41 C.F.R. PART 301–72—AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO COMMON CARRIER TRANSPORTATION
Title 41 - Public Contracts and Property Management
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707; 31 U.S.C. 3726; 40 U.S.C. 486.
Source: FTR Amdt. 70, 63 FR 15976, Apr. 1, 1998, unless otherwise noted.
Travel by common carrier is presumed to be the most advantageous method of transportation because it generally results in the most efficient, least costly, most expeditious means of transportation and the most efficient use of energy resources. Yes, but only when use of common carrier transportation: (a) Would interfere with the performance of official business; (b) Would impose an undue hardship upon the traveler; or (c) When the total cost by common carrier would exceed the cost of the other method of transportation. You must authorize one or more of the following as appropriate: (a) GSA's Government contractor-issued individually billed charge card(s); (b) Agency centrally billed or other established accounts; (c) Cash payments (personal funds or travel advances in the form of travelers checks or authorized ATM cash withdrawals) when the cost of transportation is less than $100, under §301–51.100 of this chapter (cash may or may not be accepted by the carrier for the purchase of city pair fares); or (d) GTR(s) when no other option is available or feasible. [FTR Amdt. 70, 63 FR 15976, Apr. 1, 1998; 63 FR 35538, June 30, 1998] Your system must: (a) Authorize the use of cash in accordance with §301–51.100 or as otherwise required; (b) Correlate travel data accumulated by your authorization and claims accounting systems with common carrier transportation documents and data for audit purposes; (c) Identify unused tickets for refund; (d) Collect unused, partially used, or downgraded/exchanged tickets, from travelers upon completion of travel; (e) Track denied boarding compensation from employees; (f) Identify and collect refunds due from carriers for overpayments, or unused, partially used, or downgraded/exchanged tickets; and (g) Reconcile all centrally billed travel expenses (e.g. airline, lodging, car rentals, etc.) with travel authorizations and claims to assure that only authorized charges are paid. You should provide the employee: (a) Notice that he/she is accountable for all tickets, GTRs and other transportation documents; (b) Your procedures for the control and accounting of common carrier transportation documents, including the procedures for submitting unused, partially used, downgraded/exchanged tickets, refund receipts or ticket refund applications, and denied boarding compensation; and (c) A credit/refund address so the carrier can credit/refund the agency for unused tickets (when the tickets have been issued using an agency centrally billed account or by GTR). In accordance with §301–51.100. To justify the use of cash in excess of $100, both the agency and traveler must certify on the travel claim the necessity for such use. See 41 CFR 101–41.203–2. You must ensure the delegation of authority for the authorization or approval of cash payments over the $100 limit is in accordance with 41 CFR 101–41.203–2. If you determine that the cash payment was made under a non-emergency circumstance, reimbursement to the traveler must not exceed the cost which would have been properly chargeable to the Government had the traveler used a government provided payment resource, (e.g. individual Government contractor-issued travel charge card, centrally billed account, or GTR). However, an agency can determine to make full payment when circumstances warrant (e.g. invitational travel, infrequent travelers and interviewees). [FTR Amdt. 70, 63 FR 15976, Apr. 1, 1998; 63 FR 35538, June 30, 1998] You must establish procedures to encourage travelers to use the GSA individual Government contractor-issued travel charge card(s), or your agency's centrally billed or other established account, or a GTR (when no other option is available or feasible). [FTR Amdt. 70, 63 FR 15976, Apr. 1, 1998; 63 FR 35538, June 30, 1998] You must establish administrative procedures providing: (a) Written instructions explaining traveler liability for the value of tickets issued until all ticket coupons are used or properly accounted for on the travel voucher; (b) Instructions for submitting payments received from carriers for failure to provide confirmed reserved space; (c) The traveler with a “bill charges to” address, so that the traveler can provide this information