[Claim for Cost of Transportation Purchased Through Travel Agent]

An authorized certifying officer of the Forest Service requested a review of an employee claim for the purchase of transportation from a travel agent with personal funds. The employee paid cash in excess of $100 for airline tickets to participate in a workshop while on an intermittent government job appointment and to fly to her duty station when she received her appointment. The agency recommended reimbursement of the employee's travel costs because she was a new appointee and was unaware of the restriction on the use of travel agents at the time of her appointment. GAO has held that an employee who pays for travel on official business with more than $100 of personal cash may be reimbursed if he provides evidence of purchase. However, the employee may be reimbursed for only the amount the government would have been required to pay had the transportation services been purchased directly from the carrier. Since the record did not show that the employee was ever advised not to use a travel agent in her travel, GAO found that the employee could be reimbursed the costs of transportation purchased through a travel agent. Accordingly, the vouchers were returned so that payment could be made in accordance with this decision.