on assignment and reasonable personal use when you are not at work.

 

If you plan on arriving early for your assignment or staying longer for vacation or other personal activities, you should return the rental car and rent another on your own. For questions about personal use, ask your consultant.

Travel alternatives

Doc and Patient Rhombi

Traveling with your family

Weatherby is happy to help arrange travel for family members who will accompany you on assignment. If we book the flight(s), you just pay for the cost of the family members’ airfare. There is no additional cost for family to share your rental car unless you upgrade to a nonstandard vehicle.

Unfortunately, if you want to use frequent flyer miles to book a family member’s airfare, you’ll need to book the flights yourself; Weatherby doesn’t have access to your rewards account.

Driving your own car

If you prefer to drive your own car, we’ll reimburse you for mileage at the IRS mileage reimbursement rate. If you have other preferred modes of travel, just have a conversation about it with your consultant.

What do I do if there’s a problem with my travel?

Weatherby is available to help resolve any problems 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You can always reach a real person, anytime an issue arises. If you need emergency help right now, call 888.312.7249.

How we help

The Weatherby travel team uses advanced travel systems that allow us to monitor air traffic and road conditions so we can keep track of the progress of our physicians. That way we’re always ready to help out in time of need.

We also monitor many different news sources, so we can be as prepared as possible for:

  • Adverse weather conditions such as snow storms, blizzards, hurricanes, tornados, and floods

  • Major events that can affect availability of flights, rental cars, and hotels

  • Power outages and road closures

As soon as we learn of a disaster or incident in your area, we immediately reach out through your consultant to make sure you’re safe and to see if you need assistance.

What if I have a change of plans and need to move my flight?

We’re happy to accommodate change requests, even last-minute changes. You’ll just need to contact your consultant. Our relationships with our vendors give us more flexibility and access to more resources than you may have on your own.

If the change of plans is required by the assignment, we’ll take care of the changes at no cost to you. If the change is your choice, you may be responsible for covering some or all of the costs of making the change.

Can I collect frequent flyer miles for traveling to my assignment?

Yes, you can collect reward points for any airline, car rental, and hotel programs you belong to. Just provide us with the account numbers and we’ll add them to any applicable reservation.

Have additional questions about travel? Contact your Weatherby consultant or call 954.343.3050.

Continue to Part 2: How locum tenens housing works

Continue to part 2
Footnotes:
  1. The value of the airfare provided can vary based on the contract agreement. Typically, reasonably-priced airfare is covered. For specifics, talk to your consultant.
  2. The amount of baggage you may be reimbursed for depends on your assignment. Talk to your consultant for the details of your assignment.
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