As E-travel came on line, some of the most vocal complaints that we heard from the program offices and individual travelers involved the sudden “appearance” of fees for booking online or going through an agent.  The fee schedule was confusing and could be complex.  Many claimed that they had never had to pay the fees before (they had, but often they were considered part of the ticket price), and there were a lot of complaints about having to pay fees if the traveler was “doing all the work” to book the travel on line. A good part of the initial outreach involved educating people about the fees, and how to budget for the fees when planning travel. Our government travel staff provided a working estimate for a “typical” online and agent-assisted ticket, and that helped programs simplify their budgeting which also reduced their anxiety about having enough funds on hand on the authorization.  Over the last three or four years travelers have become much less sensitive to changes in the ticket fees.

Today, we have seen the price sensitivity shift from the really minor cost of ticketing fees to more requests for waivers from having to use the city-pairs contract tickets.  This becomes a major issue particularly during the first quarter of the fiscal year and the very end of the fourth quarter when funds are in short supply.  Congress’s perpetual inability to pass a budget in a timely manner exacerbates the problem because continuing resolutions only provide a portion of an agency’s budget with a 10% reduction from the prior fiscal year.  When a researcher has travel scheduled several months in advance timed to attend a conference or do field research, it is not feasible to simply delay the trip.  This larger price sensitivity is also a long-term issue for GSA’s City-Pair program that will have to be addressed in future City-Pair negotiations if the program is to continue to be viable.  The paying programs and their travelers have become much more sophisticated in their use of the e-travel systems, both government and private, and they are expecting more from the government programs as well.

by Julie Speers

What is Code sharing?

A code share is an agreement between airlines that allows the sale of seats by a partner airline on another airline’s flight as if the flight were its own.  Code shares can provide a cost-effective way for a carrier to enter new markets by using the facilities and operations of a partner carrier.

This can be misleading for travelers who believe they have purchased a ticket on one airline only to discover they are actually flying another. Or worse, when that traveler believes they are staying on a single airline on a multi-leg trip only to discover that they are not only changing planes, but changing airlines, too, in their connecting city.

How do I know if I am booking a code share flight?

Under U.S. Department of Transportation rules, carriers must clearly disclose code share flights on schedules and passenger itineraries by marking them with an asterisk or other “easily identifiable mark” along with the name of the actual transporting carrier.

Code shares are identified in our E Travel System with an “Operated By” statement next to the carrier operating the flight selected.

Where should I check-in if I booked a code share flight?

Typically, you should check in with and board the airline that is operating the flight, not the carrier that sold you the ticket.

How do I change my itinerary or request a specific seat?

Most airlines will tell you that you need to contact the carrier that sold you the ticket rather than the carrier you are actually flying.

Which airline is responsible for reservation issues or lost baggage?

While the selling airline is most often responsible for reservation issues, lost or damaged baggage claims are generally submitted to the last airline that handled your luggage at your destination.

Are there price differences on code share flights?

There can be pricing discrepancies on the same code share flights sold by two different airlines. The reason for this is that each airline sets its own prices in a code share situation to preserve the spirit of competition.

Contract carriers with code share business agreements cannot obligate their code share partner’s inventories for YCA contract fares. In the E Travel System, travelers may see a fare listed as a GSA City Pair until it is priced, and then the fare becomes a standard commercial fare. Only those fares highlighted as a GSA City Pair when selected are the actual contract fares. Travelers should check the fare rules for all other flights to identify any flight restrictions.

Will the code share partner accept my Frequent Flier Miles?

Here is another complexity: A code share does not guarantee the partner airlines accept each other’s frequent flier miles. Travelers will need to confirm that their frequent flier miles have been recorded when they check in at the ticket counter.

by Carole Byrd

Disclaimer: The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.  Use of this equipment is consistent with the agency’s policy governing limited personal use.

The FTR sets forth the rules and regulations applicable to employees traveling on behalf of the U.S. Government.  It administers the laws governing travel allowances and entitlements for Federal employees.  The FTR contains information on mode of transportation, per diem, and miscellaneous entitlements.

The Federal Travel Regulation is written in a question and answer format that makes it easier to understand. A glossary of terms is also provided at the beginning.  Although, most agencies that follow the FTR provide training opportunities, information can also be found on the GSA website.

