TEMPORARY DUTY TRAVEL

Unless otherwise specified in this Agreement, reimbursement for travel expenses shall be in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration Travel Policy (FAATP).

In the event an employee is required to travel in the performance of official business, he/she shall be entitled to an advance of funds using a government travel charge card. Such advances will be obtained through an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). Employees who have not been issued a government travel charge card shall be entitled to an advance of funds equal to the maximum amount allowable under the FAATP.

Employees who have had their government travel charge card revoked are not entitled to an advance of funds, unless their card was revoked due to an administrative error. An employee, whose travel charge card was revoked due to an administrative error, shall be entitled to an advance of funds in accordance with this Section.

In order to prevent an undue financial burden upon the employee, travel vouchers are to be processed in accordance with the following:

a. Employees are to submit vouchers to approving officials within five (5) workdays of completion of trips or every thirty (30) days if the employee is in a continuous travel status. Except as provided for in the current version of the E2 Travel Manual, travel vouchers shall be submitted using E2 software. Employees shall be permitted to complete travel vouchers on duty time.

b. The Agency shall ensure an employee, who submits a proper voucher for allowable expenses in accordance with applicable travel regulations, receives reimbursement within thirty (30) days after submission of the voucher. If the Agency fails to reimburse an employee who has submitted a proper voucher within thirty (30) days after submission of the voucher, the Agency shall pay the employee’s late payment fees as prescribed by the General Services Administration (GSA).

In the case of a questionable item(s) on a submitted travel voucher, the approving official shall notify the employee within two (2) workdays and will attempt to resolve the item(s) as soon as practicable. Should the item(s) not be resolved to the satisfaction of the approving official, he/she shall approve the travel voucher with the questionable item(s) deleted. The employee may resubmit the disputed item(s) in the event a favorable disposition is later rendered.

When travel is direct between duty points which are separated by several time zones and at least one (1) duty point is outside the CONUS, a rest period not in excess of twenty-four (24) hours may be authorized if the scheduled flight time (including stopovers of less than eight (8) hours) exceeds fourteen (14) hours by a direct or usually traveled route.

When an employee obtains lodging in accordance with the FAATP and the associated travel is curtailed, canceled, or interrupted for official purposes or for other reasons beyond the employee’s control that are acceptable to the Agency, he/she shall be reimbursed provided the employee sought to obtain a refund or otherwise took steps to minimize the cost and otherwise acted reasonably and prudently in incurring the prepaid lodging expenses. It shall be considered that the employee acted reasonably and prudently if the expense was incurred based on time projections as conveyed in writing by management to the employee.

The Agency agrees that when an employee, if employed within the CONUS, is issued a travel order to attend the FAA Academy for courses more than fifteen (15) class days, the employee may be authorized to travel by Privately Owned Vehicle (POV). Privately Owned Vehicle travel expenses to and from the Academy shall be paid at the rate applicable to such travel as prescribed by the FAATP and this Agreement. Payment for local mileage shall be paid in accordance with the FAATP.

When an employee is authorized a POV to attend FAA Academy courses, he/she may elect to use common air carrier for travel to and from the Academy, and to use a rental vehicle on a flat-rate basis while at the Academy. No extra charge for miles driven will be paid. Allowable reimbursement shall not exceed authorized mileage and per diem expenses that would have been incurred had the employee traveled by POV to and from the Academy. Rental cars shall be obtained from the GSA supply contract when practicable. The cost of common air carrier, plus rental car costs, may not exceed the constructive cost of POV.

The Agency has determined that an employee's efficiency and productivity will be enhanced if permitted to return to his/her home or another authorized destination during extended FAA Academy or out-of- Agency technical training. Therefore, an employee attending a course or consecutive courses of training for more than thirty (30) calendar days shall be allowed one (1) round trip to his/her home or to another authorized destination during that period. The travel must be accomplished during the employee's regularly scheduled off-duty time and may not be taken in conjunction with annual or sick leave. Subsequent travel will be allowed in the same manner for every additional thirty (30) calendar days of the same temporary duty assignment.

The Agency recognizes the need for local transportation for employees assigned to out-of-Agency training; therefore, the use of a rental car at the training site will be authorized where appropriate. Rental cars shall be obtained from the GSA supply contract when practicable. This Section applies to employees who utilize common carrier transportation.

For purposes of this Agreement, the radius used to determine whether an employee performing travel is eligible for the allowance for subsistence expenses under the FAATP shall be measured from the building to which a bargaining unit employee is permanently assigned and from the residence. The Agency shall pay subsistence expenses if the employee travels to a temporary duty site more than forty (40) miles from his/her official station. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, an employee is not entitled to per diem at the employee's official station.

Mileage reimbursement for a POV shall be limited to the maximum mileage allowance determined by GSA.

When an employee will be going on an extended stay travel assignment under the FAATP, lodgings plus shall be authorized for the first seven (7) days or until suitable lodging can be found, whichever is less. If, within the first seven (7) days, no suitable lodging can be found at the fixed rate of sixty percent (60%) of the maximum lodging rate set by GSA, and the employee has sought assistance from the Agency's designated travel services contract, the employee shall be granted approval for a higher rate, not to exceed the daily GSA maximum lodging rate,which will cover the lowest available lodging rate. If no kitchen facilities are available, the full M&IE rate will be authorized. If kitchen facilities are available, the reduced M&IE rate will still apply.

Suitable lodging includes, but is not limited to, lodging that contains kitchen facilities located within the local commuting area of the temporary duty (TDY) location.

Although proof of commercial lodging is required, employees who are reimbursed at a fixed rate established under the FAATP shall not be required to submit receipts unless the fixed rate has been raised in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 of this Article.

A periodic return trip home, as provided in the FAATP, is justified for employees performing an extended stay travel assignment or a continuous travel assignment. Therefore, an employee performing an extended stay travel assignment which is projected to be thirty (30) days or longer or an employee on a continuous travel assignment shall be authorized, at the election of the employee, one (1) round trip to his/her home or to another authorized destination during each thirty (30) day period.

To the extent practicable, the Agency shall provide employees a minimum of thirty (30) days notice of the beginning and end dates of TDY location assignments and any interruption of TDY assignments.

Employees who request shall be authorized the use of portable dwellings for long-term or continuous travel. Notwithstanding the provisions contained within the FAATP, an employee's allowable lodging costs shall include monthly telephone use fees and other special user fees if ordinarily included in the price of a hotel/motel in the area concerned.

When long-term extended assignments will result in a tax liability on travel expenses for bargaining unit employees, the Agency may offer to pay Extended Temporary Duty Travel Tax Reimbursement Allowance (ETTRA). When the Agency pays ETTRA, such payment shall be paid in the same manner as Relocation Income Tax Allowance (RITA).

If the Agency has determined that ETTRA will not be offered, employee assignments shall be for periods of less than one (1) year.

When making travel arrangements, an employee shall have the option of utilizing the government-contracted travel agent or contacting the airline, hotel, and/or rental car services directly.