Microsoft Word - Fly America FAQ_rev3

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September2015 Page1

ResponsibleOffice:SponsoredProjectsAccounting

RevisionDate:September14,2015

FlyAmericaAct

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OverviewandKeyConcepts

TheFlyAmericaActisafederalregulationthatstatesthatanyforeignairtravelfinancedbyfederal

fundsmustbebookedonU.S.FlagAirCarriers,regardlessofcostorconvenience. Thisrulemustbe

followedbyallWashingtonUniversitypersonnel,students,trainees,consultantsandcollaborators

who

arereimbursedforforeignairtravelwithfederalorfederalpassthroughfunds.ItisthePrincipal

Investigator’s(PI)orhis/herdesignee’sresponsibilitytoensurethatallforeigntravelchargedtofederal

orfederalpassthroughawardsareincompliancewiththisregulation.SponsoredProjectsAccounting

(SPA)reviewsair

travelsubmittedviatravelreports,traveladvancesandprocarddocumentsfor

compliancewiththisregulationandmaydisallowanyforeignairtravelthatdoesnotappeartobein

compliancewiththisregulation.

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FrequentlyAskedQuestions

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MyPIisplanninganinternationaltripthatisapprovedunderhis/herfederalgrant.Whatissuesdo

Ineedtoconsiderwhenbookingtheairfare?

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TheFlyAmericaActstatesthatwhenusingfederalfundsyoumustuseU.S.FlagAirCarriersorflights

operatedunderaU.S.codeshare

agreementtotraveltotheforeigndestination. Theeasiestwayto

ensurethatyouareflyingonaU.S.FlagAirCarrieristobookyourtraveldirectlythroughtheU.S.Flag

AirCarrier.UsingatravelwebsitesuchasExpedia,Travelocity,LowestFares.com,etc.cancause

confusionasthesewebsitesare

designedtofindthelowestfaresandarenotintendedtofindtheU.S.

FlagCarrierflights.

ThefollowingaretwowebsitesthatexplaintheFlyAmericaActindetail:

http://ogc.commerce.gov/file/flyamerica‐morethanjustanamepdf



http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/public/site/FTR/file/Chapter301p010.html/category

/21868/#wp1088924(seesection§301‐10.131ofthisdocument)

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ArethereanyexceptionstotheFlyAmericaAct?

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Yes,thereareveryspecificcircumstancesinwhichtheuseofaNon‐U.S.FlagAirCarriermaybe

allowable. Theexceptionscanbefoundinsections§301‐10.136‐§301‐10.137ofthefollowing

website:

http://www.gsa.gov/portal/ext/public/site/FTR/file/Chapter301p010.html/category/21868/#wp10889

24

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TheOpenSkiesAgreementsarealsoanexceptiontotheFlyAmericaAct.SeetheGuidanceforOpen 

SkiesAgreementsDocumentontheSPAwebsiteforinformationr elatedtobookingflightsunderthese

agreements.

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September2015 Page2

Dotrainees,students,consultantsorothernon‐WashingtonUniversitypersonnelhavetofollowthe

FlyAmericaAct?

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Yes,theFlyAmericaActmustbeutilizedbyallindividualsthatareseekingreimbursementfortravel

costfromafederallyfundedproject. Iftrainees,students,consultants,collaboratororothernon‐WU

personnel

booktravelonforeignaircarriers,theywillnotbeeligibleforreimbursementfromfederal

sources.***Internationalcollaboratorsandconsultantsmustalsofollowthisregulation. Pleasemake

suretoworkwithinternationalconsultantspriortothemmakingflightarrangementstoensurethey

areawareofthisrule.

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Canairfarebe

bookedusingatravelwebsitesuchasExpedia,Travelocity,LowestFares.com,etc.ora

travelagent?

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ThebestwaytobooktheflightistogodirectlythroughaU.S.FlagAirCarrier.Ifyouhavetousea

travelwebsiteortravelagency,thenyoushouldverifythattheflights

youarepurchasingarebeing

issuedbytheU.S.FlagAirCarrier.Travelagencies(includingGwinsandBrentwoodTravel)arenot

awareofthesourceoffundsyouareusingtopayforthistravelandtheneedtoflyonaU.S.FlagAir

Carrier.Travelwebsitesandtravelagents

typicallytrytofindthelowestpricedtravelitinerarythat

meetsyourneedsandthismaynotalwaysbeonaU.S.FlagAirCarrier.Whenbookingtravel,always

makesureyouletthetravelagentknowthatyoumustflyonU.S.FlagAirCarriers. ContactSPAfora

reviewofspecificflightitinerarypriortobookingifyouhavequestionsorconcerns.

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WhatisaCodeShareflight?

