When it comes to official government travel, there are so many regulations and procedures that must be followed on how to make your travel lodging reservations that it gets quite confusing. Keep in mind that personal convenience, which is certainly what we would prefer, is not a Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) exception.
First and foremost, we should be looking for a FedRoom facility. Doing so will meet the FTR requirement of giving first consideration to FedRooms properties. These are establishments that are contracted by General Services Administration (GSA) under the FedRooms Program to ensure that the government traveler stays in fire safe accommodations at a government rate. Lodging facilities participating in the FedRooms program offer rates at or below government per diem rates and have a 2-star or higher rating.
Secondly, the FTR requires travelers to book all reservations through their E-Gov Travel System (eTS) or their Travel Management Center (TMC). However, there are some extenuating circumstances for which it may not be possible or practical to use the eTS to book lodging.
- One example would be when attending a conference where the conference sponsor has negotiated with one or more lodging facilities to set aside a specific number of rooms for conference attendees. This would require the traveler to book lodging directly with the lodging facility.
- Another example would be when travel is to a remote location and it is not possible to book lodging accommodations through the eTS.
- Yet another example would be when travel arrangements are so complex that circumstances will not allow for booking travel through the eTS. Foreign travel can get complicated and would fall into this category.
By: Robyn Rice
“The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.”