Travel Class Distinction
Analysis of more than 68,000 premium class trips during fiscal 2001 and 2002 found 28 Defense Department travelers who most frequently flew premium class. Here are some examples:
| Traveler's grade/rank | GM-14 | General | Presidential appointee | GS-15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of premium-class trips | 14 | 16 | 15 | 11 |
| Cost of premium-class trips | $88,000 | $68,000 | $70,000 | $35,000 |
| Traveler's justification | Medical necessity | Blanket authorization | Mission essential | Medical necessity |
| GAO's concern | Traveler took 14 premium and 31 coach trips; many coach trips were similar in duration to the premium trips | Blanket authorization was used; premium travel was authorized by a subordinate; not all flights met criteria for premium class. | The Joint Travel Regulation does not list "mission essential" as justification for premium travel; most flights shorter than 14 hours; not all authorizations were accurate. | Official authorizing travelwasthe traveler, not the DoD undersecretary. |
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