1. Advance Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) update Temporary Duty Travel – Federal Civilian
Rick Miller Travel Program Analyst Travel and Transportation Management Policy (MTT) Office of Travel, Transportation and Asset Management GSA EXPO 2010

2. Federal Travel Regulation (FTR)
Issued by GSA to implement Title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.), Chapter 57, regarding travel, transportation, and subsistence expenses of federal civilian employees
FTR is promulgated under direction from Congress – it is a “legislative rule” which is entitled to special weight & binding on all agencies (41 Code of Federal Regulation - CFR)
Agency policy/regulation are “interpretive rules” since they are typically issued without statutory approval and generally used to implement and supplement the FTR for civilian employees
A private company travel handbook is not official publication of the U.S. government or its agencies 2 2

3. WHERE TO LOOK …www.gsa.gov/ftr3 3

4. FTR - On-line 4 4

5. FTR - Purpose / Format Purpose
To interpret statutory and other policy requirements
To communicate the resulting policies in a clear manner to Federal agencies and employees
Formats
Question and answer – Employee / Agency
Title and narrative 5 5

6. FTR - Glossary of Terms Agency Continental United States (CONUS)
Federal Traveler
Household Goods (HHG)
Invitational Travel
Official Station
Privately Owned Vehicle (POV)
Special Conveyance
Travel Management Service (TMS) 6 6

7. FTR - Employee Employee
An individual employed by an agency, regardless of status or rank
An individual employed intermittently in Government service as an expert / consultant and paid on a daily when-actually employed basis
An individual serving without pay or at $1 a year
FTR does not pertain to Contractors, State, County, or Local Government employees, Non-federal employees, corporations/private businesses, and Title 22 employees 7 7

8. FTR - Travel Officials Travel Officials
Administers – “All persons” involved with travel must limit the authorization and payment of travel expenses necessary to accomplish the mission
Economical and effective manner
Consideration for budget constraints
Reasonableness of expenses – “Prudent traveler”
Consideration to alternatives prior to authorizing travel
Use ETS to process travel authorizations and claims 8 8

9. FTR - Travel Officials
Travel Officials
Authorization/Approving/Reviewing official - Agency appointed
Aware of how authorized travel will support the agency mission
Knowledgeable of the employee’s travel plans
Responsible for the travel funds paying for the travel involved
Review the completed authorization/claim ensuring properly prepared in accordance with regulations/agency procedures
Review receipts, statements justification, etc. are attached (available) with submission of travel authorization/claim 9 9

10. FTR - Transportation Transportation methods
Agencies may authorize the following types:
Common carrier transportation: airline, train, ship, bus
Government vehicle (GOV)
Privately owned vehicle (POV): mileage or NTE the constructive common carrier
Special conveyance: taxi or commercial automobile 10 10

11. FTR - Airlines Airline basic requirements Three categories:
Contract carriers, when available
Coach class service, unless other than coach class is authorized
U.S. flag air carrier service 11 11

12. FTR - Contract City-Pair Fares
Civilian employees of an agency must always use a contract city-pair fare for scheduled air passenger transportation service unless one of the limited exceptions exits (FTR )
Contact city-pair fares are available at
Contractors and grantees are not eligible for the use of city-pair fares 12 12

13. FTR - Airline Accommodations
Type of Classes of Accommodations
Coach-class - The basic class of accommodation by airlines that is normally the lowest fare offered regardless of airline terminology used
Other-than-coach-class - Any class of accommodations above coach-class, e.g., first-class or business-class
GSA & Agency reporting requirements
For official business travel, both domestic and international, you must use coach-class accommodations, except as provided under FTR and 13 13

14. FTR - Airline Accommodations
Two Classes of Accommodations Available
Two distinctly different seating types (such as girth / pitch)
Front cabin is termed / fare-coded as business-class or higher
Front of the cabin is deemed to be other than coach-class
Cabins with one type of seating (girth / pitch are the same)
Front seats are fare coded as full-fare economy class
Only restricted economy fares are available in the back of the aircraft
Entire aircraft is to be classified as coach-class seating 14 14

15. FTR - Seating Upgrade Programs
Coach-class Seating Upgrade Programs
Airline Upgrade / Preferred seat choices - “Coach Elite,” “Coach Plus,” “Preferred Coach” or some other identifier
Fee for a more desirable seat choice within the coach-class
Annual fee, airport kiosk/gate or as a frequent flier perk
Not considered a new/higher class (still in the coach cabin)
Generally a traveler’s personal choice/expense
Internal agency policy - Agency travel authorization approving official or his/her designee may authorize/reimburse 15 15

