Request for Exemption From Restrictions Against Use of Travel Agents

The Department of the Interior requested an exemption from the restrictions against the use of travel agents to procure official government travel for a traveler whose travel cost was to be reimbursed by Interior. The travel involved transportation to Interior in Washington, D.C., where the traveler and the involved administrative personnel were unaware of the requirement restricting the use of travel agents. According to Interior, equity and fairness dictate that an exemption should be authorized since the government received the benefit of the transportation at coach rates. It has been previously held that reimbursement would be allowed where a traveler whose transportation was reimbursable by Interior was unaware of the restriction on the use of travel agents when he purchased an airline ticket with personal funds. GAO did not object to the payment of the transportation costs if the voucher was otherwise proper and the costs did not exceed the cost of transportation purchased directly from the carrier.