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[Appeal of Claims Group's Denial of Claim for Travel Expenses]

B-219850 Feb 19, 1986
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Highlights

An Air Force member appealed the Claims Group's denial of his claim for reimbursement for his and his family's overseas travel on a foreign air carrier incident to a permanent change of station to Japan, and he submitted a statement which justified his use of a foreign air carrier on the basis that the only U.S. air carrier serving Japan was unavailable. The member also contended that Air Force officers knew of his travel plans but failed to caution him about the use of foreign air carriers. GAO has held that: (1) regulations prohibit the expenditure of appropriated funds for government-financed air transportation on a foreign air carrier unless U.S. carriers are unavailable or in the absence of satisfactory proof of necessity; (2) regulations require a transportation or other appropriate officer's determination that U.S. air carrier service was unavailable or that through service could not be offered between the origin and destination; and (3) the government cannot be bound by the erroneous acts of its agents. GAO found that the member had not furnished sufficient justification for his foreign air carrier travel. Accordingly, the claim may not be paid.

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