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B-168060, DEC. 10, 1969

B-168060 Dec 10, 1969
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IS ENTITLED TO FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS BETWEEN LONDON AND NEW YORK CITY. WHICH AUTHORIZES FIRST CLASS AIR ACCOMMODATIONS FOR CHIEF OF MISSION AND HIS SPOUSE WHEN SUCH ACCOMMODATIONS ARE USED. IS APPLICABLE. YOU AND YOUR DEPENDENT WIFE WERE AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL FROM ACCRA. YOUR SON WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL ONE WAY FROM ACCRA TO NEW YORK. YOU SAY THAT WHILE TRAVELING AS CHIEF OF A MISSION (AMBASSADOR) YOU WERE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES OF FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS USED BY YOU FROM LONDON. AS AUTHORITY FOR SUCH REIMBURSEMENT YOU CITE 6 FAM 146.2. 6 FAM 146.2F AUTHORIZES FIRST CLASS AIR ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE CHIEF OF A MISSION AND HIS SPOUSE WHEN SUCH ACCOMMODATIONS ARE USED.

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B-168060, DEC. 10, 1969

FOREIGN SERVICE--TRAVEL EXPENSE--MODES OF TRAVEL--USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTES AMBASSADOR WHO TRAVELED ON HOME LEAVE FROM ACCRA, GHANA, USING ECONOMY CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS TO LONDON (WIFE TRAVELED TO PARIS) AND FIRST CLASS AIR ACCOMMODATIONS TO NEW YORK CITY, IS ENTITLED TO FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS BETWEEN LONDON AND NEW YORK CITY. ALTHOUGH 6 FAM 131.3-2 LIMITS REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS INCURRED THROUGH INDIRECT ROUTE TRAVELED TO COST OF ECONOMY JET ON USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE, SINCE STATE DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS TRAVEL BY WAY OF EUROPE AS USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE IN RETURNING TO U.S. FROM GHANA, 6 FAM 146.2F, WHICH AUTHORIZES FIRST CLASS AIR ACCOMMODATIONS FOR CHIEF OF MISSION AND HIS SPOUSE WHEN SUCH ACCOMMODATIONS ARE USED, IS APPLICABLE.

TO MR. FRANKLIN H. WILLIAMS:

THIS REFERS TO YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 18, 1969, REQUESTING RECONSIDERATION OF THAT PART OF OUR SETTLEMENT OF MARCH 13, 1969, CONCERNING REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES FOR YOURSELF AND WIFE INCIDENT TO YOUR TRAVEL FROM ACCRA, GHANA, TO NEW YORK, NEW YORK, AND RETURN, FOR PURPOSES OF HOME LEAVE.

BY TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION DATED NOVEMBER 30, 1967, AS AMENDED, YOU AND YOUR DEPENDENT WIFE WERE AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL FROM ACCRA, GHANA, TO NEW YORK, NEW YORK, AND RETURN, INCIDENT TO SUCH LEAVE. YOUR SON WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL ONE WAY FROM ACCRA TO NEW YORK, NEW YORK. THE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION AUTHORIZED APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS CONSULTATION IN THE DEPARTMENT IN WASHINGTON, D.C., PRIOR TO HOME LEAVE. THE INFORMATION OF RECORD SHOWS THAT YOU AND YOUR WIFE TRAVELING SEPARATELY RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES BY WAY OF EUROPE USING MIXED CLASSES OF ACCOMMODATIONS. IN RETURNING TO YOUR STATION IN ACCRA, GHANA, YOU AND YOUR WIFE TRAVELED TOGETHER BY AN INDIRECT ROUTE USING ECONOMY CLASS. YOU SAY THAT WHILE TRAVELING AS CHIEF OF A MISSION (AMBASSADOR) YOU WERE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES OF FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS USED BY YOU FROM LONDON, ENGLAND, TO NEW YORK, AND EXPENSES OF FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS USED BY YOUR WIFE FROM PARIS, FRANCE, TO NEW YORK. AS AUTHORITY FOR SUCH REIMBURSEMENT YOU CITE 6 FAM 146.2.

6 FAM 146.2F AUTHORIZES FIRST CLASS AIR ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE CHIEF OF A MISSION AND HIS SPOUSE WHEN SUCH ACCOMMODATIONS ARE USED. ALSO, 6 FAM 131.3-2 PROVIDES THAT REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS INCURRED ON THAT PORTION OF THE JOURNEY WHICH IS TRAVELED BY AN INDIRECT ROUTE IS LIMITED TO THE COST BY ECONOMY JET WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN INCURRED BY TRAVELING ON A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE.

THE PORTION OF THE TRAVEL WHICH APPEARS TO BE IN QUESTION IS THAT PERFORMED BY YOU AND YOUR WIFE FROM ACCRA TO NEW YORK CITY. THE RECORD SHOWS THAT YOU TRAVELED ECONOMY CLASS FROM ACCRA, GHANA, TO LONDON, ENGLAND, AND FIRST CLASS FROM LONDON TO NEW YORK CITY. YOUR WIFE TRAVELED FROM ACCRA TO NEW YORK VIA PARIS AND LONDON USING THE SAME ACCOMMODATIONS. IT HAS BEEN INFORMALLY ASCERTAINED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE THAT IT CONSIDERS TRAVEL BY WAY OF EUROPE AS A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE IN RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM GHANA. WE THEREFORE, CONCUR IN YOUR VIEW THAT YOU WERE ENTITLED TO FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS BETWEEN LONDON AND NEW YORK CITY.

IN COMPUTING THE ALLOWABLE TRANSPORTATION FOR YOU AND YOUR WIFE WE NOW FIND YOUR ENTITLEMENT TO BE AS FOLLOWS: 2 ECONOMY CLASS AIR FARES - ACCRA TO NEW YORK CITY $398.80 OR

$ 797.60 2 FIRST CLASS DIFFERENTIALS, ONE FROM LONDON, THE OTHER FROM PARIS TO NEW YORK CITY $156.80 OR 313.60 1 ROUND TRIP 1ST CLASS AIR FARE - NEW YORK CITY TO WASHINGTON, D.C. 40.10 2 ECONOMY CLASS AIR FARES, NEW YORK CITY TO ACCRA $389.30 OR 778.60

TOTAL $1929.90

IN ADDITION YOU WERE ENTITLED TO ONE-WAY TRANSPORTATION FOR YOUR SON FROM ACCRA TO NEW YORK CITY IN THE AMOUNT OF $409.70. ALSO, WE NOW FIND THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TO PER DIEM IN THE AMOUNT OF $122.50 RATHER THAN THE $119 PREVIOUSLY ALLOWED AND MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES IN THE AMOUNT OF $23.63. THUS, UPON REVIEW, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF YOUR ENTITLEMENT IS DETERMINED TO BE $2,485.73. SINCE THE EXPENSE INCURRED BY THE GOVERNMENT ON ACCOUNT OF YOUR TRAVEL WAS $2,507.40 YOU, THEREFORE, ARE INDEBTED TO THE GOVERNMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $21.67, WHICH AMOUNT SHOULD BE REMITTED WITHOUT DELAY.

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