to the carrier for returned or exchanged tickets. (d) Procedures for promptly identifying any unused tickets, coupons, or other evidence of refund due the Government. (a) For unused or partially used tickets purchased with GTRs: You must obtain the unused or partially used ticket from the traveler, issue Standard Form 1170 (SF 1170) “Redemption of Unused Ticket” to the airline and or travel agency that issued the ticket, maintain a suspense file to monitor the airline/travel agency refund, and record and deposit the airline/travel agency refund upon receipt. See 41 CFR 102–118.145 and the U.S. Government Passenger Transportation Handbook (http://fss.gsa.gov/transtrav/usgpth.pdf) for policies and procedures regarding the use of SF 1170. (b) For unused or partially used tickets purchased under centrally billed accounts: You must obtain the unused ticket from the traveler, return it to the issuing office that furnished the airline ticket, obtain a receipt indicating a credit is due, and confirm that the value of the unused ticket has been credited to the centrally billed account. (c) For exchanged tickets purchased with GTRs: You must obtain the airline/travel agency refund application or receipt from the traveler, and maintain a suspense file to monitor the airline/travel agency refund. For additional guidance see 41 CFR 102–118.145 and the U.S. Government Passenger Transportation Handbook (http://fss.gsa.gov/transtrav/usgpth.pdf). [FTR Amdt. 70, 63 FR 15976, Apr. 1, 1998, as amended by FTR Amdt. 108, 67 FR 57967, Sept. 13, 2002]
Title 41: Public Contracts and Property Management
PART 301–72—AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO COMMON CARRIER TRANSPORTATION
Section Contents
§ 301-72.1 Why is common carrier presumed to be the most advantageous method of transportation?
§ 301-72.2 May we utilize methods of transportation other than common carrier (e.g. POVs, chartered vehicles, etc.)?
§ 301-72.3 What method of payment must we authorize for common carrier transportation?
§ 301-72.100 What must my travel accounting system do in relation to common carrier transportation?
§ 301-72.101 What information should we provide an employee before authorizing the use of common carrier transportation?
§ 301-72.200 Under what conditions may we authorize cash payments for procuring common carrier transportation services?
§ 301-72.201 What must we do if an employee uses cash in excess of the $100 limit to purchase common carrier transportation?
§ 301-72.202 Who may approve cash payments in excess of the $100 limit?
§ 301-72.203 When may we limit traveler reimbursement for a cash payment?
§ 301-72.204 What must we do to minimize the need for a traveler to use cash to procure common carrier transportation services?
§ 301-72.300 What procedures must we establish to collect unused, partially used, and exchanged tickets?
§ 301-72.301 How do we process unused, partially used, and exchanged tickets?
Subpart A—Procurement of Common Carrier Transportation
top
§ 301-72.1 Why is common carrier presumed to be the most advantageous method of transportation?
top
§ 301-72.2 May we utilize methods of transportation other than common carrier (e.g. POVs, chartered vehicles, etc.)?
top
§ 301-72.3 What method of payment must we authorize for common carrier transportation?
top
Subpart B—Accounting for Common Carrier Transportation
top
§ 301-72.100 What must my travel accounting system do in relation to common carrier transportation?
top
§ 301-72.101 What information should we provide an employee before authorizing the use of common carrier transportation?
top
Subpart C—Cash Payments for Procuring Common Carrier Transportation Services
top
§ 301-72.200 Under what conditions may we authorize cash payments for procuring common carrier transportation services?
top
§ 301-72.201 What must we do if an employee uses cash in excess of the $100 limit to purchase common carrier transportation?
top
§ 301-72.202 Who may approve cash payments in excess of the $100 limit?
top
§ 301-72.203 When may we limit traveler reimbursement for a cash payment?
top
§ 301-72.204 What must we do to minimize the need for a traveler to use cash to procure common carrier transportation services?
top
Subpart D—Unused, Partially Used, Exchanged, Canceled, or Oversold Common Carrier Transportation Services
top
§ 301-72.300 What procedures must we establish to collect unused, partially used, and exchanged tickets?
top
§ 301-72.301 How do we process unused, partially used, and exchanged tickets?
top
