B-161326, MAY 16, 1967
Highlights
FOR $11.13 REPRESENTING ADDITIONAL AIR TRAVEL COSTS WHICH PREVIOUSLY WERE DISALLOWED ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR THE REASON THAT THE TRAVELER FAILED TOUSE A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE IN RETURNING FROM NEW YORK. THE COST OF TRAVEL VIA SUCH ROUTE WAS $121.90. TRANSPORTATION COSTS OF $111.30 WERE ALLOWED UPON THE BASIS OF THE MORE DIRECT ROUTE. THE EMPLOYEE COULD HAVE TRAVELED AS FOLLOWS: FLIGHT STANDARD AIRLINE NO. IN THE INSTANT CASE NOT ONLY WAS THE ROUTE TAKEN MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE DIRECT ROUTE BUT THE SCHEDULED TIME OVER SUCH ROUTE WAS LONGER. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTES FROM NEW YORK CITY TO GRAND JUNCTION. ARE DIRECT TO DENVER AND THENCE TO GRAND JUNCTION OR TO DENVER VIA CHICAGO AND THENCE TO GRAND JUNCTION.
B-161326, MAY 16, 1967
TO AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER:
WE REFER TO YOUR LETTER OF MARCH 31, 1967, REFERENCE FBD:ODK, REQUESTING A DECISION CONCERNING THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFYING FOR PAYMENT A RECLAIM VOUCHER IN FAVOR OF JOHN H. BRANDT, JR., FOR $11.13 REPRESENTING ADDITIONAL AIR TRAVEL COSTS WHICH PREVIOUSLY WERE DISALLOWED ADMINISTRATIVELY FOR THE REASON THAT THE TRAVELER FAILED TOUSE A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE IN RETURNING FROM NEW YORK--- POINT OF TEMPORARY DUTY--- TO HIS OFFICIAL STATION AT GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE EMPLOYEE PERFORMED THE TRAVEL FROM NEW YORK TO GRAND JUNCTION, DEPARTING NEW YORK AT 12 NOON ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1966, AND ARRIVING AT GRAND JUNCTION AT 7:15 P.M., WITH INTERMEDIATE STOPS AT KANSAS CITY AND DENVER. THE COST OF TRAVEL VIA SUCH ROUTE WAS $121.90.
TRANSPORTATION COSTS OF $111.30 WERE ALLOWED UPON THE BASIS OF THE MORE DIRECT ROUTE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IN ADDITION TO THE DIRECT ROUTE FROM NEW YORK TO DENVER, WHICH CONSTITUTED THE BASIS FOR YOUR ALLOWANCE OF $111.30, THE EMPLOYEE COULD HAVE TRAVELED AS FOLLOWS:
FLIGHT STANDARD
AIRLINE NO. TIME LV. NEW YORK UNITED 491 2:05 PM AR. CHICAGO 3:16 PM LV. CHICAGO UNITED 237 4:00 PM AR. DENVER
5:14 PM LV. DENVER FRONTIER 575 6:25 PM AR. GRAND JUNCTION 7:15 PM
WHILE THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS NO LONGER REQUIRE THAT AN EMPLOYEE TRAVEL VIA THE MOST ECONOMICAL USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE (SEE SECTION 3.2 OF THE REGULATIONS), IN THE INSTANT CASE NOT ONLY WAS THE ROUTE TAKEN MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE DIRECT ROUTE BUT THE SCHEDULED TIME OVER SUCH ROUTE WAS LONGER. ALSO, YOU INDICATE THAT IT HAD BEEN THE PRACTICE OF YOUR OFFICE IN PRIOR CASES TO ALLOW REIMBURSEMENT ON THE BASIS OF THE MORE DIRECT ROUTE (NEW YORK-DENVER GRAND JUNCTION).
OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTES FROM NEW YORK CITY TO GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO, ARE DIRECT TO DENVER AND THENCE TO GRAND JUNCTION OR TO DENVER VIA CHICAGO AND THENCE TO GRAND JUNCTION. UNDERSTAND ALSO THAT THE THROUGH FARES FROM NEW YORK CITY TO GRAND JUNCTION BY EITHER OF THE USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTES ARE THE SAME ($111.30, CONSISTING OF FARE OF $95.10 FROM NEW YORK TO DENVER AND $16.20 FROM DENVER TO GRAND JUNCTION).
SINCE THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL NECESSITY FOR THE CLAIMANT TAKING OTHER THAN ONE OF THE TWO USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTES, HIS TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT PROPERLY WAS LIMITED TO THE COST OF THROUGH TRAVEL VIA A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE. ACCORDINGLY, THE VOUCHER IS RETURNED HEREWITH MAY NOT BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.