Authorization for Payment of Airline Tickets Purchased Through Travel Agency

A certifying officer requested an opinion on whether or not payment of three purchase orders was proper. The purchase orders were issued to cover the purchase of airline tickets through a travel agent for participants in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Trial Advocacy Training program. Specifically, the certifying officer asked whether the restrictions against the use of travel agents prohibit payment of the purchase orders. The record showed that: (1) EEOC claimed that its use of the travel agent was permitted under Federal Travel Regulations which authorize the use of travel agents to arrange group or charter travel; and (2) the use of a travel agency was more advantageous to the Government and permitted EEOC control of the participants' arrival time so that local transportation could be arranged for the entire group to the training site. However, the required administrative determination that the use of the reduced fares resulted in a monetary savings to the Government was not made prior to the travel. GAO held that, since EEOC used the airline tickets which the travel agent purchased and obtained the benefit of the services provided and since EEOC determined that use of the travel agency resulted in a monetary savings to the Government, the travel agent may be reimbursed for the cost of the tickets if the invoices are otherwise correct.