The introduction of electronic travel systems made the Federal Travel Regulations more noticeable to travelers.  The Federal Travel Regulations required federal travelers to use a Travel Management Service (TMS) or risk being responsible for costs associated with not using the service. E-Travel systems can recognize if a traveler is not in compliance with the Federal Travel Regulations and requires justifications when a traveler is not in compliance.  For instance, if a traveler makes an airline reservation with a non-contract carrier, they will receive a pre-audit flag and must enter a justification before sending the reservation to the TMC.  Travelers did not always like this feature at first.

The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.  Use of this equipment is consistent with the agency’s policy governing limited personal use.

By:  Chanda Garrett

The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.

In 1980 the General Services Administration (GSA) developed the City Pair Program (CPP) to provide discounted air passenger transportation services to Federal government travelers. In the beginning, this service only covered 11 markets, but has grown to over 5,000 city pairs. The average savings is 63%-77% below commercial full fares. A critical aspect of travel planning is flexibility and the CPP has many features that allow Government travelers all the flexibility possible.

Features of the Service include:

• Non-stop service was awarded on 95% of the markets where non-stop service was offered.
• Fares are priced on one-way routes, permitting agency travelers to plan multiple destinations.
• Fares are unrestricted, meaning:
• No advance purchase required
• Tickets are fully refundable
• No charge for cancellations or changes
• Last seat availability
• No blackout periods
• No minimum or maximum length of stay required

The Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) require nearly all Federal government travelers to use the CPP which is part of the reason GSA is able to obtain such phenomenal pricing. There are a few exceptions for not using the CPP; however, travelers that use these exceptions would have to abide by the many restrictions that typically go along with standard commercial fares. Some of these restrictions could include non-refundability and change or cancellation fees, which could increase the total trip cost by several hundred dollars.

Some airlines that do not win the contract offer Federal travelers a government fare—sometimes referred to as a “me too” or “matching” fare. These fares are usually comparable to the contract fare in price; however, they may or may not be fully refundable and may come with ticketing restrictions.

Our E Travel System has the mandatory use of the CPP built in so that travelers can easily identify which fares are contract carriers and which ones are not. Built in audits force travelers who do not chose the contract carrier to provide FTR justifications before completing their travel authorization. These built in controls encourage the use of the CPP and keep our travelers in compliance with Federal travel regulations. Unfortunately, travelers who book their reservations by calling the agency designated TMC directly run into issues with identifying a CPP and a non-contract government fare. The issue usually involves the terminology used by the TMC agent and the travelers understanding of the difference between a contract and non-contract government fare. Booking reservations directly with the TMC bypasses the built in audit controls thus allowing the traveler a false sense of security in believing that they have booked their reservations in compliance with the FTR. On a positive note, once the TMC transmits the traditional reservations back into the E Travel System, the system picks up the built in audits and forces the next person in the routing to justify use of a non-contract fare. To alleviate confusion between a CPP and non-contract government fare, travelers should always ask for a contract fare instead of a government fare when booking directly with the TMC.

by Carole Byrd

Disclaimer: The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.  Use of this equipment is consistent with the agency’s policy governing limited personal use.

Currently, our E Travel System is dependent on the GDS (Sabre) for identifying hotel availability and the booking of inventory. What information is listed in Sabre and how often the inventory is updated is entirely up to the individual hotel properties.

How does this affect the E Travel Systems hotel query?  The first query of the E Travel System sends an availability command to Sabre.  The return is a list of hotels for which availability is not yet confirmed. Some reservation services pull their properties when they fill, and some do not. Consequently, when a particular property is selected for a rate check, it is possible that the query will return a response that the property is not available; however, calling that hotel property might yield a room at the desired rate, even though the property shows full in Sabre, hence in the E Travel System. The on site hotel staff has the best and latest information as to no-show trends, and the ultimate risk of overbooking their properties.

Travelers, have several options for searching for available lodging in the E Travel System. They can query by hotel name or zip code, near their TDY location or near the airport. Travelers can search a ten-mile radius up to 99 miles from the airport. In addition, there are two types of lodging searches to conduct:

• Government Preferred – Displays all hotel properties that are FedRooms participants. FedRooms is the official government-wide, government-sponsored lodging program managed by GSA, in support of the President’s Management Agenda. Federal Travel Regulations require that you give FedRooms first consideration before looking at other hotel properties.
• Other Lodging – If you are not able to find suitable lodging under the government preferred tab, searching under the other lodging tab will allow you to search for additional lodging.

