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B-156958, JUL. 23, 1965

B-156958 Jul 23, 1965
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THE EMPLOYEE WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL FROM RENO. THE COST OF THE ENTIRE TRANSPORTATION TO THE GOVERNMENT WAS $230.25. IN COMPUTING CONSTRUCTIVE COSTS OF THE DIRECT AIR TRAVEL YOUR OFFICE FOUND THAT THE TRANSPORTATION BY AIRPLANE COULD HAVE BEEN OBTAINED AT A COST OF $224.64 AND THE DIFFERENCE OF $5.60 WAS SUSPENDED. THE EMPLOYEE IS RECLAIMING THE $5.60 ON THE GROUNDS THAT A UNITED AIRLINES REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE NORMAL AND USUAL ROUTING FOR TRAVEL FROM THE EAST TO RENO AND FROM RENO TO THE EAST IS VIA SAN FRANCISCO AND PERSONNEL OF YOUR AGENCY HAD USED SUCH ROUTE AT LEAST 70 PERCENT OF THE TIME FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS. SECTION 3.2 OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES THAT "ALL TRAVEL WILL BE BY A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE.

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B-156958, JUL. 23, 1965

TO MISS JEANNETTE B. WILBANKS, AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, BUREAU OF MINES:

THIS REFERS TO YOUR LETTER OF JUNE 2, 1965, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING A DECISION FROM OUR OFFICE WHETHER CERTIFICATION MAY BE MADE ON THE RECLAIM VOUCHER THEREWITH TRANSMITTED PROPOSING PAYMENT OF $5.60 FOR TRANSPORTATION COSTS, PREVIOUSLY SUSPENDED, INCIDENT TO TRAVEL PERFORMED DURING THE PERIOD FEBRUARY 14-19, 1965.

THE EMPLOYEE WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL FROM RENO, NEVADA, TO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND RETURN FOR THE PURPOSE OF TEMPORARY DUTY. THE EMPLOYEE LEFT RENO BY AIRPLANE ON FEBRUARY 14, 1965, 9:55 .M., TRAVELED DIRECTLY TO CHICAGO BUT RETURNED (FEBRUARY 19, 1965) BY AN INDIRECT ROUTE VIA SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA ARRIVING IN RENO AT 2:35 P.M. THE COST OF THE ENTIRE TRANSPORTATION TO THE GOVERNMENT WAS $230.25. IN COMPUTING CONSTRUCTIVE COSTS OF THE DIRECT AIR TRAVEL YOUR OFFICE FOUND THAT THE TRANSPORTATION BY AIRPLANE COULD HAVE BEEN OBTAINED AT A COST OF $224.64 AND THE DIFFERENCE OF $5.60 WAS SUSPENDED. THE EMPLOYEE IS RECLAIMING THE $5.60 ON THE GROUNDS THAT A UNITED AIRLINES REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE NORMAL AND USUAL ROUTING FOR TRAVEL FROM THE EAST TO RENO AND FROM RENO TO THE EAST IS VIA SAN FRANCISCO AND PERSONNEL OF YOUR AGENCY HAD USED SUCH ROUTE AT LEAST 70 PERCENT OF THE TIME FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.

SECTION 3.2 OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES THAT "ALL TRAVEL WILL BE BY A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE. TRAVEL BY OTHER ROUTES MAY BE ALLOWED WHEN THE OFFICIAL NECESSITY THEREFOR IS SATISFACTORILY ESTABLISHED.' WE DO NOT AGREE THAT IN ALL INSTANCES THE NORMAL AND USUAL TRAVEL FROM RENO TO THE EAST AND FROM THE EAST TO RENO IS VIA SAN FRANCISCO. THE FACT THAT THIS ROUTE MAY HAVE BEEN USED IN THE PAST BY PERSONNEL OF YOUR AGENCY AS RECOMMENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED AIRLINES IS NOT CONTROLLING IN A PARTICULAR SITUATION DEPENDING ON SCHEDULES, TIME OF TRAVEL AND POSSIBLY OTHER FACTORS. WE NOTE THAT THE EMPLOYEE USED A DIRECT ROUTE WITHOUT GOING BY WAY OF SAN FRANCISCO ON HIS WAY TO THE EAST.

FROM OFFICIAL SCHEDULES AND TARIFFS ON FILE IN OUR OFFICE, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE TRAVEL COULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED BY A DIRECT ROUTE WHICH DIFFERS SOMEWHAT FROM THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRAVEL BY YOUR AGENCY. OUR COMPUTATION IS AS FOLLOWS:

TABLE

2/14/65 LEAVE RENO 9:55 A.M. VIA UAL FLIGHT 224 TO

CHICAGO $110.00

2/19/65 LEAVE CHICAGO 10:10 A.M. VIA UAL FLIGHT

271 ARRIVE SALT LAKE CITY 12:25 P.M. 80.00

LEAVE SALT LAKE CITY 1:50 P.M. VIA UAL

FLIGHT 441, ARRIVE RENO 2:16 P.M. 27.80

$217.80

IT IS NOTED THAT IF THE EMPLOYEE HAD USED THE ROUTE SET FORTH ABOVE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS TRAVEL TIME UTILIZED IN RETURNING TO RENO AND NO MORE CHANGING TO OTHER AIRPLANES THAN WAS MADE OVER THE ROUTE ACTUALLY TAKEN; ALSO, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SAVINGS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF $12.45 WHICH UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES IS PROPERLY CHARGEABLE TO THE TRAVELER.

ACCORDINGLY, THE RECLAIM VOUCHER WHICH IS RETURNED, TOGETHER WITH ACCOMPANYING PAPERS, MAY NOT BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.

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