Travel

Question 1

Fly America Act exceptions and acronym

Answer 1

NICT-3

1. N: No service - No U.S. carrier provides service on a particular leg of the route. (Foreign carrier must be used, but only to the nearest interchange point on a usually travelled route that connects to a U.S. carrier.
2. I: Involuntary routing - The U.S. carrier involuntarily reroutes the traveler on a foreign carrier
3. C: Costs paid by third party, such as foreign gov, international agency, or other org.
4. T: Treaty - flight is provided under the terms of a USG agreement (e.g., Open Skies)
5. 3: 3-hour trip or fewer. Travel time (scheduled departure to scheduled arrival) on a foreign carrier is 3 hours or fewer, and the U.S. carrier would double the travel time

Question 2

Are pets a valid reason to bypass The Fly America Act?

Answer 2

No

Question 3

If you don’t fly directly out of your assigned Post on AD or OD, is this a cost-construct?

Answer 3

Yes

Question 4

On cost-constructed travel, can you use city-pair fares?

Answer 4

No

Question 5

What airline is no longer applicable to the U.S.-EU Open Skies Agreement?

Answer 5

British Airways (Brexit)

Question 6

What form must be filled out when circumventing The Fly America Act?

Answer 6

MouSe BooM (huge mouse on an airplane blowing up)

DS- 3093

Question 7

Who approves use of a foreign air carrier and how is approval requested?

Answer 7

A/LM/OPS/TMP. DS-3093 submitted via MyData Forms

Question 8

US-EU Open Skies Agreement includes and excludes which countries?

Answer 8

Includes Norway and Iceland

Excludes Croatia

Question 9

What USG agreements are in place that can provide exceptions to the Fly America Act? (Orgs and countries)

Answer 9

EU
Japan
Australia
Saudi Arabia

Question 10

Airfare cost construct is compared with what?

Answer 10

The amount the USG would have paid over the most direct and cost-effective routing.

Question 11

If there is a city-pair fare, but an EU carrier has a lower fare, can you use the EU carrier?

Answer 11

No. If there is a city-pair fare, it must be used.

Question 12

How do you submit a question to A/LM/OPS/TMP?

Answer 12

TransportationQuery@state.gov

Question 13

To the max extent practicable, when should an employee travel?

Answer 13

During the employee’s regularly scheduled workweek.

Question 14

What is a “through-fare”?

Answer 14

An airfare ticket that has a stop or layover without a break in the ticket cost.

Question 15

If there is no city-pair between origin and destination, and there are no direct flights on an EU airline, and the EU flight has a through-fare that stops in a city where there is a city-pair fare to the destination, must the traveler switch to the city-pair at the layover point?

Answer 15

No, not if the fare is a through-fare on the EU carrier.

Question 16

If there is no city-pair between origin and destination, and the code-share ticket is less expensive than the US carrier’s flight, can you book the ticket?

Answer 16

Yes, if there is no city-pair fare.

Question 17

What does A/LM/OPS/TMP stand for?

Answer 17

Bureau of Administration
Office of Logistics Management
Operations
Transportation Management Policy Division

Question 18

What application is used to request housing waivers?

Answer 18

BMIS. It’s a separate application from RPA.

Question 19

In the past, TMFOURs were prepared by Travel Techs.

1. That team is now referred by two names. What are they called now?
2. Are this team’s portfolios still divided alphabetically?
3. What is the team’s email?
4. How are they listed in the GAL?

Answer 19

1. PCS Analysts or Assignment Technicians
2. No
3. GTM-EX-IDSD@state.gov
4. PCS Customer Support

Question 20

For an exception to the mandatory use of contract air carrier, traveler must complete form ________.
Where is this located in the FAM?

Answer 20

DS-4022
14 FAM 542.2

4022 r, s/z, n/ng, n/ng = reasoning = airplane with a huge brain on top

14 t/d, r = door
542.2 = l, r, n/ng, n/ng = LeaRNiNG = plane door asking the big brain on the top of the plane questions and writing down the answers.

Question 21

Exceptions to Mandatory Use of Contract Air Carriers and where located in FAM

Answer 21

(1) The contract carrier’s flight SCHEDULE is inconsistent with the performance of a mission-critical, official duty;
(2) The contract carrier is SOLD OUT OR DOES NOT OFFER SERVICE on your authorized date of travel;
NOTE: For travel that is not date-specific (e.g., permanent-change-of-station [PCS]), travelers are expected to schedule their trips on dates when the contract carrier offers service if the difference in cost between using a noncontract carrier (with either public fares or nonpublic government fares) on the preferred date of travel and the cost of using the contract carrier on the next date it offers service is substantial;
NOTE: When travel is date-specific (e.g., temporary duty (TDY)) but not critically urgent (e.g., medical evacuation (MEDEVAC)) and a traveler is away from their permanent duty station, additional per diem costs caused by waiting for the next day that the contract carrier offers service must exceed the difference between the cost of a ticket on the contract carrier on the next day it offers service and the cost of a ticket on a noncontract carrier on the authorized date of travel for this exception to apply;
(3) The contract carrier cannot accommodate your PET(S) as an in-cabin pet, as accompanied baggage, or as checked cargo on the same flight as you, or in the case of codeshare flights, the operating carrier will not accept your pet(s) as an in-cabin pet, as accompanied baggage, or as checked cargo if the flight is booked using the codeshare flight number of a U.S. carrier;
NOTE: When pet movement is the determining factor for non-use of the contract carrier, the traveler is responsible for airfare exceeding the YCA city pair fare and for the actual cost of moving the pet(s);
(4) The contract carrier’s flight schedule is inconsistent with the provisions of 14 FAM 581.1 with regard to scheduling travel during the employee’s regularly scheduled WORKWEEK;
NOTE: This exception does not apply to international travel;
(5) A NONCONTRACT CARRIER offers a PUBLIC (nongovernment) FARE that is LESS EXPENSIVE and has the same restrictions as the fare on the contract carrier;

14 FAM 542.1
14 = t/d, r
542.1= l, r, n, t/d
DooR LiaR kNighT = plane door open with knight standing there with really long nose.

Question 22

Seat selection in an amount not to exceed ________ each way) between any two authorized duty locations (i.e., origin and destination pairs), as indicated on a travel authorization. When a traveler qualifies for and is authorized a rest stop, the rest stop location ______ considered a separate duty location for the purposes of this provision:

Answer 22

$300

is Not

Question 23

If you book conventional lodging through a service that charges a booking fee (Priceline, VRBO, etc) and the fee plus lodging is within per diem, is the fee reimbursable?

Answer 23

Fees are never reimbursable

Question 24

What are the two options for booking lodging for official travel?

Answer 24

1. Have the TMC book it

2. Self-book through www.fedrooms.com

Question 25

1. Travel costs may be charged to the current fiscal year if travel begins NLT?
2. a A travel-related expense must be incurred when?
3. b All expenses, including tickets, must be obligated when?

Answer 25

1. Dec 31 of new fiscal year
2. a In the current fiscal year
3. b By COB Sept 30

Question 26

1. Employees/EFMs who are traveling on R&R to the designated relief point or selected point in the U.S. will list what on the TA?
2. Those using Cost-Construct Cap will list what on their TA?

Answer 26

1. The actual destination

2. Their assigned city and “other” as the R&R city