R 211644Z DEC 06
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
MARADMIN 617/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//
SUBJ/MAKING THE DEFENSE TRAVEL SYSTEM (DTS) MORE COST EFFECTIVE//
REF/A/JFTR VOLUME 1//
REF/B/JTR VOLUME 1//
REF/C/JTR VOLUME 2//
POC/MR. TIM VANDAGRIFF/GS13/HQMC, IL, LPD/TEL:COMM 703 695-7765
/EMAIL:TIMOTHY.VANDAGRIFF@USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THIS IS A COORDINATED I&L, M&RA, P&R, AND
MARCORSYSCOM MESSAGE.  THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DEFENSE TRAVEL SYSTEM
(DTS) HAS GREATLY IMPROVED OUR ORDER WRITING AND TRAVEL VOUCHER
PROCESSES.  ADDITIONALLY AND BY DESIGN, DTS PROVIDES TRAVELERS A MYRIAD
OF AIR TRAVEL AND RENTAL CAR OPTIONS WHILE GRANTING BROAD AUTHORITY TO
AUTHORIZING OFFICIALS (AO) WHEN APPROVING TRAVEL AUTHORIZATIONS FOR
OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS AS DETAILED IN APPENDIX O OF REFS (A)
AND (B).
2.  DTS CAPABILITY IS NOT INTENDED TO ACCOMMODATE SELECTIONS BASED
PURELY ON PERSONAL CONVENIENCE OF THE TRAVELER WITH NO REGARD FOR COSTS.  
SELECTIONS SHOULD BE MADE ON COST COMPARISONS.  IT REMAINS DOD AND USMC
POLICY TO MEET TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS BY USING THE MOST COST
EFFECTIVE COMMERCIAL AND OR ORGANIC TRANSPORTATION RESOURCES TO THE MAXIMUM
EXTENT PRACTICAL UNLESS THERE IS A DOCUMENTED NEGATIVE MISSION IMPACT.
3.  THE DEFAULT PROCESS FOR DTS PLACES THE BURDEN FOR ENSURING COST
EFFECTIVE TRAVEL SELECTIONS ON AO(S).  AO(S) ARE REQUIRED TO REVIEW TRAVEL
REQUESTS TO ENSURE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AIRFARE AND RENTAL CAR SELECTIONS
ARE MADE THAT WILL MEET MISSION REQUIREMENTS.  TO FULLY DETERMINE COST
EFFECTIVE TRAVEL SELECTIONS, AO(S) SHOULD CAREFULLY REVIEW ORIGIN AND
DESTINATION AIRPORT SELECTIONS.  AIRFARE PRICES MAY VARY CONSIDERABLY IN
AREAS SERVED BY MULTIPLE AIRPORTS, E.G., WASHINGTON D.C., CHICAGO,
DALLAS/FORT WORTH, DETROIT, HOUSTON, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK AND SAN FRANCISCO.  
COMPARISON OF FARES AT ALL AVAILABLE AIRPORTS IS ONE FACTOR TO BE CONSIDERED
IN ASSESSING THE OVERALL TRIP COST.  THE FOLLOWING ARE TWO EXAMPLES THAT
HIGHLIGHT THE SIGNIFICANCE IN AIRFARE COST DIFFERENTIALS:
A)  THE GOVERNMENT CITY PAIR UNRESTRICTED FARE (ROUNDTRIP
CALCULATION) WASHINGTON D.C. TO ST. LOUIS, MO IS $1132 FOR TRAVEL FROM REAGAN
NATIONAL COMPARED TO $298 FOR TRAVEL FROM BALTIMORE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL.
B)  THE FARE FROM WASHINGTON D.C. TO TAMPA, FL, IS $718 FOR TRAVEL FROM REAGAN
NATIONAL COMPARED TO $198 FOR TRAVEL FROM BALTIMORE WASHINGTON INTERNATIONAL.
4.  IAW REFS (A) AND (B), APPENDIX P, TRAVELERS MAY USE THE DEPARTURE AND
ARRIVAL AIRPORT THAT BEST SUITS THEIR NEEDS IN AREAS/LOCATIONS WITH MULTIPLE
AIRPORTS, EXCEPT WHEN THE AO DETERMINES, AFTER CONSIDERING THE MOST COST
EFFECTIVE ROUTING AND TRANSPORTATION MEANS, THAT A SPECIFIC AIRPORT SHOULD
BE USED.  THE FINAL DECISION OF AIRPORT USE RESTS ON MISSION REQUIREMENTS
AND LOCALLY ESTABLISHED WRITTEN BUSINESS RULES.  AO(S) WILL CONSIDER TOTAL
AIRFARE COSTS, TRAVEL COSTS TO/FROM LOCAL AIRPORTS, PARKING, ETC.  WHILE
ORIGIN AND DESTINATION AIRPORT SELECTION IS A KEY FACTOR IN COMPUTING OVERALL
TRIP COSTS, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL FACTORS THAT COULD CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED
TRAVEL COSTS:  BOOKING DIRECT FLIGHTS OVER LESS EXPENSIVE FLIGHTS WITH CONNECTIONS,
NOT USING GOVERNMENT NEGOTIATED CAPACITY CONTROLLED FARES, AND SIMPLY SELECTING
HIGHER COST TRANSPORTATION FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE PERSONAL CONVENIENCE.
