Ask the Experts

ederal travelers have a lot on their minds, given the constant changes in rules about trip details ranging from official time and charge cards to household moves. So we asked federal travel experts to answer some questions from our mailbag.

RECOVERY TIME

Q: I thought the Joint Travel Regulations said that if you travel through four or more time zones, you are allowed 24 hours recuperation time after your trip.

Take the case of a traveler flying from Washington to Hawaii. Theoretically, you would try to return on a Thursday in the afternoon after your normal workday has ended. This means you could recuperate on Friday, enjoy the weekend, and return to work on Monday. Is this right?

-Civilian,
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard,
Hawaii

A: For Defense Department civilians, the Joint Travel Regulations say, "A reasonable rest period at the TDY point (not to exceed 24 hours) is recommended before the traveler reports for duty" in certain circumstances (JTR, vol. 2, paragraph C1059-C). Several reasons follow, including "when the scheduled flight time, including stopovers and change of planes, exceeds14 hours by a direct or usually traveled route. Scheduled flight time is the time between the scheduled airline departure time from the PDS/TDY until the scheduled airline arrival point at the TDY point/PDS. Note: If the 'stopover' is an overnight stay, that disqualifies the traveler from using business class."

There's nothing mandatory in the regulations about a 24-hour recuperation time. The "four or more time zones" criterion disappeared years ago. To read the rules, go to www.dtic.mil/ perdiem.

I travel on official business to Hawaii almost annually. My authorizing official permits me to arrive in Hawaii the day before the temporary duty begins (for that day of rest and time zone acclimation). However, he isn't required to do so.

I usually take a red-eye back because it allows me to get a good connection to the East Coast. I'm not required to take the red-eye. But doing so allows me to use GSA's city-pair fares in most instances. Also, it allows me, as a prudent traveler, to conserve the command's-and more importantly the taxpayers'-money by not staying an extra day. My trips generally get me back home in the afternoon, and I go to work the next day or, if it's a Friday return, on Monday.

-Bill Tirrell,
Travel and Transportation Branch Chief,
Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Committee,
Defense Department

SEAMLESS VOUCHERING

Q: I traveled from Baltimore to Hartford, Conn., with a government-purchased airline ticket. I returned with no ticket stub thanks to electronic tickets and electronic reservations. Why couldn't such a process be extended to hotels as well? Our travel agency makes reservations electronically, but uses a government charge card to hold them. The same could be done for rental cars.

This would eliminate almost all of the items in the voucher process. All that would be left would be food and miscellaneous expenses. Those also could be set up for electronic processing. Since we are reimbursed through electronic funds transfer, the agency could send us our per diem two to three days after the trip ends. For routine trips that don't involve canceled flights, changes in itinerary or other problems, this would streamline the processing of travel orders and take a load off weary travel clerks.

I believe a large number of trips fall into this category. Agencies with a lot of frequent travelers would net substantial savings with such a change.

-Civilian,
Naval Air Systems Command

A: Many agencies use both centrally billed and individually billed travel card accounts. Typically, centrally billed accounts cover transportation only, an expense that the agency's travel management center normally processes in advance of travel. Each agency decides whether to use centrally billed accounts to cover additional charges, such as lodging or car rental.

Additionally, agency policies regarding travel voucher/claim reimbursement may require that receipts be submitted as part of the reconciliation process, thereby limiting the use of centrally billed accounts.

-John Ziu, Acting Director,
Support Services Division, GSA SmartPay,
Federal Supply Service

OVERWEIGHT

Q: An Indian Health Service commissioned officer moving to a new duty station was told her household goods shipment could not exceed 18,000 pounds, based on her rank. Her shipment was 22,940 pounds, which exceed her entitlement by 4,940 pounds. The Secretarial Process, the appeal process for uniformed personnel, does not cover this issue. Any advice?

-Travel Management Specialist,
Indian Health Service

A: Commissioned officers of the U.S. Public Health Service are covered by the Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR), which are basically the same for all uniformed services. These regulations are enforced by the Military Advisory Panel, which includes a representative from each service.

The JFTR spells out clearly what weight is authorized for each rank and dependent status. These allocations are based in law, which allows the government to pay for a maximum of 18,000 pounds for a permanent change of station.

If the officer you mentioned is an O-6, she is entitled to the maximum 18,000-pound shipment. This weight should include only household goods, not shipping and packing material. There is no process in the JFTR to waive that weight allowance. Any weight exceeding the authorized limit is the officer's financial responsibility.

-Lt. Cmdr. Ron Keats,
Travel/Per Diem Specialist,
Division of Commissioned Personnel,
Health and Human Services Department

CLAIMING MILES

Q: I worked for an Army command that "banked" our frequent flier miles, before Congress allowed federal travelers to keep these benefits. I understand from others in similar situations that their agencies/commands have a process for getting those banked miles back.Do you know if there is such a process and how it works at the Army?

-A former Army civilian

A: Frequent flier accounts are essentially contracts between a traveler and a vendor (in this case, the airline). Even when the government redeems the miles for official use, the accounts are in the traveler's name.

If you requested that your miles be credited to your account when you earned them, all you have to do now is contact the airline. It doesn't matter to the airline whether you accrued the miles on personal travel or on business travel.

If you didn't keep an account when you earned the miles, the airline might be able to credit them to you if you have proof of travel, such as receipts or ticket stubs. Contact the airline for more information.

-Government and industry officials

CHARGE IT

Q: I have read Public Law 105-264, which requires travelers who take three or more trips a year to use the government travel card for lodging, rental car, and airfare expenses.

If the traveler, civilian or military, wants to pay for the travel out of his or her own funds, what would be the advantage of using a government charge card? Sometimes, vouchers filed with the local travel office aren't paid in a timely manner, which causes delays in payments to the government travel card. If travelers were to use their own funds, they could minimize delays and delinquent payments.

I know the government gets discounted prices and other benefits when government travelers use the card. But where's the logic in forcing people to use a charge card, which, in our society, often causes financial problems? Should we really encourage the use of plastic? Can travelers use their personal funds if they want to?

-Air Force Staff Sergeant/Contracting Specialist,
Lackland Air Force Base, Texas

• Charges from a vendor that does not accept the government contractor-issued travel charge card.
• Laundry/dry cleaning.
• Parking.
• Local transportation system.
• Taxi.
• Tips.
• Meals (only when use of the card is impractical, as in group meals, or when the government travel card is not accepted).
• Phone calls (when a government calling card is available).
• An employee with a pending application for a travel charge card.
• An employee traveling by invitation.
• A new appointee.

-GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy