Domestic or international, request assistance or book on-line are all factors of how much a traveler will be charged for their government travel reservations. Government travelers are still struggling with the different fees that appear on their travel documents. First there are the Travel Management (TMC) fees. The TMC fee is charged at the time the ticket is issued for airfare and when the hotel reservation is booked. The rate of the fee is based upon the service that is provided to the traveler. The TMC fee is significantly lower if the traveler books reservations on-line rather than calling an agent for traditional service. Also the fee for international reservations is higher when the traveler requests assistance due to the complexity of the travel.
The vendors also charge a fee on a transactional basis for the use of the eGov travel system. The Travel Authorization and Voucher (TAV) fee is assessed on the authorization and local voucher when the document is signed. When the corresponding voucher or local voucher is approved, the fee is charged to the individual government-issued charge card. If the individual government-issued card number is not available in the system, then the centrally billed account that was used to purchase the ticket is charged.
Some travelers find these fees to be cumbersome when reconciling their individual billed account (IBA) statements especially the TAV fee. The TMC fee normally appears on the IBA statements around the trip dates when other charges for the trip are being charged, such as hotel, rental car, meals, etc. However, the TAV fee is charged to the IBA when the traveler submits a voucher for approval and payment. If the traveler does not voucher timely, then it could cause issues when the traveler reconciles their IBA statement.
At my agency, we are currently working with the vendor on an enhancement to the system that will direct the payment of the TAV fee to the vendor rather than it being charged to the traveler. This enhancement will reduce issues that the travelers encounter when reconciling their IBA statement.
by Julie Gilchrist
“The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the Government or my agency.