Paper Tickets Fact Sheet
Electronic tickets (e-tickets) represent one of the ways the airline industry is utilizing automation to achieve huge savings in terms of processing time and tracking. Paper tickets are a liability since they are negotiable instruments. That is why some of the low cost carriers have never offered paper tickets.
Carriers that charge commercial customers a fee for providing paper tickets may charge the same fee to government travelers. If a paper ticket is needed for a traveler's trip (it is not "e-ticketable"), then there is no paper ticket fee.
In domestic markets, e-tickets are adequate in most circumstances. For certain international travel, paper tickets can be useful. The agency's travel agent (or Commercial Travel Office) can assist travelers in determining whether paper tickets are necessary. It is important to keep in mind that many carriers have announced a complete phase-out of paper tickets in the near future.
The decision to fund paper tickets is made at the agency level. Please contact an appropriate agency travel official or Travel Management Center (or Commercial Travel Office). An agency may also want to look at Federal Travel Regulation §301-10.2.
Non-reimbursable expenses are not to be charged to a GSA SmartPay® centrally billed account. In general, and as provided in the GSA SmartPay® cardholder agreement for the travel charge card, an employee may use the individually billed travel charge card for official travel and official travel-related expenses away from the employee's official station/duty station in accordance with the agency's policy. This language has previously been construed by agencies to permit the use of the travel charge card for certain non-reimbursable expenses that are directly related to official travel. Please go to the agency's travel official to learn about the agency policy on this subject.
When making reservations, the agency's travel agent (or Commercial Travel Office) can assist with fare information. A list of contract carrier websites is available under Travel Links.
Last Reviewed 5/7/2009