AGAIN, TRAVELERS AND AO(S) MUST CONSIDER TOTAL COST IN EXECUTING OFFICIAL TRAVEL.
5.  TO ASSIST AO(S) THROUGH THESE OFTEN COMPLEX ROUTING DECISIONS, THE FOLLOWING
OPTIONS ARE RECOMMENDED TO HELP ENSURE WE ARE TRAVELING IN THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE
MANNER.
A)  OPTION ONE:  INSTALLATIONS REVISE THEIR DTS LOCAL BUSINESS RULES TO INCORPORATE
THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT OFFICES (TMO) INTO THE DTS ROUTING PROCESS FOR REVIEW PRIOR
TO APPROVAL BY AO(S).  OUR TMO(S) AND THEIR PARTNERS IN OUR RESPECTIVE COMMERCIAL
TRAVEL OFFICES (CTO) ARE TRAINED IN THE USE OF GOVERNMENT AIR FARES, RENTAL CAR
AGREEEMENTS, GSA CITY PAIR PROGRAM AND EXCEPTIONS TO THE USE OF THE CITY PAIR
PROGRAM.  THEY ALSO FACILITATE THE MANDATORY USE OF THE AIR MOBILITY COMMAND'S
PROCURED CHANNEL AIRLIFT (PATRIOT EXPRESS) FOR OCONUS TRAVEL PER REF (C), CHAPTER
103.  TMO(S)/CTO(S) ALREADY PROVIDE THIS EXPERTISE FOR TRADITIONAL TRAVEL (NON-DTS
GENERATED TRAVEL) AND ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST AO(S) WITH A MORE COMPLETE ASSESSMENT
OF TRAVEL OPTIONS WITH AN OVERALL GOAL TO APPROVE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE TRAVEL
THAT MEETS MISSION REQUIREMENTS.  AS AO(S) EXERCISE FINAL APPROVAL AUTHORITY AND
HOLD PECUNIARY LIABILITY FOR APPROVALS, WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THEY WILL BALANCE THE
TMO/CTO RECOMMENDATIONS WITH MISSION REQUIREMENTS WHEN MAKING TRAVEL DECISIONS.
B)  OPTION TWO:  CHANGE LOCAL BUSINESS RULES TO HAVE OFFICIAL TRAVEL BOOKED THROUGH
THE CTO ASSISTANCE FUNCTIONALITY IN DTS BY CLICKING "REQUEST ASSISTANCE IN BOOKING
FLIGHT."  WHILE THIS FUNCTIONALITY GREATLY LIMITS USER SELECTION, IT DOES ENSURE
TRAVEL IS CONDUCTED AT THE LOWEST OVERALL COST AND MIRRORS ROUTES AND SELECTIONS
HISTORICALLY APPROVED THROUGH TRADITIONAL TRAVEL SERVICES.
C)  OPTION THREE:  INSTALLATIONS EXERCISE ADDITIONAL OR ALTERNATIVE MEASURES TO
ENSURE COST EFFECTIVE TRAVEL THROUGH ESTABLISHMENT OF LOCAL BUSINESS RULES.
6.  A RECENT MARINE CORPS INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT AND OTHER INTERNAL AUDITS SUGGEST
USERS ARE SELECTING, AND AO(S) ARE APPROVING, HIGHER COST AIRFARE THAN WOULD HAVE
HISTORICALLY BEEN PROCURED THROUGH TRADITIONAL TRAVEL SERVICES.  LEFT UNCHECKED,
THESE SELECTIONS NOT ONLY OFFSET THE COST ADVANTAGES OF THE DTS ORDER WRITING AND
VOUCHER PROCESS, BUT NEGATE OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO EXECUTE TRAVEL IN THE
MOST COST EFFECTIVE MANNER AND IAW FEDERAL TRAVEL DIRECTIVES.
7.  THE INSTALLATION TMO(S) STAND READY TO ASSIST COMMANDERS AND
AO(S) REGARDING TRAVEL POLICY.  TMO(S) ARE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO AO(S)
UPON REQUEST BY THE COMMAND.  ADDITIONALLY, TMO(S) RECOGNIZE THAT AO(S) HAVE BROAD
AUTHORITY TO APPROVE TRAVEL AS DETAILED IN APPENDIX O OF REFS (A) AND (B); THEREFORE,
TMO'S WILL NOT DENY TRANSPORTATION REQUESTS THAT FALL WITHIN THE AO(S) DISCRETIONARY
AREA.  THEY CAN MAKE AO(S) AWARE, HOWEVER, WHEN MORE COST EFFECTIVE OPTIONS ARE
AVAILABLE THAN THOSE INITIALLY SELECTED.
8.  DTS HAS MADE GREAT STRIDES IN IMPROVING OUR TAD PROCESSES AND WE FULLY SUPPORT
THE ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS AS OUTLINED IN A NUMBER OF OSD MEMORANDUMS.  
WE MUST CONSIDER THE OPTIONS OUTLINED ABOVE TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE AND MAXIMIZE THE
BENEFITS OF DTS TRAVEL.//