What is the 48 hour auto cancellation rule?
The FY13 City Pair Program (CPP) contract’s 48 hour auto cancellation rule gives airlines the discretion to cancel domestic CPP reservations (YCA and _CA) that are not ticketed 48 hours prior to departure. Note: All CPP contract fares remain fully refundable and are not subject to change fees. The rule does not impact those benefits.
What should my agency do to decrease the chances of passengers showing up at the airport with no ticket?
Agencies must ensure that all trip authorizations are approved and ticketed at least three business days prior to departure. Agencies should also consult with their Travel Management Center (TMC) and ETS Contractors to identify any reports or notifications that can aid in identifying unapproved authorizations and notifying travelers of any impending cancellations.
If a traveler’s reservation is cancelled and the traveler still intends to travel, please allow time to issue ticket before heading to the airport.
Note: All CPP contract fares remain fully refundable and are not subject to change fees, so it is better to ticket the reservation in advance and cancel or change if necessary.
What happens if my trip is cancelled? Should I call the TMC?
If your reservation is cancelled as a result of the 48 hour auto cancellation rule and you still need to travel, you should work with your authorizing official to re-establish your reservation. This may include calling the TMC directly which can result in increased fees to your agency. Please consult your agency’s policy for booking last minute. travel.
If I booked a car and hotel, what happens to the reservations if my flight is cancelled?
If the airline cancels your flight as a result of the 48 hour auto cancellation rule, the car and hotel reservations will not also automatically cancelled by the airline (since these are not their reservations). If you are no longer traveling, you will need to cancel the hotel and car separately to avoid “no show” fees.
How does the government benefit from including this requirement in the FY13 CPP contract?
Inclusion of the 48 hour auto cancellation rule reduced the risk of price increases from airlines. It also allows all travelers, including federal travelers, to utilize the seats that are made available upon cancellation for last minute travel.
Are all of the airlines participating in the 48 hour auto cancellation?
No. Only Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways have decided not to participate in the automatic cancellation in FY13.
Additional carriers are not participating for reservations initiated after 72 hours or 48 hours. For a detailed look at each airline’s policy for last minute travel, please refer to the CPP 48 Hour Auto Cancellation Airline Profile [PDF, 129KB] document.
When does this requirement go into effect?
All domestic CPP fares purchased for travel beginning on or after October 1, 2012 may be subject to the auto cancellation rule. As of now, all carriers except for 2 plan to implement this rule (See #3 above).
My agency’s mission requires employees to travel at the last minute. How will last minute travel be impacted by this requirement?
As of the date of this publication, the CPP participating carriers were unable to come up with a common policy for last minute travel. However, most airlines require reservations booked within 72 hours of departure to be ticketed within 6 hours of travel departure.
Does the 48 hour auto cancellation apply to international flights?
No. The carriers have agreed to exempt international flights from the 48 hour auto cancellation rule for FY13. The 48 hour rule only applies to domestic flights.
If my itinerary includes both domestic and international segments, does the 48 hour rule apply to my domestic segment?
No. If the itinerary includes either an international origin or destination, the itinerary will not be cancelled 48 hours before departure. If you are scheduled to fly from Dallas, Texas, (origin) to Seoul, Korea, (destination) with a connecting flight in Washington, DC, the domestic segment (Dallas to DC) will not be cancelled.
Will the airlines impose the 48 hour auto cancellation rule on Discount Government (DG) fares?
As of now, all carriers have decided to impose this rule on DG fares. DG fares are not part of contract and while they can be changed by the airlines, we do not think this is likely.
My reservation is cancelled due to the 48 hour auto cancellation rule. However, I still need to travel. Will I be able to obtain the same fare?
It depends. If the original reservation included a _CA CPP fare that is no longer available due to capacity restrictions (i.e., _CA fare), the original fare may not be available upon rebooking. The new reservation may be made at a different fare (i.e., YCA fare or DG), which can be higher than the original booked fare. Depending on agency policy, the new booking may require additional approval on the travel authorization.
Important note: If you are rebooking within 48 hours prior to departure, airline policies vary but most airlines require ticketing within 6 hours prior to departure. Make sure your approving official is aware of the changes to your travel. For a detailed look at each airline’s policy for last minute travel, please refer to the CPP 48 Hour Auto Cancellation Airline Profile document [PDF, 129KB].
Is my agency’s TMC required to notify me upon cancellation?
Most TMC services contracts require the TMC to notify the traveler of schedule changes or similar changes to arrangements. Please check with your agency’s travel office, for a more detailed answer regarding how your agency’s TMC will address this notification. Always remember to check your travel authorization to make sure your approving official has approved it especially if you are travelling within the next 72 hours.
How does this rule affect group travel?
Groups of 10 or more are non-mandatory users of the City Pair Program. If the travel arranger for the group elects to use CPP fares for the travel, these new rules would apply as described here.