Unfortunately, all of these options do not guarantee that the traveler will find that particular hotel where they can enjoy that complimentary breakfast every morning. However, the benefits of the E Travel System far out weigh the idiosyncrasies of booking lodging for government travel. For the prudent traveler, the E Travel System helps ensure that they are following Federal Travel Regulations and they are wise stewards of the taxpayer’s dollars.

by Carole Byrd

Disclaimer: The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.  Use of this equipment is consistent with the agency’s policy governing limited personal use.

In our E Travel System we have two options for seat selection–travelers can select isle or window from a drop down menu; or, if one is available, the traveler can view a seat map of the airplane and select a specific seat. Unfortunately, their seat selection is not guaranteed until their reservations are confirmed by the E Travel Systems’ accommodated Travel Management Center (TMC.) Because the seat selection is not real-time, many travelers are disconcerted to find the seat they selected did not confirm when they booked their reservations. To alleviate some of the issues with selecting seats in the E Travel System, we advise our travelers to wait until their tickets are purchased and then select their specific seat from the airline’s website or call the TMC to confirm a specific seat.

Whatever your seating preference, using these strategies will give travelers the best advantage for selecting the perfect seat.

Elite seating (First or Business Class): Some airlines reserve a section of the airplane for their best customers–usually the first 10 – 15 rows in the front of the airplane. Middle seats are filled last in these special sections.

Exit rows: Exit rows usually have more legroom to facilitate quick evacuations in emergencies. As a bonus, seats in front of exit rows often don’t recline keeping the exit path clear and giving exit row passengers even more space. Passengers capable of assisting in an emergency may only occupy exit rows. These seats are usually assigned at airport check in. Arrive at the airport early to claim a seat in an exit row. Caution: Exit row seats may be slightly narrower as tray tables are often stowed in arm rests. Because exit rows offer more room, even the middle seats fill up fast.

Bulkhead seats: Like the exit row, the bulkhead has ups and downs. Because bulkhead seats are generally behind a wall or curtain, you don’t have to worry about someone slamming their seat back in your face. Sometimes bulkhead seats have more legroom, other times less because the wall is so close. With no seat in front of you, there’s no handy place to store your carry on luggage.

Live seat maps: Live seat maps show which seats are still available before you book a flight. You may access these maps on many airline and travel booking sites or through your agency designated TMC.

Seat assignment at booking: If you cannot reserve a seat when purchasing a ticket, it may be a warning that the flight is overbooked. Those without seat assignments get what’s left over.

Ask, ask, and ask again: If you are unhappy with your seat, ask to be waitlisted for a better seat when making the reservation and again at the airport. Better seats often become available when passengers cancel or switch flights. Before departure, airlines release the “no-show” seats.

Flight delays: During a flight delay many business travelers or those with tight connections switch to alternate flights making many choice seats suddenly available again.

The empty middle-seat strategy: In a row of three or more seats together, an open middle seat makes any flight more comfortable. Select an aisle seat towards the rear of the airplane where another passenger is already seated by the window. When aisle and window are occupied, the middle seat is more likely to remain open. If you choose an empty row, you are inviting the next traveling couple to take the two open seats next to you. In most cases, middle seats fill up last in the rear of the airplane.

Couples should reserve the aisle and window seat. The middle seat will remain open unless the flight is very full and any passenger assigned to that middle seat will be more than happy to trade for the aisle or window seat so you and your travel companion may sit together.

Last row issues: The last row of seats often do not recline, and engine noise and bumpiness is greatest.

DC9s, MD80s, B717s, and regional jets: Some or all rows on these airplanes are two seaters. Though this eliminates the middle seat problem, with only two seats together, you are less likely to have an unoccupied seat next to you. Smaller, regional aircraft may also be configured with a single seat on one or both sides of the aisle, giving you an aisle and window seat simultaneously.

by Carole Byrd

Disclaimer: The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.  Use of this equipment is consistent with the agency’s policy governing limited personal use.