D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 6, r. 6-B4011
Current through Register Vol. 72, No. 2, January 10, 2025
Rule 6-B4011 - AIR TRAVEL4011.1(a) If air travel is approved by an agency as a mode of employee travel, an agency shall only pay for, and an employee shall only be reimbursed for, the cost of the lowest-price basic coach class airfare that reasonably meets the travel needs of the employee, unless another class of service is authorized under § 4011.3.(b) In determining whether a ticket reasonably meets the travel needs of the employee, the agency may consider the reduced time of travel and added convenience of non-stop transportation; however, it will generally be considered reasonable for an employee to travel with one (1) stop with a layover of two (2) hours or less. Mere preference or convenience is not an acceptable factor for an agency to take into account. 4011.2 To determine and obtain the lowest-price coach class fare that reasonably meets the travel needs of the employee, the employee shall:
(a) Use at least one (1) major airline pricing comparison website; and(b) Arrange for the purchase of transportation as far as practical in advance in order to ensure that the lowest prices are available;4011.3 An agency may approve other than basic, coach-class service if:
(a) No basic, coach-class service is reasonably available and the travel cannot be rescheduled in a manner that is advantageous to the government. "Reasonably available" means available on an airplane that is scheduled to arrive within twenty-four (24) hours of the schedule start time of the government business at the travel destination, or scheduled to depart within twenty-four (24) hours after the end of the government business at the travel destination;(b) Use of other than basic, coach-class service is necessary to accommodate a disability or other special need;(c) Regularly scheduled flights between the origin and destination points provide only other than basic, coach-class accommodations; or(d) The use of other than basic, coach-class service results in an overall cost savings to the government (for example, by avoiding additional travel expenses, overtime, or lost productive time while awaiting basic, coach-class service).4011.4 An employee may upgrade to other than basic, coach-class service, or to preferred seating or service in coach-class accommodations, at the employee's personal expense. The employee shall be responsible for the payment of the cost of any upgrades.
4011.5 An agency may use its purchase card only to purchase employee air travel at the rates authorized by this section. If the employee is purchasing a more expensive air travel ticket, the employee must purchase the ticket with his or her own funds, and thereafter request reimbursement of an amount equal to the price of the air travel ticket authorized by this section and approved by the agency.
4011.6 If the agency determines that a lower price for air travel would have been available if the employee had arranged for the purchase of his or her air travel at an earlier point in time or used a comparative pricing website, the agency may refuse to approve payment or reimbursement in excess of the lower price, but only if the lower price was not available due solely to the employee's delay.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 6, r. 6-B4011
Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 7860 (10/1/2020)