16. FTR - Other-than-coach-class Requirements
Other-than-coach-class (First-class)
No coach-class accommodations are reasonably available (within 24 hours of the proposed departure / arrival times)
Necessary to accommodate a medical disability or other special need
When exceptional security circumstances require other than coach-class airline accommodations
Required because of agency mission, consistent with your agency’s internal procedures 16 16

17. FTR - Other-than-coach-class Requirements
Other-than-coach-class (Business-class)
Necessary to accommodate a medical disability or other special need
When exceptional security circumstances require other than coach-class airline accommodations
Coach-class accommodations on an authorized/approved foreign air carrier do not provide adequate sanitation or health standards 17 17

18. FTR - Other-than-coach-class Requirements
Other-than-coach-class (Business-class) (cont)
Regularly scheduled flights between origin/destination points (including connecting points) provide only other than coach-class accommodations and you certify such on your voucher
Transportation cost paid in full through agency acceptance of payment form non-Federal source
Origin and/or destination are OCONUS, and the scheduled flight time, including stopovers and change of planes, is in excess of 14 hours 18 18

19. FTR - Other-than-coach-class Requirements
Other-than-coach-class (Business-class) (cont)
Results in an overall cost savings to the Government by avoiding additional subsistence costs, overtime, or lost productive time while awaiting coach-class accommodations
No space is available in coach-class accommodations in time to accomplish the mission which is urgent and cannot be postponed
Required because of agency mission, consistent with your agency’s internal procedures 19 19

20. FTR - U.S. Flag Carrier U.S. Flag Carrier
An employee is required by 49 U.S.C (Fly America Act) to use U.S. flag air carrier for all Government funded travel. There are some exceptions:
Use of a foreign air carrier is determined to be a matter of necessity – medical, safety/terrorist threats, non-availability
Transportation is provided under a bilateral or multilateral air transportation agreement - Open Skies
Employee of a Foreign Affairs agency – travel is between two places outside the U.S. 20 20

21. FTR - U.S. Flag Carrier U.S. Flag Carrier (cont)
No U.S. flag carrier service on a particular leg of the route, but only to/from the nearest interchange point
U.S. flag carrier involuntarily reroutes your travel on a foreign carrier
Foreign flag would be less then 3 hours and use of U.S. flag would at least double your enroute travel
Cost of transportation are reimbursed in full by third party 21 21

22. FTR - U.S. Flag Carrier U.S. Flag Carrier (cont)
Certification – a detailed itinerary of your travel to include; dates, origin and destination, air carrier, exceptions as listed in the FTR to
Liability – No reimbursement for “any” transportation cost for which an employee improperly use foreign flag carrier service 22 22

23. FTR - Open Skies Agreement
U.S and foreign country/union - gives Community airlines the right to transport passengers on scheduled / charter flights funded by the U.S.
Transportation is between a point in the U.S. and any point in a Member State or between any two points outside the U.S. – except when transportation
Is between points (origin/destination) for which there is a City-Pair contract fare in effect for air passenger transportation services
Obtained or funded by the DOD / military department 23 23

24. FTR - Open Skies Agreement
Open Skies Agreement (cont)
Current agreements: U.S. & European Union / U.S. & Switzerland / U.S. & Australia / U.S. & Japan
Contractors and grantees are not eligible to use GSA's City-Pair Program is irrelevant under the open skies or air transportation agreements.
U.S. government funds - Transportation is between points for which there is a city-pair contract fare in effect - still required to use U.S. flag air carrier service - exceptions 24 24

25. FTR - Open Skies Agreement
Open Skies Agreement (cont)
Example 1 – (U.S. & Switzerland)
Authorized travel from Columbus, Ohio to Geneva, Switzerland
No city-pair contract from origin to destination
City-pair from Columbus to Washington DC & Washington DC to Geneva Switzerland
May fly U.S. Flag carrier or “Swiss Air” (member airline)
Exceptions – Foreign flag carrier IAW FTR 25 25

26. FTR - Open Skies Agreement
Open Skies Agreement (cont)
Example 2 – (U.S. & Australia)
Authorized travel from Washington, DC to Sidney, Australia
City-pair contract from origin to destination
Federal Employee must use City-pair contract U.S. Flag carrier - exceptions
Contractor/Grantees may fly U.S. or Open Skies member carrier
Exceptions – Foreign flag carrier IAW FTR 26 26

27. FTR - Mileage Rates / Distance
Mileage rates effective 1 January 2010
Privately-owned airplane $1.29 per mile
Privately-owned automobile $0.50 per mile
Privately-owned motorcycle $0.47 per mile
Distance measurements for travel
POV/motorcycle = As shown in paper or electronic standard highway mileage guides, or the actual miles driven as determined from odometer readings
Privately-owned airplane = FAA charts 27 27

