B-103315, NOVEMBER 14, 1966, 46 COMP. GEN. 398

B-103315, NOVEMBER 14, 1966, 46 COMP. GEN. 398

TRANSPORTATION - TRAVEL AGENCIES - USE APPROVED A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES AT A SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIUM OVERSEAS WHO IN LIEU OF USING A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST PROCURED THE MORE ECONOMICAL ROUND TRIP GROUP TRAVEL FARE PROVIDED BY A TRAVEL AGENCY MAY BE REIMBURSED THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION ON THE BASIS THAT PERMISSION WOULD HAVE BEEN GRANTED TO USE THE SERVICES OF THE TRAVEL AGENCY HAD THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL BEEN REQUESTED, IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR GUIDANCE OF FEDERAL AGENCIES, TITLE 5, SECTION 2085, TO APPROVE AN EXCEPTION TO THE RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF TRAVEL AGENCIES AND THE REQUIREMENT THAT WHENEVER THE COST OF OFFICIAL TRANSPORTATION SERVICES EXCEEDS $15, A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST MUST BE USED.

TO E. A. BERGER, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, NOVEMBER 14, 1966:

WE AGAIN REFER TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 31, 1966, IN WHICH YOU REQUEST PERMISSION TO REIMBURSE A STAFF MEMBER OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION FOR THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES PROCURED THROUGH A TRAVEL AGENCY. ALSO REFER TO YOUR LETTER OF OCTOBER 21, 1966, TO OUR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION, WITH WHICH WAS ENCLOSED A COPY OF THE STAFF MEMBER'S TRAVEL VOUCHER. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU ARE AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND THAT IN EFFECT YOU DESIRE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER YOU MAY PROPERLY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT REIMBURSEMENT OF THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.

YOU INDICATE A MEMBER OF THE STAFF OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WAS SELECTED AS ITS OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO DELIVER A PAPER DURING A SYMPOSIUM OF THE ELEVENTH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS HELD IN TOKYO, JAPAN, BETWEEN AUGUST 22, AND SEPTEMBER 10, 1966. THE PURPOSES OF THE CONGRESS INCLUDED THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON NATURAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN THE PACIFIC BASIN AND ITS ENVIRONS. THE SELECTED STAFF MEMBER'S REQUEST FOR ROUND-TRIP TRAVEL BETWEEN WASHINGTON, D.C; AND TOKYO, JAPAN, WAS APPROVED BY THE PROPER AUTHORITIES.

MEANWHILE, THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE (A.A.A.S.) HAD ARRANGED WITH HOGAN TRAVEL SERVICE, INC; A TRAVEL AGENCY, FOR AIR TRANSPORTATION AT GROUP TRAVEL FARES BETWEEN CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AND TOKYO, JAPAN, FOR AAAS MEMBERS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING THE CONGRESS. THE TRAVELER APPARENTLY IS A MEMBER OF THE AAAS AND NOTIFIED THE TRAVEL AGENCY THAT HE WAS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN ONE OF THE FLIGHTS. SINCE UNDER OUR REGULATIONS A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST COULD NOT BE ISSUED TO THE TRAVEL AGENCY (5 GAO 2013.20), THE TRAVELER PAID THE TRAVEL AGENCY $555 IN CASH, WHICH IS THE GROUP TRAVEL FARE PROVIDED BY TARIFF FOR ROUND-TRIP GROUP AIR TRAVEL BETWEEN SEATTLE AND TOKYO VIA NORTHWESTERN AIRLINES.

GROUP TRAVEL FARES OFFERED BY AIR CARRIERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE TRAVEL OF GROUPS, USUALLY MADE UP OF 25 OR MORE PERSONS BELONGING TO SOME TYPE OF PRE-EXISTING ORGANIZATION, AND ARE PUBLISHED IN TARIFFS REQUIRED TO BE FILED WITH THE CIVIL AERONAUTICS BOARD. 14 C.F.R. 207; IATA GROUP FARES AGREEMENT, 36 C.A.B. 33 (1962). FOR EXAMPLE, THE $555 GROUP TRAVEL FARE BETWEEN SEATTLE AND TOKYO IS PUBLISHED IN NORTHWESTERN AIRLINES, INC; LOCAL AND JOINT INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER FARES TARIFF NO. 4, C.A.B. NO. 83, 13TH REVISED PAGE 73, EFFECTIVE AUGUST 4, 1966.

