Magazine

The Best Routes for a New Era

November 1, 1999

he ins and outs of government travel are enough to trip up even the most savvy employee on the go. But on Oct. 30, 2000, that could all start to change. That's when the General Services Administration and the Interagency Travel Management Committee will bring together federal managers and finance officers, travel industry representatives, and private-sector business travel experts from around the country.

Participants will discuss relocation reengineering, frequent-flier miles, the airlines' Passengers Bill of Rights, travel regulations, per diem updates, transportation audits, and much more.

"There's so much going on in government travel," says Becky Rhodes, head of travel policy at GSA, "especially when you consider the reengineering the Defense Department is doing and the new efforts coming out of the Transportation Department. With the rapid changes taking place in travel management and policy, we need a forum to share ideas." Defense is working on reengineering its massive travel systems into a paperless, seamless process with fewer costs and greater efficiencies, and Transportation is breaking new ground with the first fee-based federal travel management contract.

The conference will be a place to:

Hear from and speak to travel industry representatives.
Learn about changes in government travel (innovations such as mandatory card use, electronic booking and fee-based contracts).
Discover government and industry best practices.
Tell policymakers from GSA, DOD and the State Department about the needs and frustrations of travelers and travel managers.
Share information and ideas.
The lead agencies planning the conference hope to make it a biennial event. They include GSA, Defense Department, Agency for International Development, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, Internal Revenue Service and the Office of Thrift Supervision.
Government Executive magazine is co-sponsoring the conference, and the magazine's fourth annual Travel Manager of the Year awards will be presented there.

News and Notes

Per Diem Rates Boosted

Federal employees traveling to any of eight locations can stay in nicer hotels, following July boosts in per diem rates. The General Services Administration made mid-course corrections for Orange County, San Diego and San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Chicago; Belle Mead, N.J.; Durham and Research Triangle Park, N.C.; Ogden, Utah; and Loudoun County, Va.

Travelers in Orange County got a $20 dollar-a-day lodging boost, from $75 to $95. Orange County now shares a per diem rate with Los Angeles. Chicago got a $5 lodging rate bump, San Diego a $7 hike, and
Loudoun County, Va., a $27 boost.

Durham and Research Triangle Park now share an $85 lodging rate, while Davis and Weber counties in Utah share a $69 lodging rate. Belle Mead, N.J., which did not have a per diem rate, now has a $129 lodging rate.

In San Luis Obispo, Calif., the per diem rate has been set seasonally. From June 1 to Sept. 30, the lodging rate is $79. From Oct. 1 to May 31, the lodging rate is $69.

The per diem rates were the latest in a series of mid-year adjustments; GSA has raised the rates for 18 other areas since the 1999 numbers were published.

Tax on Travel Reimbursable

Federal travelers on long-term assignments away from home can now get reimbursed for the income taxes they pay on travel expenses. The General Services Administration's new rule is retroactive to January 1993 and affects employees who are stationed away from home on government business for more than one year.

The new rule reimburses the penalties those employees incurred as well. To receive the reimbursements, employees must file claims, along with relevant tax information, at their agencies.

Brian Friel contributed to this article.

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