Federal Travel and Ethics Presentation

U.S. General Services Administration

Federal Travel

and Ethics

Rick Miller

Senior Travel and Relocation

Policy Program Manager

Office of Governmentwide Policy

Federal Travel Regulation

• The Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) is the

Governmentwide travel regulation for

executive branch civilian agencies and their

employees

– Code of Federal Regulations at Title 41, Chapters

300–304. For example, "FTR 304–3.13" really means

41 CFR sec. 304–3.13.

– FTR allows agencies to implement internal agency

policies in compliance with the FTR

The FTR Big Picture

• Agencies need flexibility to accomplish their

mission

• That flexibility must be exercised ethically

• Rules apply universally

Agenda

• Transportation

• Lodging

• Travelers with Special Needs

• Smart Pay® Travel Card

• Promotional Benefits

• Non-Federal Source Travel

• FTR Updates and References

Answering Transportation Q's

Most transportation questions fall into these

three categories:

1. Route: where are you going?

2. Mode: what are you riding?

3. Class: can you upgrade?

Routing Travel

• "Usually traveled route" FTR definition

• Unless the agency says otherwise, employees

are authorized to travel by "usually traveled

route"

• Reimbursement for interrupted/indirect travel

Authorizing a Mode

• Order of precedence:

– Common carrier

– Government vehicle (GOV)

– Rental car

• Authorizing privately owned vehicle (POV)

• Special conveyances

• Practically speaking…

City Pair Program (CPP)

• Must be used for official travel

– Coach: _CA and YCA

– Premium Economy: _CP

– Business: _CB

• Exceptions

• May not be used for personal travel

Government Vehicle (GOV)

• Only used for official purposes

– On TDY, includes travel to/from places necessary for

employee sustenance, comfort, and health

– Check agency policy about non-Government

passengers

• Misuse: suspension or termination

Rental Cars

• DTMO Car Rental Agreement

• Default is least expense compact car

– Exceptions

• Refueling (petroleum/electricity)

• CDW and/or theft Insurance

• Reimbursed for official use only

Constructive Cost

• Sum of all travel and transportation expenses

– Includes per diem, taxi/rideshares, rental car fee,

baggage charges, etc.

– Often have to make assumptions

• Used for

– Alternate modes of transportation

– Combined personal/official travel

Example: Alternate Mode 1

• Authorized: Washington, D.C. (DCA), to

Cleveland, Ohio (CLE), roundtrip by plane

– DCA -> CLE -> D.C. City Pair: $203 x 2 = $406

• Actual: DCA -> CLE—roundtrip by personal

automobile

– Mileage (734 miles) and tolls: $480

• What's the employee's reimbursement?

Example: Alternate Mode 2

• Authorized: Washington, D.C. (DCA), to

Cleveland, Ohio (CLE), roundtrip by plane

– DCA -> CLE -> D.C. City Pair: $203 x 2 = $406

– Rideshare to/from airports: $80

– Total constructive cost: $406 + $80 = $486

• Actual: DCA -> CLE roundtrip by personal POV

– Mileage (734 miles) and tolls: $480

• Employee reimbursed $480

Example: Alternate Mode 3

• Authorized: Washington, D.C. (DCA), to Cleveland,

Ohio (CLE), roundtrip by plane

– DCA -> CLE -> D.C. City Pair: $203 x 2 = $406

– Rideshare to/from airports: $80

– Total constructive cost: $406 + $80 = $486

• Actual: DCA -> CLE-roundtrip by personal POV

– Mileage (734 miles) and tolls: $480

– 1-day extra M&IE per diem: $59 M&IE

– Total actual cost $480 + $59 = $539

• Employee reimbursed $486

Example: Combined Travel 1

• Authorized: New York City (JFK) to Los Angeles

(LAX), roundtrip by plane

– JFK -> LAX -> JFK City Pair: $140 x 2 = $280

• Actual: JFK -> LAX -> Seattle (SEA) -> NYC

– JFK -> LAX City Pair: $140

– LAX -> SEA -> JFK commercial: $250

– Actual cost: $140 + $250 = $390

• Employee reimbursed $280

Example: Combined Travel 2

• Authorized: New York City (JFK) to Los Angeles

(LAX), roundtrip by plane

– JFK -> LAX -> JFK City Pair: $140 x 2 = $280

• Actual: JFK -> LAX -> Seattle (SEA) -> NYC

– JFK -> LAX City Pair: $140

– LAX -> SEA -> JFK commercial: $99

– Actual cost: $140 + $99 = $239

• Employee reimbursed $239

Common Carrier Classes

• Coach Class, including Coach-Plus

• Premium Economy

• Business Class

• First Class

• Agency requirements to report data on first and

business-class authorizations (air and rail)

Coach Class and Coach-Plus

• Coach class is the default

– Limited exceptions

– Agency discretion (marked by *)