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ThetravelerisconsideredtobeonaCodeShareflightifhe/shepurchasesaticketfromonecarrierbut

fliesontheaircraftcarrierofanotherairline. Thiswould

beaticketthatisissuedbyaU.S.AirCarrier

thatstates“U.S.AirCarrierflightXXXXoperatedbyForeignAirCarrier”.Theremaybealistofcode

sharepartnersontheU.S.AirCarrierwebsite,however,notallflightsonthepartnerairlinesare

operatedundera

codeshareagreement.Onlyflightsbookedproperlythoughthecodesharesare

allowable.

Allowable: AA1234(AmericanAirlines)operatedbyQF4321(QantasAirways)

Unallowable: QF4321(QantasAirways)operatedbyAA1234(AmericanAirl ines)

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WherecanIfindtheAirlinedesignatorcodes? 

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Agoodwebsitetogoto

fordeterminingthecountryoforiginfortheAirCarrieris:

http://www.airlinecodes.co.uk/airlcodesearch.asp

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YoucansearchforanyairlineandseethecountryassociatedwiththeAirlineontheAirlineCode

SearchResultspage.



http://www.tvlon.com/resources/airlinecodes.htm

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ThiswebsiteshowsalistingofallU.S.andNon‐U.S.FlagAirCarriers.

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Inresearchingavailableflights,itwasdiscoveredthatbookingaflightonaforeignaircarrierwas

substantiallylessthanbookingaflightonaU.S.AirCarrier.Wewanttosavethegrantmoneyfor

otherresearchrelatedpurposes.IsthisanallowableexceptiontotheFlyAmericaAct?



No,theFlyAmericaActspecificallystatesthatcostcannotbeconsideredasafactor.

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September2015 Page3

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MyPIhasalreadypurchasedatickettoaforeigndestination.Thereceipthasportionsoftheflight

thatareU.S.FlagAirCarriersandportionsthatareNon‐U.S.FlagAirCarriers.Cantheportions

bookedontheU.S.FlagAirCarriersbechargedtothegrant?



Itdepends

onwhoissuedtheticketorifthereisaflightspecificcodeshareinplace. IfaU.S.FlagAir

Carrierissuedtheticket(printedonU.S.AirCarrierticket/boardingpass/receipt)thentheexpensewill,

inmostcases,beeligibleforreimbursement.Iftheticketisissuedbya

foreignaircarrier(printedon

foreignticket/boardingpass/receipt),theticketisnoteligibleforreimbursementonaFederalaward

evenifthereareportionsoftheflightthathaveaU.S.AirCarrierflightdesignatorcodeasthesewould

havebeenbookedthewrongwaythroughthecodeshareprocess.

canbehelpfultolookatthereceiptorcreditcardstatementtoseewhatairlinewaspaid.IftheUS

AirCarrierwaspaid,thentypicallytheUniversitycandocumentthattheflightiseligiblefor

reimbursement.Iftheforeignaircarrierwaspaid,thenthecostofthe

flightcannotbechargedtoa

federalgrant.



MyPItraveledtoaforeigndestination.TheflightswithintheU.S.wereonU.S.AirCarrierswith

ticketsissuedbytheU.S.AirCarrierandtheflightstoand/orwithintheforeigncountrieswereon

foreigncarrierswithticketsissuedby

theforeigncarrier.Cantheflightsbechargedtothegrant?



Yes,thedomesticportionsissuedonticketsfromU.S.AirCarrierscanbechargedtotheFederalgrant,

however,theticketsissuedbytheforeigncarriersmaynotbechargedunlesstherewerenoU.S.Flag

AirCarriersavailable

tothatdestination.PleasenotethatU.S.FlagAirCarriersmustbeusedtothe

furthestpointpossibleandyoucanonlyswitchtotheforeigncarrierfortheportionwherethereisno

U.S.FlagAirCarrieravailable.



MyPIhasaconferenceinParisandthenhe/shehas

totraveltoLondonforacollaboratormeeting

atasubgranteeinstitution.TheflightsbetweenParisandLondonwerebookedonBritishAirways.

Canthisbereimbursedfromthefederalgrant?



Itdepends.Evenwhenthetravelerisinaforeigncountryandistravelingfromoneforeign

locationto

another,U.S.Aircarrierswouldstillneedtobeutilizedifavailable.IfnoUSAirCarriers

wereavailable,thenaforeigncarriermaybeused.However,amulti‐cityairfarecantypi callybe

bookedthroughaUSAircarrierwebsite.YoushouldcheckmultipleUSAircarrierstoseeif

your

itineraryisavailabletobebookeddirectlythrough theUSAircarrier.Ifnot,youshouldprint

screenthepage(s)thatshowsthatnoflightsareavailableforyourindicateditinerary.



ItissuggestedthatyoucontactSPApriortobookingthetravelifyoufeelthatyouqualify

foroneof

theexceptions.SPAwillreviewthespecifictravelscenariotohelpdetermineifitmeetsthe

exceptions. PleasecontactKrystinaGrossat935‐5793or[email protected]orElizabethCollettaat

935‐5757orecollett[email protected]forinquiriesabouttheFlyAmericaActorreviewofaspecifictravel

scenario.