28. FTR - Mileage Rates Establish Mileage Rate
GSA conducts periodic investigations of the current cost of travel and the operation of privately owned vehicles and prescribe a standard mileage reimbursement rate NTE the IRS established rate
Methodology is based on several factors:
Depreciation of original vehicle cost
Gasoline and oil (excluding tax)
Maintenance, accessories, parts, and tires
Insurance
State and Federal tax 28 28

29. FTR - Per Diem Eligibility
When you perform official travel away from your official station, or other areas defined by your agency
You incur per diem expenses while performing official travel
You are in a travel status for more than 12 hours
Non-eligible --You perform travel to a training event under the Government Employees Training Act (5 U.S.C ), and you agree not to be paid per diem expenses 29 29

30. FTR - Official Station Official station
The official station of an employee is the location of the employee’s permanent work assignment. The geographic limits of the official station are:
The corporate limits of the city or town where stationed or if not in an incorporated city or town
The reservation, station, or other established area (including established subdivisions of large reservations) having definite boundaries where the employee is stationed
Defined / determined by internal agency written policy
An arbitrary distance radius must not be established 30 30

31. FTR - Per Diem Rates Per Diem rates
Continental United States (CONUS) – Rates set by: GSA (
Non-foreign areas – Rates set by: Department of Defense (
Foreign areas – Rates set by: Department of State (
Your TDY location determines your maximum per diem reimbursement rate 31 31

32. FTR - Per Diem Methods Methods of Per Diem
Lodging-plus per diem method
Reduced per diem method
Actual expense method
Conference lodging allowance method 32 32

33. FTR - Lodging-Plus Lodging-plus
Actual Lodging NTE the prescribed locality rate
Applicable M&IE allowance –
More than 12 but less than 24 hours:
75% of the applicable M&IE for each calendar day
24 Hours or more:
Day of departure % of the applicable M&IE rate
Full days of travel - 100% of the applicable M&IE rate
Day of return % of the applicable M&IE rate 33 33

34. FTR - Reduce Per Diem Reduce per diem
Long Term TDY - normally between days – Agency policy
Determine in advance - lodging / meals lower than the prescribed maximum per diem rate
Reduce rate must be stated in travel authorization - $ or %
Example
Iraq / Afghanistan (U.S. Central Command) - CENTAF Commander issues memo stating all meals and lodging provided – incidental cost per day for OCONUS
Camp/Field rate (NPS) – incidental cost of $5 per day for CONUS 34 34

35. FTR - Actual Expense Actual Expense
Actual Expense reimbursement warranted
Lodging and/or meals are procured at a prearranged place
Costs have escalated due to special events
Because of mission requirements
Any other reason approved within your agency
Authorized rate - NTE 300% of the applicable maximum per diem rate - Agency policy 35 35

36. FTR - Conference Lodging Allowance
Approval agency – Government Agency sponsoring the conference
Pre-determined maximum allowance
25% greater that the applicable locality lodging portion of the per diem rate
Employee reimbursed actual lodging amount NTE the Conference lodging cost 36 36

37. FTR - Misc Expenses Miscellaneous expenses (may be authorized)
Automated teller machines (ATMs) transaction fees - Government contractor-issued charge card
Official phone calls/service, faxes – cell phone usage must be documented showing the additional charges outside the normal cell phone contract
Computer connections (internet / in-flight Wi-Fi) for official business
International transaction fee (1%) - Government charge card
Global Positioning System (GPS) 37 37

38. FTR - Misc Expenses Miscellaneous expenses (not authorized)
Airport security fast pass – membership program
Damages to rental car when not using agency direct contract travel office (CTO) government rental car
Mechanical repairs for using a POV, GOV, or rental car
Locksmith charges for locking keys in motor vehicle
Car wash - to cleanse snow removal corrosive chemicals
Child care expenses
Traffic violations – parking / speeding / towing 38 38

39. FTR - Appeals Civilian Board of Contract Appeals (CBCA)
Authority - (31 U.S.C. 3702) - settle claims by Federal civilian employees for certain travel or relocation expenses
No authority to non-federal employees (government contractors
Types of claims - TDY & Relocations
Review of claims
Agency adjudicates claim
CBCA review (requested by employee/agency)
CBCA final decision
Web Site - 39 39

40. FTR - Training GSA Travel Training Conference Planning
Relocation Allowances
Relocation Income Tax Allowances
Temporary Duty Travel – Joint Travel Regulation (JTR Vol.2)
Temporary Duty Travel – Federal Travel Regulation (FTR)
Advanced Temporary Duty Travel: FTR 40 40

41. FTR - Point of Contact Government Travel (202) 501-1777 (voice)
(202) (fax) –
Rick Miller, OGP, MTT
(202) (voice) –
Twitter: GSAtravelpolicy 41 41