Management Letter: Recommendations for Improvements to MCC's Internal Controls and Policies on Premium Class Air Travel

MCC's Temporary Duty Travel Policies and Procedures directive, dated February 2012, establishes the overall responsibility for MCC Approving Officials to ensure travel expense cost savings by requiring coach class flights, with travelers' use of rest stops or business class lounges enroute, instead of more costly business class flights when flights exceed 14 hours in duration. The directive increases the Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) flight time requirement (i.e., the 14-hour rule) that officials must consider in reviewing a request for premium class accommodations, and includes the FTR's requirements related to rest stops and traveler reporting-for-duty timeframe. Per the directive, any OCONUS flight where premium class accommodations are requested must have total travel time that meets or exceeds 20 hours, and the traveler cannot take a rest stop or use a business class lounge during the trip and will report for duty within 24 hours of arrival at the final destination. The directive requires written justification and approval for any premium class air travel; the justification must explicitly cite the specific FTR exception(s) that allow premium class accommodations. For example, when using the travel time exception, traveler must include three criteria in the justification: (1) travel time is 20 hours or more; (2) there will not be an overnight rest stop or fee-based use of a business class lounge en route to the final destination; and (3) the traveler will report for duty within 24 hours of arriving at the final destination. The written justification/approval must be included and retained in travel order documentation. These provisions in MCC's current TDY travel directive meet the intent of our recommendation.