Comments (6)

1. 

   Community Member

   add to that hotels, too. the "government rate" is usually among the highest and I could get a much better rate using my AAA card!

   2 years ago

   0
2. 

   Community Member

   100% with you on that. I want to also add that sometimes you can't get a non-stop flight through the companies they have contract with.

   2 years ago

   0
3. 

   Community Member

   The high fares are partly because travel regs say we are required to purchase fully refundable fares....unless purchasing a nonrefundable lower fare is a savings of 40% or more. This is a ridiculous rule....30%, 20% savings is a savings, at least. For a recent trip I had several people traveling together and, even though the cost savings by purchasing nonrefundable tickets was not quite the 40%, it would have saved the agency nearly $9,000 because of the number of people traveling. The request was denied. Cost savings alone is not sufficient justification to purchase non-refundable tickets (unless 40% or more), nor is it sufficient alone to justify purchasing less expensive non-contract fares - those words from our "Travel Expert"

   2 years ago

   0
4. 

   Community Member

   There should be a follow-up - disallow any and/all first class/ business tickets. If an employee, SES, Dep. Sec etc. prefer flying first class/business class than they should have to pay the difference out of pocket (no reimbursement) once at the airport. There are too many individuals who know how to game the system.

   Allow greater flexibility to allow employees to choose the cheaper airlines: Southwest for one. Often we have to jump through hoops to use them even if we are saving the agency $400-700 a trip.

   2 years ago

   0
5. 

   Community Member

   Have you considered using a discounted government contract fare (a _CA fare)? It is fully refundable and only $400 round trip for Seattle-Salt Lake City.

   Some federal employees don't realize that GSA negotiates two government contract fares for many city pairs: a regular YCA fare and a discounted _CA fare. Both of these government contract fares are unrestricted and fully refundable. The only difference is that the _CA fare is only available for a limited number of seats on each flight. Given the potential cost savings, the federal travel regulations encourage travelers to purchase a _CA fare whenever it is available. See 41 C.F.R. 301-10.107 (Note 3).

   For Seattle-Salt Lake City, the YCA fare is over $1,100 round trip, but the discounted _CA fare is only $400 round trip. The contract carrier still has _CA fares available for most Seattle-Salt Lake City flights, so if you haven't taken your trip yet, you could still exchange your ticket and save money without compromising on flexibility.

   In addition, the federal travel regulations permit you to select a non-contract fare -- even a non-refundable fare -- if it lowers the overall cost of your trip. See 41 C.F.R. 301-10.107(c). In these lean times, managers should be receptive to such cost-saving proposals.

   2 years ago

   0
6. 

   Community Member

   In our agency, when we select noncontract or nonrefundable fares, often those tickets must be issued within 24 hours. Our travel authorizations, which are supposed to be estimates of travel costs, are NEVER reviewed and approved within 24 hrs. Our travel packages are moving along quickly if they make it through the Admin Tech and all his nitpicking within 3-5 days. Then add time for the AO to pick it apart and ask for revisions, and several weeks to even months if it is foreign and/or sponsored travel which requires further approvals. The review approval system here has been complicated and blown up to the point of absolutely ridiculous, and makes it impossible to purchase lower cost fares that might be available.

   2 years ago

   0