Federal travel policy is governed by various laws and regulations including the Federal Travel Regulation and the Joint Travel Regulation. It establishes requirements for travel authorization, reimbursement of allowable expenses including transportation and per diem, use of government travel charge cards, and booking travel through approved systems. Exceptions to certain policies require advance approval. Training and communication help ensure compliance.

1. FEDERAL TRAVEL POLICY
Presented by Queenie Cox
March 01, 2009 1

2. Objective
The overall objective of this session is to
provide you a “brief” overview on Federal
government travel policy.
So, let’s get started!
March 01, 2009 2

3. Federal travel policy is based on various laws
March 01, 2009 3

4. Laws & Regulations
Public Law 105-264

◦ The Travel and Transportation Reform Act (TTRA) of
1998 mandates that federal employees use the
government contractor-issued travel charge card for all
payments of expenses related to official government
travel unless an exemption has been granted.
Public Law 109-115

◦ Section 846 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of
1006 requires each Executive department and agency to
“evaluate the credit worthiness of an individual before
issuing the individual government travel charge card.”
March 01, 2009 4

5. Federal Travel Regulations
41 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the regulation that
implements statutory requirements and policies for travel by
Federal civilian employees.
Most common name for 41 CFR is the Federal Travel
Regulations (FTR).
Agency responsibilities are contained in Subchapter D for
Chapter 301 (TDY Allowances)
March 01, 2009 5

6. Joint Travel Regulations
(JTR)
The governing regulations for OSD and Defense
Agency employees.
The JTR is guided by the FTR and based on the
same civilian governing statutes, regulations and
March 01, 2009 6

7. JTR Regulations
Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), published by GSA (41 CFR

300-304); the Department of State Standardized
Regulations (DSSR) for Government Civilians in Foreign
Areas, issued by State Department; and regulations
published by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
(CFR, title 5);
The United States Code, primarily sections found in title 5

(especially chapter 57, concerning allowances for
travel, transportation, and subsistence) and title 10;

Executive Orders, General Services Administration (GSA)

Commuted Rate Schedule, and DoD directives;and
Decisions of the U.S. Comptroller General (GAO), the

Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (formerly GSA Board of
March 01, 2009 7

8. Joint Federal Travel
Regulation (JFTR)
The governing regulations for uniformed
personnel
March 01, 2009 8

9. JFTR difference between the JTR & FTR
AO may waive the rule to reimburse a traveler in

excess of a roundtrip taxi fare when TDY is
extended unexpectantly. Travelers under the FTR
may not be reimbursed.
JFTR travelers may be directed to certain lodging

whereas, FTR and JTR travelers may not.
However, FTR and JTR travelers are “encouraged”
to use government quarters and/or FedRooms.
Note: JTR travelers may be required to use
March 01, 2009 9

10. Prudent Rule and Federal
Government Standard
Federal employees and those who are traveling on behalf
of the Federal government must exercise the same care in
incurring expenses that a prudent person would exercise if
March 01, 2009 10

11. Allowable Expenses
Generally, individuals traveling on official

business on behalf of the government may be
provided and reimbursed for travel allowances
and expenses.
The government may pay only those expenses

essential to the transaction of official
business.
Individuals must be in a travel status in order

to be entitled to allowances and expenses.
March 01, 2009 11

12. Advance Authorization to Travel
Travelers must have written or electronic authorization

in advance of incurring any travel expense. The
exception is if it is not practicable or possible to
obtain such authorization prior to travel. In that case,
the travel may be approved after-the-fact.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Written or electronic advance authorization is required

for:
◦ Use of reduced fares for group or charter arrangements;
◦ Payment of a reduced per diem rate;
◦ Acceptance of payment from a non-Federal source for travel
March 01, 2009 12

13. Specific Authorization or Prior
Use of travel above coach-class;

Use of extra fare trains;

Actual expenses;

Exemption of a traveler from using a

Government contractor-issued travel charge
card;
Request for disability or special needs;

A rest stop en route or rest period at TDY

location before reporting for duty;
March 01, 2009 13

14. Con’t
Travel by ship;

Use of a Government aircraft;

Travel expenses related to emergency travel;

Travel expenses related to travel to a foreign

area; and
Transportation expenses related to threatened

law enforcement/investigative employees and
members of their families.
March 01, 2009 14

15. Travel Status
Travelers must be in a travel status more than

12 hours in order to be paid per diem.
Travelers cannot circumvent this requirement
by taking a longer route to an assignment,
even if done inadvertently.
For less than 12-hours, the traveler is entitled

to transportation costs to and from the TDY
location.
March 01, 2009 15

16. Travel more than 12-hours
When travel is more than 12-hours but less than

24-hours, your allowance is 75% of the applicable
M&IE rate. If overnight lodging is required,
reimbursement will be for actual lodging costs not
to exceed the maximum lodging rate for the TDY
location.
When travel is 24-hours or more, on the day of

departure you will receive 75% of the applicable
M&IE rate; full days you will receive 100% of the
applicable M&IE rate; and on the last day of travel,
March 01, 2009 16

17. Transportation
Overall, a traveler’s reimbursement will be
limited to the cost of travel by a direct route
or on an uninterrupted route. Additional
costs incurred for traveling an indirect route
such as an unofficial stop or a stopover for
personal reasons that exceeds 4 hours or
causes a through fare to become a point-to-
point fare by delaying the stopover for
personal reasons will be the responsibility of
the traveler. March 01, 2009 17

