RETURN TO INDEX

Student Travel

Authority: Chapter Five (U5243-C)

Forward: The Department of Defense provides a travel authority for dependents of military and DOD civilian personnel to attend a college or university. In most cases travel will be from the overseas area to a college or university in the United States, however, there are exceptions.

A. Validate Order Content

  1. Name of Traveler
  2. Social Security number of traveler.
  3. Origin
  4. Destination
  5. Accounting Citation
  6. Order is not expired.
  7. Ensure that a complete set of orders are provided.
  8. Verify that orders have been signed and approved.

FOP (Form Of Payment): If the order does not direct a form of payment, or if travelers would like to use a form of payment other than what is directed in the order (i.e. IBA directed however would like to use CBA), ticketing can be provided however advise the member that the orders may have to be amended before a voucher can be filed.

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 - e" above in order for travel to be provided.

Expired Order
Orders expire 14 days after school is out for the year in question. There is no authority to use unused travel allowances from a previous year.

B. Communicate Entitlements

  • Round trip travel can commence either from the overseas area to the school or from the school to the overseas area.

  • The dependant 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.

  • Student travel is authorized one round trip, each fiscal year. A fiscal year starts on 1 Oct and ends on 30 Sep of the following year. This can cause confusion, as most colleges or universities start school in August and end in June.
    • Students should be provided round trip tickets, however, in some cases the member may request only a one-way ticket. We can honor this request.
    • The student cannot be provided two one-way travel reservations and ticketing.

  • No carrying forward of travel entitlements into a new fiscal year that was not used in the last fiscal year.

Example A:
The student travels from Germany to the school in August. After 1 Oct, the student would be authorized travel back to Germany (i.e. during the Christmas or Easter vacation period.) At the end of the vacation period the dependent could be authorized travel back to the college or university. At this point the student has been provided round-trip travel within that fiscal year. The student would not be authorized return travel back to the overseas area at government expense until after 1 October of the following year.

Example B:
The student travels to the school in August. The student requests travel back to the overseas area in December. This is authorized. The sponsor then buys a return ticket from the overseas area back to the school at the end of the Christmas vacation. Under this scenario, the student would be authorized travel from the school to the overseas area at the conclusion of the school term.

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.

  • DOD civilians and military personnel 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

  1. 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
  2. All travelers are required to use American Flag air carriers.
    • If American Flag carriers exists, but no seats are available, use of Foreign flag airlift requires an approved and signed exception form.
    • If no American Flag carrier exists for the route, and a Foreign Flag is used, an approved and signed exception form is required.
    • If travel orders "Direct" or "Authorize" the use of foreign flag air travel, SatoTravel is still required to gain the approval of the SACOR/ITO.

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 without SACOR / ITO approval (exception form). The member is expected required to pay for excess baggage and claim reimbursement.

Pet Travel

Cost of pet travel is at the traveler’s personal expense. The contract carrier can not be waived if there is no pet space available or the contract carrier cannot accommodate the pet.

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 September 29, 2005