Making the Defense Travel System (DTS) More Cost Effective

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.