Entitlement to Travel and Transportation Expenses

A Department of Interior certifying officer requested an opinion concerning an employee's entitlement to travel and transportation expenses incurred incident to her travel from Alaska to a first post of duty in Washington, D.C. The travel voucher was returned with the following four questions concerning the propriety of payment: (1) whether a manpower shortage determination may be applied retroactively to cover the expenses incurred prior to the determination; (2) whether an airline ticket purchased from a travel agent in violation of the prohibition against the use of travel agents to procure official Government travel may be reinbursed; (3) whether the use of cash to purchase a ticket instead of a Government Transportation Request (GTR)is a proper basis for disallowing payment for the ticket; and (4) whether the failure to use a Government bill of lading (GBL) with regard to the shipment of the employee's household goods is reimbursable. Travel expenses may be paid even though the employee's position was not placed in a manpower shortage category prior to her appointment provided that she executes a written agreement to remain in Government service for 12 months after her appointment. If the agency had made a timely request, the employee's position would have been placed in the manpower shortage category prior to her appointment. GAO will allow reimbursement of transportation expenses where a traveler whose travel is reimbursable by Interior is unaware of the regulation precluding the use of travel agents and requiring the use of a GTR for travel exceeding $100. Reimbursement may not exceed the cost of transportation purchased directly from the carrier. Since the employee was advised to select and arrange for a commercial carrier and that she would be reimbursed, it appeared that shipment by GBL was not considered possible or feasible. Therefore, the amounts actually paid for transportation of the household goods were reimbursable, if otherwise correct and within the limitation of regulations. Accordingly, the travel voucher was deemed payable in accordance with this decision.