Request Concerning the Liability of Government for Air Travel Costs

An authorized certifying officer for the Water and Power Resources Service requested a decision as to whether the claim of an assistant regional director may be paid. The claim concerned the liability of the Government for additional personal air travel costs incurred by the director when his official duties caused him to change his flight reservations. Since the director had planned to take a personal trip, he purchased a discounted airline ticket and arranged to take annual leave. Prior to entering annual leave status, circumstances developed in connection with the director's official duties which caused him to remain at the office that afternoon and also to have to plan to return on an earlier flight. As a result, the director found it necessary to change his flight reservations, and he was charged additional expenses since the change disqualified him from receiving the discount fare. The director claimed that the additional charges were directly connected with the performance of official business. As supportive of the director's claim, several decisions were cited that allowed reimbursement where additional travel costs were incurred as a result of the cancellation of annual leave. However, these decisions involved official travel intermingled with personal business, while this claim involved only personal travel. GAO could not find any law or regulation under which payment could be authorized to the director for the additional personal travel expense incurred. Accordingly, payment of the claim may not be made.