Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5707; 31 U.S.C. 1353.

§301-53.1  To whom do the pronouns “I,” “you”, and their variants refer throughout this part?

The pronouns “I”, “you”, and their variants throughout this part refer to the employee.

§301-53.2  What may I do with promotional benefits or materials I receive from a travel service provider?

Any promotional benefits or materials received from a travel service provider in connection with official travel may be retained for personal use, if such items are obtained under the same conditions as those offered to the general public and at no additional cost to the Government.

Note to §301-53.2: Promotional benefits or materials you receive from a travel service provider in connection with your planning and/or scheduling an official conference or other group travel (as opposed to performing official travel yourself) are considered property of the Government, and you may only accept the benefits or materials on behalf of the Federal Government (see §301-74.1(d) of this chapter).

§301-53.3  How may I use promotional materials and frequent traveler benefits?

Promotional materials and frequent traveler benefits may be used as follows:

(a) You may use frequent traveler benefits earned on official travel to obtain travel services for a subsequent official travel assignment(s); however, you may also retain such benefits for your personal use, including upgrading to a higher class of service while on official travel.

(b) If you are offered such benefits as a result of your role as a conference planner or as a planner for other group travel, you may not retain such benefits for your personal use (see §301-53.2 of this chapter). Rather, you may only accept such benefits on behalf of the Federal Government. Such accepted benefits may only be used for official Government business.

§301-53.4  May I select travel service providers for which my agency is not a mandatory user in order to maximize my frequent traveler benefits?

No, you may not select a traveler service provider based on whether it provides frequent traveler benefits. You must use the travel service provider for which your agency is a mandatory user. This includes contract passenger transportation services and travel management services. You may not choose a travel service provider to gain frequent traveler benefits for personal use. (Also see §§301-10.109 and 301-10.110 of this chapter.)

§301-53.5  Are there exceptions to the mandatory use of contract city-pair fares and an agency’s travel management service?

Yes, the exceptions are in accordance with §§301-10.106 and 301-10.108 of this chapter for the mandatory use of a contract city-pair fare, and §301-73.103 of this chapter for the mandatory use of a travel management service.

§301-53.6  Is a denied boarding benefit considered a promotional item for which I may retain compensation received from an airline whether voluntary or involuntary?

A denied boarding benefit (e.g., cash, free ticket coupon) is not a promotional item given by an airline. See the provisions of §301-10.116 of this chapter when an airline denies you a seat (involuntary) and §301-10.117 of this chapter when you vacate your seat (voluntary).