THE TRAVELER'S TRAVEL VOUCHER SHOWS A COST OF $846.35 FOR THE AUTHORIZED ROUND-TRIP TRAVEL BETWEEN WASHINGTON, D.C; AND TOKYO, JAPAN. THIS INCLUDES THE RAIL FARE OF $9 FROM WASHINGTON, .C; TO NEW YORK, NEW YORK, AND THE ROUND-TRIP AIR FARE OF $282.35 FROM NEW YORK TO SEATTLE, AND RETURN TO WASHINGTON, BOTH TRANSPORTATION SERVICES PROCURED DIRECTLY FROM CARRIERS IN EXCHANGE FOR TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS; IT ALSO INCLUDES $555, THE COST OF THE ROUND-TRIP GROUP TRAVEL FARE PAID TO THE TRAVEL AGENCY IN CASH. AT THE TIME OF TRAVEL, THE ROUND-TRIP ECONOMY CLASS PER CAPITA FARE BETWEEN WASHINGTON, D.C; AND TOKYO, JAPAN, APPLICABLE IN REGULARLY SCHEDULED SERVICES WAS $998. THUS, THE TRAVELER'S COST OF $846.35 WAS $151.65 LESS, DUE TO THE USE OF THE GROUP TRAVEL FARE AVAILABLE TO THE TRAVELER IN HIS CAPACITY AS AN AAAS MEMBER THROUGH ARRANGEMENTS PROVIDED BY THE TRAVEL AGENCY.

INVOLVED HERE IS SECTION 2013 OF THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE POLICY AND PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR GUIDANCE OF FEDERAL AGENCIES, TITLE 5, WHICH, IN THE PROCUREMENT OF OFFICIAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, AMONG OTHER THINGS, GENERALLY RESTRICTS THE ISSUANCE OF THE TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS TO TRAVEL AGENCIES, AND SECTION 2020 WHICH IN EFFECT PRECLUDES THE USE OF CASH TO PROCURE OFFICIAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WHEN THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION, WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION TAX, IS OVER $15. COMPARE SECTION 4.2 OF BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-7-REVISED, THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS (SGTR).

THE RESTRICTIONS IN OUR REGULATIONS ON THE USE OF TRAVEL AGENCIES AND THE REQUIREMENT THAT TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS BE USED TO PROCURE OFFICIAL PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION SERVICES WHENEVER THE COST OF THE TRANSPORTATION EXCEEDS $15 ARE CONSIDERED NECESSARY TO INSURE PROPER ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROL OVER THE EXPENDITURE AND AUDIT OF APPROPRIATED FUNDS AND APPLY GENERALLY THROUGHOUT THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE. HOWEVER, SECTION 2085 OF OUR REGULATIONS PROVIDES THAT EXCEPTION TO THEM MAY BE MADE "ONLY AFTER OBTAINING THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES;, IF THE FACTS IN THIS CASE HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BEFORE THE TIME OF TRAVEL, WE MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE GRANTED AN EXCEPTION TO OUR REGULATIONS IN VIEW OF THE AVAILABILITY OF THE ECONOMICAL GROUP TRAVEL FARE. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND SINCE AS OBSERVED BY YOU THE TRAVELER ACTED IN GOOD FAITH AND ENDEAVORED TO MAKE ECONOMICAL USAGE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS (SEE SECTION 1.2 OF THE SGTR), WE WILL NOT QUESTION IN THIS CASE THE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE TRAVELER OF $555, REPRESENTING THE COST OF THE ROUNDTRIP GROUP TRAVEL FARE BETWEEN SEATTLE AND TOKYO WHICH WAS PROCURED BY THE TRAVELER FOR CASH FROM A TRAVEL AGENCY, AND SUCH AMOUNT MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.