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[Claim for Dependents Travel Expenses]

B-208340 Nov 29, 1982
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Highlights

A Department of State employee appealed a Claims Group denial of reimbursement for his dependents' travel on a foreign air carrier in connection with his family's home leave travel. The employee's claim for foreign air carrier transportation was disallowed under the Fly America Act. In this case, U.S. air carrier service was available by direct route. However, the dependents used an indirect route which resulted in the use of a foreign air carrier to enable them to visit ailing grandparents en route to their destination. The employee contended that, since one of the purposes of home leave travel is the reuniting of families, his dependents' travel at no increase in overall cost should not be considered travel by indirect route but should be regarded as an essential mission. GAO held that, since home leave travel is not specifically authorized for the purpose of visiting relatives, the dependents' travel was travel by indirect route and, therefore, was correctly found to have been in violation of the Fly America Act. Under the act, agencies should collect from a traveler the loss of revenues by U.S. air carriers due to indirect travel on foreign aircraft. Accordingly, GAO sustained the denial of the claim for reimbursement for indirect travel expenses on a foreign air carrier. The amount should be determined by applying the proper mileage proration formula.

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