Invitation Travel

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Invitational Travel

Authority: JFTR Appendix E

Forward: Invitational Travel includes the travel of professional personnel from outside the DOD to advise the DOD on specific issues. These personnel are not employees of the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense is the inviting agency. In recent years, the use of Invitational Travel Orders have been expanded to include other individuals such as dependents or other DOD personnel that have been designated to accompany military personnel who incapable of traveling alone.

A. Validate Order Content

Identify where traveler is authorized to travel from; travel to; travel dates and search for any special travel requirements.

Pay special attention to use of premium transportation requirements. Premium class travel can only be provided when properly approved. See "Premium Class Travel" below for approval requirements.

Accounting Citation

Special Orders: In the future, travelers may provide "special orders" in an email format. These email orders must contain an accounting citation in order for travel to be provided.

It is important that Invitational orders are read very carefully.

Expired Order
Orders are valid from the date of issue and only for the number of days as listed on the order.

B. Communicate Entitlements

Round trip travel to/from destination(s) listed on travel order.

Traveler is required to travel along the most direct route. A direct route is defined as any route that does not require the government to pay additional per diem costs or additional transportation costs.

Travel from the duty station to the commercial airport servicing the duty station is authorized by common carrier. Common carrier is defined as rail, bus or private auto.

Government fares can be used for travelers on Invitational Travel Authorizations (ITA) orders except for:

Contractors
Foreign military members as they are not U.S. government employees.

Government fares can be used for foreign national civilians employed by the U.S.Government.

Entitled Travel Options

A stop-over in route is authorized as long as there are no additional costs to the government. Stop-over privilege will be determined by the rules of the airline being used.
A member may elect to purchase his own transportation and file for reimbursement.
- They must use SatoTravel.
- Refer the member to the government finance officials for reimbursement information.

Mode of Travel

The traveler is entitled to commercial travel following the guidelines set by the General Services Administration (GSA).

GSA Guidelines for commercial travel using Government Fares
Under the ‘FLY AMERICA ACT’ all DOD funded travel is required to use American Flag air carriers whenever they are available. There are exceptions to this rule if one of the below conditions apply. The two most common exceptions are:
- “Cannot Provide Service" usually used when travel does not involve travel to the United States (CONUS)
- “Non-Service on Part of Route", when a Foreign Flag carrier feeder flight is needed in conjunction with an American Flag carrier.
When using a foreign flag air carrier it is mandatory that the applicable FFEX (Foreign Flag Exception) JTR/JFTR paragraph is printed on the invoice. Click FFEX for detailed information on the exceptions below.
- FFEX1 Multilateral Agreement
- FFEX2 Non-Service on Part of Route
- FFEX3 Involuntary Reroute
- FFEX4 Double Travel Time
- FFEX5 Foreign Payment
- FFEX6 Nonstop Service Extended Travel By 24 Hours
- FFEX7 Aircraft change more than 2 times/travel extended by more than 6hrs/connecting time more than 4hrs
- FFEX8 Cannot Provide Service/Medical Reasons
- FFEX9 Unreasonable Safety Risk
- FFEX10 Less than 1st class service available
- FFEX11 Delay in travel/travel between midnight and 6 AM
- FFEX12 Payment By Non Federal Source

Availability Date

No availability date requirements.

Premium Class Travel

It is DOD policy that economy class travel accommodations be used for all official travel unless higher class accommodations are properly approved. When booking a travel request keep in mind, direct air service does not have to be used. Circuitous travel can be provided if economy seating is available even if the circuitous routing is more expensive than the direct route using a COW/CRT fare.

COW/CRT fares may not be used as they are considered, by USAREUR, to be business class fares. For some routes you have the ability to override the business class fare for a unrestricted coach fare (YOW/YRT). Check with your Branch Manager for CRS entries and further instruction if required. If overriding is not possible proper approval for business class travel must be obtained. If a circuitous routing is used to avoid the use of a business class fare, the following sentence must appear on the invoice:

"Circuitous routing used to ensure an economy fare, as direct route required the use of a business class fare."

Approval
In all cases appropriate approval authorities are at the General Officer (GO) level. Obtaining approval is the direct responsibility of the Authorizing Official (AO) which is also the person/agency responsible for publication of travel orders.
Approved orders must contain the following.
- Name of the approving General Officer.
- The travel points the approval is being provided for.
- The specific paragraph reference in the JTR or JFTR and reason/justification used.
- Name and contact information of the person responsible for preparing and executing the approval request.
To view a sample copy of a TDY travel order (DD1610), with an appropriate approval authority contained in block 16, click here.
IBA
If a customer pays with his IBA (Government Travel Card), approval is not necessary as long as the traveler is aware that the following sentence will appear on his invoice. "Notice: if a business class fare was purchased, you are advised that appropriate approval for this class of service has to be properly approved or you may not be reimbursed for the travel performed."
Round Trip Ticketing
The issuing of a round trip ticket for one way travel as a means to obtain economy fares has been determined to be an illegal business practice. USAREUR transportation personnel have also agreed that it should not be done. SatoTravel Associates will not indulge in this practice.
Statements of non availability
SatoTravel does not provide statements of non availability for economy fares. Travelers who have performed travel at personal expense, and bought tickets from other than a contract travel office, will have to discuss reimbursement with a government representative.

Excess Baggage

Orders must authorize excess baggage in order for the traveler to be reimbursed. Excess baggage cannot be charged to the CBA. The member is required to pay for excess baggage and claim reimbursement. There are special cases in which military personnel can be authorized to charge excess baggage costs to the CBA. While the SACOR / ITO can not approve this exception, they will assist the traveler in obtaining approval from the proper authority. Refer the traveler to the SACOR.

Pet Travel

Cost of pet travel is at the traveler’s personal expense.

C. Communicate Exception Options

If a customer requests an exception to their travel entitlement refer them to the SACOR / ITO for approval (exception form). SatoTravel will gladly ticket any travel request that has been approved with an authorized and signed exception form. This does not apply to Premium Class Travel. Refer to Premium Class Travel for approval authorities.

Exception Form

"SatoTravel is a government contractor. We are obligated by contract to follow the rules of the JFTR."

last update August 15, 2006