1. Defense Travel System Helpful Hints
George Greiling
2009 GSA Expo
June 10 & 11, 2009

2. Agenda Travel Regulations Travel Agent Fees Premium Class Travel
Lodging, Meals and Incidental Expenses
Rental Car
Miscellaneous Reimbursable Expenses
Foreign Currency
Receipts
Government Travel Charge Card 2

3. Travel Regulations
Defense Transportation Regulation Part I (DOD R) – for all travelers
Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) – for civilians
Joint Federal Travel Regulations (JFTR) – for uniformed members
JTR/JTFR
Appendix A
Definitions and acronyms
Appendix G
Miscellaneous reimbursable expenses
Appendix H
Trip purposes and premium class travel
Appendix O
Simplified entitlements for DTS use but other provisions of the regulations still apply
Appendix P
GSA City Pair Program

4. Know your local business rules
Travel Agent Fees
Fees may be entered as an expense when it has already been automatically entered in document
Some contracts are centrally funded and individual fees are not charged
Individual fees are billed to the same form of payment as the air or rail ticket
Some travel agents return fee data electronically and DTS AUTOMATICALLY inputs the expense in air/rail reservation screen
DO NOT duplicate as an expense item (unless a second fee was charged for ticket changes)
Know your local business rules

5. Premium Class Travel
High area of interest from Congress, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
ALL first and business class air travel requires outside DTS approval IAW the JFTR/JTR
Must have prior authorization
Approval MUST be reported in a DTMO Premium Class reporting tool
Upgrades purchased with traveler’s
funds or frequent flyer miles do not
have to be approved or reported

6. Lodging CONUS & non-foreign OCONUS claim for hotel taxes
Ask for government tax exemption
Claim as a non-mileage expense
Enter as one total cost for the trip or one daily cost
Foreign OCONUS
Taxes are part of the Per Diem rate – do NOT claim as a separate expense
Enter with room cost on Per Entitlements screen
Rate is based on location of TDY mission – NOT where you slept or airport used

7. Meals & Incidental Expenses
Adjust arrival date for any overnight flights
Must be adjusted for special duty conditions (e.g., leave, meals provided, field conditions)
Claim proportional meal rate on any day one or two meals are provided (via a conference registration fee, etc)
For overseas locations, AO has the authority to determine if the $3.50 incidental expense (IE) rate is sufficient rather than the locality IE rate
Must be done before the authorization is approved
If the AO does not act, the locality rate applies

8. Rental Car GPS is NOT reimbursable Book through CTO (mandatory)
Use approved vendors, using the government rate
Rental car cost can be entered as a single cost item
Claimed on the Travel tab>Rental Car if reserved through DTS
Claimed as a non-mileage expense if NOT reserved through DTS
Gas normally claimed as a reimbursable expense
Watch for prepaid gas on the receipt and traveler claiming as a reimbursable expense
GPS is NOT reimbursable

9. Rental Car (continued)
Government rate includes insurance
Extra insurance in CONUS & non-foreign OCONUS is NOT reimbursable
Base rate is in even dollars for US locations
$5 per day Government Administrative Rate Supplement (GARS)

10. Airport Transportation
Travelers are authorized a round trip from home to airport/train terminal
Parking not to exceed round trip cab fare
Mileage and tolls for 2 round trips if someone (e.g., spouse) transports traveler and traveler incurs the cost
Mileage based on the odometer
No long term airport parking
Cab or shuttle fare
If riding with another traveler, no reimbursement authorized
Driver can claim extra mileage to pickup passengers

11. Use of Privately Owned Vehicle
If more advantageous to the government, use can be authorized by AO
Authorized mileage IAW the Defense Table of Official Distances (DTOD)
Mileage rate adjusted by General Services Administration (GSA)
Service members may claim actual gas expense in lieu of mileage rate (if AO authorizes before travel begins) BUT NOT BOTH
Can claim tolls and parking

12. Miscellaneous Reimbursable Expenses
Allowable Miscellaneous Expenses
Official phone calls and use of internet
Laundry – CONUS only, while on the trip
Trips of at least 7 nights for military (up to an average of $2/day)
Trips of at least 4 nights for civilians
ATM fees for use of government travel charge cards
Also for a personal card for uniformed members only exempt from travel card use
Baggage tips for handling government property
Baggage tips for personal luggage – military only
TDY parking (break it out if included on hotel bill)

13. Miscellaneous Reimbursable Expenses (continued)
Watch for:
Curbside baggage fees - NOT reimbursable
Airline baggage fees
Must be consistent with local business rules for excess baggage
Double claim for travel agent fee
May have been automatically entered in document
Do not duplicate as an expense

14. Foreign Currency
For cash transactions, use currency exchange rate paid at bank, hotel, airport, etc.
For travel charge card charges, use bank charge card data to determine exchange rate
Use link in DTS
Use CitiDirect
International currency transaction fees for official transactions on government charge cards are reimbursable

15. Receipts Air travel Receipts must be submitted with voucher
Must show services provided and associated costs
Must be electronically attached to the DTS voucher
Remember to:
Consolidate smaller receipts on one page
Create multiple page scanned or faxed documents
Fax each document separately
Make sure they are readable
Air travel
Airline boarding passes are NOT sufficient
Travel agent receipt (not itinerary or invoice) is OK
Can obtain an airline receipt at airport check-in kiosk

16. Receipts (continued) Lodging Required for ALL lodging
Individual expenses $75 or more (includes airline and rail tickets on both IBA AND CBA)
Hotel receipts cannot be imported
Electronic receipts do not include sufficient level of detail
Receipts include charges that are paid in different parts of DTS
Charges that are NOT reimbursable expenses:
Movies
Spa services
Room service

17. Lodging Receipt - Example
Item/Service
Cost
Room
$145.00
Taxes
$27.50
Room service
$27.56
Parking
$15.00
Spa
$75.00
Movie
$11.95
Internet
$9.99
Business Center
$4.50
Per Diem Entitlement Screen Non-mileage expense Not reimbursable – get M&IE Not reimbursable Non-mileage expense if authorized*
*See Appendix G for miscellaneous reimbursable expenses

18. Government Travel Charge Card
Split Disbursement
DTS has ability to add money to your individually billed account (IBA) payment to cover:
ATM advances
Meals
Balance of travel allowance is paid to the traveler’s bank account
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS > PAYMENT TOTALS

19. Still Have Questions?
Contact your Military Advisory Panel (MAP) or Civilian Advisory Panel (CAP) member with specifics