– Trip-by-trip authorization

• Coach-plus authorized subject to agency policy

• Coach-plus and other-than-coach classes at

personal expense

Premium Economy Class

1. Accommodate a disability or special need

2. Exceptional security requirements*

3. Inadequate sanitation in coach class on a foreign carrier*

4. Only other-than-coach class accommodations on flight*

5. Non-Federal source pays costs*

6. OCONUS flight time > 8 hours*

7. Overall cost savings*

8. No coach class availability in time to accomplish the mission*

9. Required for agency mission per agency policy*

Business Class

1. Accommodate a disability or special need

2. Exceptional security requirements*

3. Inadequate sanitation in coach class on a foreign carrier*

4. Only other-than-coach class accommodations on flight*

5. Non-Federal source pays costs*

6. OCONUS flight time > 14 hours*

7. Overall cost savings*

8. No coach class availability in time to accomplish the mission*

9. Required for agency mission per agency policy*

Prem. Econ. 8-hour Exception

• Origin and/or destination are OCONUS

• Total flight time (wheels up to wheels down) is

more than 8 hours

Business Class 14-hour Rule

• Origin and/or destination are OCONUS

• Total flight time (wheels up to wheels down) is

more than 14 hours

• Required to report for duty after or sooner

• No rest stops en route or on arrival

First Class

1. Accommodate a disability or special needs

2. Exceptional security requirements*

3. Required for agency mission per agency policy*

4. No other seats reasonably available within 24

hours of departure and/or arrival time*

Exceptions Summary

Class

Disability

or Special

Needs

Exceptional

Security

Req

Schedule

Health/

Sanitation

Only Other-

then-Coach NFS Pays

OCONUS

Trips

Overall

Cost

Savings

Required

for Agency

Mission

Coach+

Yes

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Depends on Agency

Policy (AP)

Premium Yes Yes* Yes* Yes* Yes* Yes* 8 hrs.* Yes* AP

Business Yes Yes* Yes* Yes* Yes* Yes* 14 hrs.* Yes* AP

First Yes Yes* 24 hrs.* No No No No No AP

------------------------------ Depends on Agency Policy (AP) ----------------------------

Overbooked Flights

• FAA regulations on overbooked flights

• Voluntarily vacate: employee can keep

compensation like other promotional items

• Involuntary bumped: check goes to the Government

Overbooked Flight Check

Involuntary bumped

compensation is a

check from the

airline. It will say

"DENIED BOARDING"

on the check.

Convention Lodging

• FTR: Employees' first consideration should be

given to using FedRooms®

– Your agency may have a mandatory lodging program

• Lodging taxes and non-optional fees (resort fee,

urban destination fees, etc.) are reimbursable as

a miscellaneous expense

– Some state exempt Gov travelers from lodging taxes

– FedRooms® rates waiver any non-optional fees

Peer-to-Peer Lodging

• Considered non-conventional lodging (requires an

exception to use)

– Can be used when conventional lodging is in short supply

– Only option for some missions

• Also requires exception from use of ETS/TMC

Peer-to-Peer Lodging

Authorized P2P Lodging

• Cleaning fees divided by

days and added to daily

lodging

• If over per diem, the agency

should authorize actual

expenses

• Platform services fees

reimbursed as miscellaneous

Unauthorized P2P Lodging

• Cleaning fees divided by

days and added to daily

lodging

• If over per diem, the

employee pays excess

• No reimbursement for

platform services fees

Travels with Special Needs

• Coach-plus or other-than-coach class accommodation

• Specialized transportation

• Travel for a family member or other attendant

• Services of an attendant

• Baggage handling costs

• Wheelchair rental or transportation

• Nursing employees: FTR Bulletin 22–03

SmartPay® Travel Card

• Use for all expenses directly relayed to official

travel

– FTR exemptions

– Agencies can make other exemptions

• Check agency policy on other uses

Promotional Benefits

• Includes frequent flier, loyalty point, and in-app

perk programs

• May be retained for personal use

– Exceptions: promotional benefits obtained for

planning/scheduling and official conference lodging

to the Government

Non-Federal Source Travel

1. A non-Federal source

2. Offers to provide in kind or reimburse for travel-

related expenses

3. For an employee to attend a meeting or similar

function

4. That takes place away for the employee's official

station

Excludes activities to carry out statutory or regulatory functions,

promotional vendor training, or marketing

NFS Travel Payments

• Still official travel

• Payments above subsistence maximums

– Allowed domestically, not allowed in foreign areas

– Must also be offered to similarly situated attendees

• Other-than-coach class travel

– Only if paid in full in advance

– Must also be offered to similar attendees

Never accept cash or personally-payable checks

Authorizing NFS Travel

• NFS authorization must be before official travel

• Limited exceptions for surprises

– "Comparable value" rules

– Does not apply to anything agency already declined

• If the agency declines after the fact, NFS is

reimbursed

Waived Registration Fees

• Not a payment if…

– All Government attendees ("Government rate")

– For speakers/presenters/panelists on days they

participate

• Still a payment…

– Days the employee isn't participating

– Anything for "support" employees

– Meals

FTR Amendments

• 2020–01: Clarification of Payment in Kind for

Speakers at Meetings and Similar Functions

• 2022–01: Rental Car for OCONUS relocations,

fuel & insurance

• 2022–01: Common Carrier Transportation

• 2023–01: Constructed Cost Transportation

FTR Bulletins

• 2019–04: Reimbursement for Fees for Conventional

and nonconventional Lodging

• 2022–03: Employees who are Nursing

• 2023–04: Emergency Travel

• 2024–02: Sustainable Transportation for Official

TDY Travel

• Several bulletins on reporting requirements—

First/Business class and TRIP

Summary

• The Federal Travel Regulation rules are—

– Flexible: Agencies have flexibility to accomplish

their missions

– Ethical: Employees must exercise that flexibility

ethically

– Universal: Everyone follows the same rules

GSA Travel Reference

• Travel Resources—https://www.gsa.gov/travel

– Plan a trip (per diem, lodging, transportation, travel

charge card)

– Services (travel schedules, ETS, emergency lodging)

– Travel Policy (travel reporting, 41 CFR, amendment

and bulletins

• Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA)

https://www.cbca.gov/

Official Travel POC's

• Agency Travel or Relocation policy office

• GSA—OGP's Travel Mailbox: travelpolicy@gsa.gov

GSA-OGP:

Rick Miller

rodney.miller@gsa.gov

202-501-3822

Questions & Answers