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DOI Travel Newsletter
Volume 1 Issue 3
July 2001
 

Other Travel Items of Interest:

• Tips for Safe Airline Travel

Data Sources for DOI Travel Newsletter:

Much of the travel industry information contained in this newsletter was obtained from public domain sources such as newspapers and the Internet, and was current at the time of publication. Travel industry information is provided solely for the use and information of DOI employees.

IN THE NEWS

Airline Labor Update

United Airlines - A strike is possible after meetings with union officials were unsuccessful. The union represents about 30,000 United Airline employees including ramp workers, customer service employees, reservation agents, food service workers, and security guards.

American Airlines - A tentative agreement has been reached between American Airlines and the union representing mechanics and ramp workers. The new agreement, affecting approximately 15,000 employees, provides for immediate pay raises of 8 to 22 percent for different job categories. An agreement has been reached between American and the union representing approximately 23,000 flight attendants, averting the possibility of a strike this summer. The agreement must still be negotiated between the flight attendants and American on specific language on some issues. President Bush had threatened to intervene if it appeared likely that a strike by American flight attendants would take place this summer.

Delta - The threat of a strike this summer by Delta pilots has ended with the approval of a new five-year contract.

Comair - A three-month strike by Comair pilots has ended with the approval of a proposed contract. Federal mediators assisted in the acceptance of a proposal that provides for a company-paid retirement plan and a salary increase.

Airlines Reduce Summer Leisure Fares!

Delta, United, Continental, Northwest, and US Airways have announced reduced summer leisure fares. Delta Airlines began this trend with an approximately 25 percent reduction of fares in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia. Because of the different rates of discount fares, travelers should do comparison shopping to determine which fares best suit their needs.

No Merger between United and US Airways

The proposed merger between United Airlines and US Airways appears to have been called off. United’s proposed $12.3 billion acquisition of US Airways was jeopardized because the Justice Department was concerned about antitrust issues that United was unable to work out. The cancellation of the merger also derailed plans for the creation of DC Air, the brainchild of Robert L. Johnson, creator of Black Entertainment Television.

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D O I T R A V E L N E W S L E T T E R

DOI TRAVEL NEWS

Trip Manager for Government Going Live!

Have you ever used any of the commercial Internet sites for booking your personal travel (such as Expedia, Travelocity, Lowestfare, Orbitz, and others)? Have you ever wished that you could book your own official government travel on-line?

If your answer to either question is “yes,” we have some great news for you - Trip Manager for Government is going live! Trip Manager for Government is an efficient travel information and self-booking tool specifically designed to simplify official government travel. Trip Manager is an Internet/browser-based product that provides DOI travelers the ability to create, change, and view their official air, car, and hotel reservations via the Internet on a 24/7 basis.

Trip Manager for Government has been pilot tested in three National Park Service regions since October 2000. Beginning in July 2001, the program was expanded to include all National Park Service regions and other bureaus will begin use of Trip Manager later this summer. For more details, contact your bureau Trip Manager Systems Administrator. A list of bureau administrators can be found at: http://www.doi.gov/pfm/tmc/trip_mgr_admin.html.

To qualify for a Trip Manager account, you must first have completed an Omega Travelers Profile; the profile can be accessed on the following secure OWT web-page: https://profile.owt.net/doi. Your bureau travel management contact will let you know when your bureau should begin updating profiles on the Omega web-site. Once your bureau’s profiles have been updated, the completed profiles will be accessible in Trip Manager in accordance with each bureau’s implementation plan for Trip Manager use. Trip Manager is totally voluntary. The more you use it, though, the more your bureau saves! For each trip booked through Trip Manager without calling Omega travel agents, your bureau not only saves the Omega agent fee, but receives a $5 rebate as well.

Trip Manager for Government Highlights

Systems Features:

• Applies Federal Rules of Travel
  
• Built in Federal guidelines
  - GSA contract city pairs
  - Linkages to GSA per diem rates
  
• Quality assurance review for conformance with the Federal Travel Regulation

Selected Benefits:

• Convenience—making your own travel arrangements

• Ease of use—no waiting for a travel agent to make arrangements or changes

• Record availability—keep history of all travel details and repetitive trips

• Economic incentive—your bureau receives $5.00 each time you make your own travel arrangements and the $7.95 OWT transaction fee is waived

Electronic Tickets (E-Tickets) Provide Advantages When You Travel by Air

More and more, E-tickets are rapidly becoming the standard in the airline industry as they offer a number of important advantages over their paper counterparts. For instance, E-tickets:

1. Cannot be lost, misplaced, or left at home.

2. Do not need to be delivered to your home or office (an additional cost to your bureau).

3. Unlike paper tickets, are automatically refunded to your bureau if they are not used.

Hotel Only Desk

If your travel plans require lodging accommodations only, you can expedite your reservations by calling the Omega World Travel “Hotel Only” desk at (887) 867-9013. The “Hotel Only” desk is located in Jacksonville, NC, and was created to provide expedited service to DOI travelers who do not require a full range of travel services. The desk is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (EST) Monday though Friday and there is NO transaction fee for this service.

Gasoline Purchases for Privately Owned Vehicles

Employees have questioned how to get reimbursement for gasoline purchases for their privately-owned vehicle (POV) when used for official business. The official mileage reimbursement rate of 34½ cents per mile covers the cost of gasoline, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, and all other vehicle operating costs. As a result, a separate reimbursement for gasoline is not allowed. The Bank of America charge card must not be used to purchase gasoline for a POV.

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DOI TRAVEL NEWS

Arrangements for Rental Cars

When a rental car is required on a short term basis for the performance of official business, it should be rented from a company that participates in the government-wide agreement managed by the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC). All major rental car companies participate on a national level; however, some small franchise operations of the major companies may not. Your Omega agent will advise you of participating rental car companies at your travel location. The agreement provides full insurance coverage for all rentals within the Continental United States. In the event the car is damaged during your rental, you should file all necessary police and rental car reports, and notify your bureau. DO NOT provide your personal insurance information or payment for damages to the rental car company. Vehicles rented under the agreement are not to be utilized for personal use and can only be operated by the driver listed on the rental contract.

You May Be Required to Show Your Government ID or Travel Authorization

Some airlines have begun asking employees to show a Government ID or travel authorization when picking up or changing a ticket issued at the Government contract city-pair fare. If you cannot provide the airline agent a Government ID or a travel authorization, you may be denied service. To avoid difficulties, please take your Government ID and travel authorization with you when you travel on official business.

OWT Airline Ticket Data (November 2000 to May 2001)

Traveler “TIP BITS”

Tips for Safe Airline Travel:

• With crowded airports and delayed flights:

- Arrive early

- Make sure your photo identification is readily available

- Watch your luggage closely and never accept packages from strangers

Next Issue of the DOI Travel Newsletter:

Because of summer vacation schedules, the next issue of the DOI Travel Newsletter will published in early September, 2001.