18. Per Diem Expenses
Lodging plus

◦ Actual lodging costs not to exceed the maximum
lodging rate
Actual

◦ Actual expense reimbursement
Per diem

Reduced per diem or flat rate

March 01, 2009 18

19. ETS
Travelers are required to use the agency’s ETS
and its component units for all travel
arrangements. Exceptions to this requirement
are:
◦ Lodging reservations for conferences;
◦ OCONUS travel;
◦ Arrangements made by a non-Federal source,
delegation or another agency;
◦ Agency head exempts certain types of travel
arrangements; and
March 01, 2009 19

20. Accommodated TMCs
Agencies are not required to use the

authorized vendor’s embedded TMC.
Travel Services Solutions Schedule is available

to agencies as a part of the ETS one stop
shopping initiative and may be integrated with
ETS.
March 01, 2009 20

21. Travel Charge Card
Travelers are required to use a Government

contractor-issued travel charge card for all travel
related expenses unless they have an exemption.
For IBAs, travelers must provide a tax exemption

certificate to lodging vendors to exclude state and
local taxes from their hotel bills.
Special cardholders whose account contains a “9”

in the account number’s sixth position, is actually
using the agency’s CBA and must ensure the
vendor does not charge state and local taxes
March 01, 2009 21

22. Travel Charge Card con’t
All cardholders and approving/certifying

officials must receive general and refresher
training on the government charge card;
Personal credit cards shall not be used to

purchase a transportation ticket for official
Government travel;
Split disbursement and salary offset are

mandatory IAW Appendix B; and
Contractors are not authorized to use contract

March 01, 2009 22

23. Other Mandatory Travel
City Pair Program

◦ Mandatory users of GSA’s city pair contract must use the contract
carrier unless the traveler has an approved exemption. Personal
travel shall not be used for any leg of
FedRooms

◦ Travelers must give first consideration to the commercial lodging
facilities contracted by GSA under the FedRooms lodging program
that meet the fire safety requirements unless one or more
conditions stated in 41 CFR 301-50.8 exists.
Car Rental

◦ When authorized to use a rental vehicle , travelers must rent a
vehicle from a vendor that participates in the Surface Deployment
and Distribution Command (SDDC) Government Car Rental
Agreement unless the travel is OCONUS and no agreement is in
March 01, 2009 23

24. Exceptions to Policy
City Pair Program

Lodging

Credit card

March 01, 2009 24

25. Non-Contract Carrier Exception
Space on a scheduled contract flight is not available in time to accomplish the purpose of

your travel, or use of contract service would require you to incur unnecessary overnight
lodging costs which would increase the total cost of the trip;
The contractor’s flight schedule is inconsistent with explicit policies of your Federal

department or agency with regard to scheduling travel during normal working hours;
A non-contract carrier offers a lower fare to the general public that, if used, will result in

a lower total trip cost to the Government (the combined costs of transportation, lodging,
meals, and related expenses considered). Note: This exception does not apply if the
contract carrier offers the same or lower fare and has seats available at that fare, or if the
fare offered by the non-contract carrier is restricted to Government and military travelers
performing official business and may be purchased only with a contractor-issued charge
card, centrally billed account (e.g., YDG, MDG, QDG, VDG, and similar fares) or GTR where
the two previous options are not available;
Cost effective rail service is available and is consistent with mission requirements; or

Smoking is permitted on the contract air carrier and the nonsmoking section of the

contract aircraft is not acceptable to you.
41 CFR 301-10.107
March 01, 2009 25

26. FedRooms Exception
“(i) An FedRooms facility is not available at the location you need (e.g.,

there are no FedRooms facilities within a reasonable proximity of your
temporary duty station, or there are no vacancies at the FedRooms
facilities at that location). (Your agency’s TMS or E-Gov Travel Service (ETS)
must provide you with a list of alternative facilities that meet the fire
safety requirements of the Act).
(ii) Your agency has other contractual arrangements with commercial

lodging facilities that meet the FEMA fire safety requirements at a lower
cost than FedRooms properties.
(iii) Your agency determines on an individual case-by-case basis that it is

not practical to use FedRooms facilities to meet mission requirements.
(iv) You are attending a conference with prearranged lodging

accommodations and are required to book lodging directly with the
lodging facility.
(v) Your travel is OCONUS.”

41 CFR XXX
March 01, 2009 26

27. Credit Card Exception
Travelers are required to use a Government

contractor-issued travel charge card for all
related expenses unless they have an
exemption.
Agency head may exempt a traveler from

using a Government contractor-issued travel
charge card; however, the Administrator of
General Services (GSA) must be notified of the
reason for the exemption.
March 01, 2009 27

28. Training & Communications
Training and communicating with travelers is vital
Develop a robust training program

◦ Semi-formal
◦ Brown bag lunch sessions
◦ Refresher training
Implement various media to communicate with travelers

and approving officials
◦ Newsletters
◦ Websites
◦ E-mail
Provide incentives for attending training

March 01, 2009 28

29. Thinking about a question?
Ask me
now!
March 01, 2009 29

30. Thank You!
Queenie Cox

queenecox@aol.com

WO-MEN Travel Professionals

www.wo-men-travelprofessionals.org

March 01, 2009 30