Military Separation Travel
Authority: JFTR Chapter Five
Forward: Military members who have served a certain
amount of time in the military will receive an honorable
discharge and will be provided orders for travel to a specific
point. The point of authorized travel is called a "home of
record" (HOR) or "Place of entry to active duty."
A. Validate Order Content
- Members Name and Rank
- Names of dependents and dates of birth of children if traveling.
- Social Security Number
- Origin
- Destination
- Availability Date
- Accounting Citation
- Order is not expired
- Ensure that a complete set of orders are provided.
- Verify that orders have been signed and approved.
- Request for Transportation Services (RTS) form, if shipping a POV.
FOP (Form of Payment): If the order does not direct a form of payment,
or if travelers would like to use a personal IBA when CBA is directed, ticketing
can be provided however advise the member that the orders may have to be amended
before a voucher can be filed.
Any statement on the order, or next to the travelers name, indicating that
the member will use his IBA is to be interpreted as mandatory use of the IBA.
Tickets can not be issued without an amended order.
- Military orders will contain a statement next to each traveler's
name.
- Civilian orders will contain a general statement that will apply to all
travelers on the order. If any of the individual travelers listed on the
order will use a different method, that method will be noted next to their name.
See CBA - IBA Matrix
for required counseling. For Separation purposes, the IBA
referenced in the Matrix is the travelers personal IBA. The Government IBA can
not be used to purchase travel.
FOP (Form of Payment) CINCUSEUCOM: All personnel assigned to
CINCUSEUCOM, who are primarily based in Stuttgart or Belgium, have been
authorized to utilize their individual IBA or the
Government CBA regardless of the FOP directed on the travel order. If the FOP
used is different than what is stated on the travel order, we must advise
the traveler that the orders may have to be amended before a voucher can be filed.
Reminder, government fares can only be purchased with a Government CBA.
Special Orders: In the future, members may provide "special orders"
in an email format. These email orders must contain the same information as
identified in "a - g" above in order for travel to be provided.
Expired Order
Order expires 180 days after the actual date of separation.
- In some cases, the 180 day limitation will be extended.
SatoTravel must be provided a copy of this extension (amendment) prior to
ticketing.
B. Communicate Entitlements
United States
- Military Separation Travel is authorized to Home
of Record (HOR) or Place Last Entered Active Duty (PLEAD).
- The member, and dependents if traveling, are 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.
- Travel to an alternate destination is authorized provided
the cost of travel does not exceed the cost of travel to the authorized
destination.
- The alternate destination does not have to be indicated on the
order.
- Government fares may be used.
- Alaska and Hawaii are treated as overseas
destinations.
- Military and DOD civilian personnel traveling to the United
Kingdom from Europe may elect to drive their POV. POV may be
booked on the Chunnel or via Ferry transportation for travel across
the English Channel. SatoTravel will make reservations and
provide ticketing for the POV and family members.
- If the member is shipping a POV at government expense
(reference JFTR U5002), the DOD traveler is entitled to Government paid
travel from where the member is currently stationed to the commercial airport
that serves the primary port (the POV shipping point that services the members
authorized PCS destination), or any government POV shipping
destination, regardless of whether East or West of the Primary Port, as long as
the passengers travel costs are at or below costs to the primary POV shipping
destination. Refer to the POV port list for the primary port for each State.
Overseas destinations (including Hawaii and Alaska)
- Military Separation travel is authorized from the
overseas area to Puerto Rico, Canada, and areas in the Pacific.
- Travel through the United States is required.
- 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.
- Travel to an alternate destination is authorized provided
the cost of travel does not exceed the cost of travel to the authorized
destination.
- The alternate destination does not have to be indicated on the
order.
- Government fares may be used.
- Travel to points within the European theater will
be via 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.
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).
- 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
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.
Pet Travel
Cost of pet travel is at the traveler’s personal expense. The contract carrier
does not have to be used if there is no pet space available or the contract
carrier cannot accommodate the pet, provided another American Flag carrier is
available at no extra cost to the Government. The cost
comparison must include all applicable tax and service fees. If this exception
applies, it is mandatory that the JTR/JFTR exception paragraph CPEX1
(City Pair Exception) is printed on the invoice. No exception form required.
If use of the non-contract carrier is more expensive than the contract carrier
ticketing can not be provided. The member must purchase his own ticket and
seek reimbursement.
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.
"SatoTravel is a government contractor. We are obligated by
contract to follow the rules of the JFTR."
last update August 15, 2006