Request for Reimbursement of Subsistence Expenses

An agency requested a decision concerning the propriety of reimbursing the cost of two meals purchasd by an employee incident to temporary duty travel. The Florida-stationed employee was ordered to perform temporary duty in California, and claimed reimbursement for a dinner on the night of his arrival in California and for a breakfast on the morning of his return to Forida. The agency disallowed the claim for the two expenses because those meals were provided by the airline on the flights the employee used. The employee contended that the dinner provided by the airline was not a full course dinner to which he was accustomed. He also contended that a 6:00 a.m. breakfast was reasonable because breakfast on a flight departing at 8:00 a.m. would be served at least 2 hours later. GAO held that the employee's argument that the airline dinner was not as large as he was accustomed to could not establish a justifiable reason for the duplicate meal. The employee also failed to establish a justifiable reason for the necessity of the breakfast claimed. Accordingly, the reclaim voucher could not be certified for payment.