Web access becomes almost universal, and travel one of the most common types of e-commerce, more and more federal employees are turning to computers to help them plan trips, check regulations, and more.
GENERAL FEDERAL TRAVEL
http://pub.fss.gsa.gov/services/citypairs/citypairs-mid.html
The mother lode of information on the government’s low negotiated airline fares, including schedules, fares and more.
http://nasdac.faa.gov/internet/fw_search.htm
A Federal Aviation Administration page devoted to aviation safety data. From here you can search the National Transportation Safety Board Aviation Accident/Incident Database; the FAA Incident Data System; the Near Midair Collisions System database; NTSB Safety Recommendations to the FAA with FAA responses; and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics Airline Traffic Statistics database.
http://policyworks.gov/org/main/mt/homepage/mtt/mtthp.htm
The General Services Administration’s travel site–a jumping-off point for your search for most civilian travel information. Authored by the Office of Transportation and Personal Property, it includes information on per diem rates, the Federal Travel Regulations, state tax exemption policies and many other topics. A search engine allows you to search the regulations.
http://pub.fss.gsa.gov/fm/future
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the government’s travel and fleet card contracts. Includes the Task Order Guide for GSA’s Fleet, Travel and Purchase cards, which can help if you’re issuing or administering task orders under GSA’s master contract for charge cards.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ site has a wealth of studies on airline and surface transportation (including on-time statistics), access to transportation-related databases and the National Transportation Library and other, mostly technical, data.
www.financenet.gov/financenet/travel/travel.htm
Financenet offers information on DoD-related travel, such as the Joint Federal Travel Regulations, the DOT travel management system, and Federal Travel Regulations.
The Federal Supply Service awards the government’s services contracts, including those for fleet purchase or leasing and shipment of household goods. The site provides a complete list of vendors, among other things.
www.gsa.gov/regions/r9/travel/balv.htm
GSA’s Value Lodging program site provides a list of participating hotels and motels by state.
The Innovata Web site contains the Authorized Federal Travel Directory and searchable text of major government travel regulations. The site provides information on car rental companies, lodging sites, airlines and other private companies that do business with government travelers.
On the Federal Emergency Management Agency site, you can search by state for lodgings that meet the requirements of the 1990 Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act and find out what your agency must do to comply with the law. Also includes a list of fire-safety tips.
www.midatlantic.gsa.gov/fss/travel/training.htm
GSA’s travel training branch trains federal travelers and authorizing officials worldwide in the ins and outs of rules and procedures affecting temporary duty travel and relocation. Their site provides a list of upcoming courses.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
The Bureau of Consular Affairs home page provides recent press releases and travel advisories related to international political conditions. It also contains links to pages with information on passports, visa services, Y2K preparation overseas, U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, travel publications and other topics. A must-visit if you are going overseas.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s site for travelers heading overseas includes vaccine recommendations, health information for specific regions and countries, lists of disease outbreaks and other disease prevention information.
www.customs.gov/travel/travel.htm
This site is the U.S. Customs Service’s one-stop shop for info on customs issues, including restricted and prohibited merchandise, medications and regulations governing currency. It includes a special section for business travelers and is useful whether you are traveling overseas or playing host to guests coming from afar.
www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/howdoi/inspass.htm
Start here if you want to get on board with the INS program that lets frequent travelers zip through checkpoints when reentering the United States. Go to www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-823.htm to find the enrollment form.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
The Military Traffic Management Command’s site has info on commercial travel offices serving Defense employees, travel regs, the governmentwide car rental contracts (including rates and participating companies) and more.
http://trol.redstone.army.mil/mwr/lodging/acrc_lsp_main.html
The Army’s preferred lodging (“Lodging Success”) program is available to military and civilian travelers on official orders to Army installations and others. This site includes a list of participating hotels and motels and info on how to use the program.
www.defensetravel.com/home.html
Information central for DoD’s travel reengineering project, including the implementation schedule, the vendors, frequently asked questions, and more.
At the home page for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, click on “Money Matters” to get facts on travel and transportation pay, including information on travel cards and travel advances.
The home page of the Defense Travel System provides regular updates on the project.
The home page for the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee covers per diem rates, the full text of the Joint Federal Travel Regulations, and lodging and dining information.
OTHER RELATED SITES
This comprehensive source offers links to diplomatic offices, international sites and a bookstore. It also contains links to major newswires and selected media sources, so travelers can keep up with the news in the United States. The “Related Resources” section includes a search engine and links to policy and travel resources. Order foreign currency at discount exchange rates here.
The Innovata (Previously Patriot) site provides information on the intranet-based version of the Federal Travel Directory, including more than 47,000 hotels and motels and 700 airlines. the subscription information service helps federal offices and individual government travelers manage travel and travel costs with a step-by-step process that stores travelers’ preferences and guides them through trip arrangements.
The site of the Society of Travel Agents in Government, a membership association for federal travel managers and travel agents who have government clients. Here you can find information on airline city pairs, car rentals, federal travel regulations, foreign travel, lodging (including a list of the hotels in compliance with the 1990 Fire Safety Act) and Per Diem rates.
The official U.S. weather site includes current conditions, predictions and weather advisories.
The online version of the Official Airline Guide provides airline, airport, flight schedule and destination information. To get the full online version of OAG, you must have a subscription.
Also available from travel maven OAG, this site lists hotels and motels nationwide that comply with federal per diem limits and fire-safety regulations. Travelers can provide feedback via the site about hotels and per diem rates. Users who have trouble finding a hotel at or below per diem can report that info to GSA; the agency will reconsider an area’s per diem if several travelers point out problems
Information provided by: http://www.govexec.com/travel/sites.htm
by Kimberly Hubbard