Air Travel Information

Introduction

State travel policy requires agencies to consider efficiency and economy when expending funds for travel. Air travel purchases represent a significant portion of an agency travel budget. Therefore, the following information and links are provided to assist agencies in maximizing the value of the airfare dollar when traveling on agency business.

Useful Links

This page contains links to purchase airfare directly from airlines, along with a number of discount travel sites. Discount travel sites may offer cheaper fares, but beware of incidental charges that may be assessed for any type of modification or change in itinerary.

General Guidelines on Purchasing Tickets

"Restricted" vs. "Unrestricted" Fares

Airline tickets are typically classified as being "restricted" or "unrestricted." Unrestricted, or business class fares, are generally more expensive, but offer the traveler greater flexibility because they may be refunded or easily changed. Restricted, or leisure class fares, similar to the greatly reduced fares offered by discount travel sites, may cost less than business fares, but offer little or no flexibility in changing the itinerary.

How to get the best-priced ticket

The single greatest factor in finding the best-priced airline ticket is generally to book early. Airlines limit the number of seats available under various pricing structures, therefore the earlier you can reserve your ticket, the more likely you are to get the lowest cost seats and the best scheduling options. To find the best price on a ticket, we suggest that you check a minimum of two airlines and at least one of the discounted travel sites to compare rates. Be prepared to insert a range of departure/return dates and times when using the links contained in this web page. Fares are not guaranteed until ticketed.

Minimum stay

Can you stay over a Saturday night? The airlines assume that passengers who stay over a Saturday night are leisure travelers versus business travelers and they offer a lower rate to attract these personal income travelers. Remember to consider the cost of additional lodging and per diem when comparing fares that include a Saturday night stay. Example, Helena - San Diego round trip fare:

• Departing Sunday, return Wednesday, no Saturday stay over, $737.40 ticket.
• Depart Saturday instead, return Wednesday, $459.40 ticket price, plus $138 for additional night of lodging and meals = $597.40 - net savings of $140.

Time is money

Pay close attention to the number of stops and layover times between arrivals and departures in a proposed itinerary. A fare may initially cost less but the savings may be offset by the time an employee spends in route to their final destination. Another factor to consider is the time of day of departure. In some cases, an afternoon departure may cost $100 less than an early morning departure.

Changes/Change Fees

Most fares do not allow a simple and fast means of changing the outbound date and time of departure. If you change the outbound, you must "requalify" your ticket by ordering 14 days in advance. This may include a fee of approximately $100 to change the ticket. Most fares allow you to change your return itinerary without advance notice for a change fee of approximately $100. Please read the terms and conditions of each carrier very carefully. Fees may vary by airline.

Third Party Purchases

Most airlines will allow tickets for multiple passengers to be purchased from a single purchasing card, but this is not always the case and may even result in unpleasant complications for the individual traveler.

Delta Airlines, for example, may require the traveler to present to the ticket agent the purchasing card that was used to purchase the ticket or the passenger may not be allowed to board the aircraft. This practice is used to alleviate credit card fraud and may come into play for last minute ticket purchases, i.e., tickets purchased less than 7-10 days prior to departure or in cases where the trip originates in a state other than the cardholder's location. Consider having the traveler verify what will be required well in advance of departure. The situation may be further complicated if a flight departs before the beginning of a business day and assistance from agency personnel may be difficult if problems are encountered on a Saturday stay over.

Various Routings

While you may have a preference for a particular airline see what the others are offering. You will often find that different carriers will offer different fares when traveling between the same two cities. The airline links listed herein offer valuable information regarding carrier routes.

Before you fly

The Transportation Security Administration has a number of helpful hints for the air traveler, along with suggestions and preparations to be made before you embark for the airport. Please consult the TSA Air Traveler web page at: http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=175

Check-In

Procedures for check-in prior to departure vary by airline, but most airlines request that domestic passengers check in 90 minutes prior to departure and international passengers 120 minutes prior to departure. Passengers arriving with less than 30 minutes before departure run the risk of being denied boarding. Aircraft doors are generally shut 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure time.

Internet Check-In

Check in via the Internet before you leave your home or office. Most carriers offer this option via their web page. This allows you to choose your seat if you didn't do it at the time you reserved your ticket and ensures a timely check in.

Identification

All airlines require passengers to present a Government issued ID, e.g., passport, driver's license, birth certificate. If your ID does not have a picture, please be prepared to present other pictured ID.

Luggage

While policies vary by carrier, most allow a passenger to check two bags and carry one. The checked bags cannot exceed 50 pounds, while the carry on should be small enough to fit under the seat. Some carriers will charge exorbitant fees for checked luggage in excess of 50 pounds. Be sure to check the luggage/baggage traveler information sections from the applicable carrier.

Use of Travel Agents

In some instances, it may cheaper and more convenient to use the services of a travel agent, especially when booking complex itineraries. When comparing fares, keep in mind that travel agents charge a fee for their services, typically from $25 - $45.

Use of State Purchasing Card

State travel policy requires agencies to use the State's purchasing card for individual employee airfare purchases unless it can be documented that it is in the State's best interest to use another payment method. This applies to ticket purchases made through a travel agent, purchased directly from an airline, or purchased from an online travel source. Reasons for this include:

• Create management information and air travel history to solicit a competitive bid and contract for air travel;
• Cost avoidance by eliminating the need for travel advances, transportation purchase orders and the payment of unnecessary fees;
• Provide a method of payment that allows for online ticket purchases;
• Relieve the traveler of having to tie up personal funds and credit for state business.
  

For information on obtaining a state purchasing card, please contact your agency purchasing card coordinator or Devin Garrity at (406) 444-3366 - e-mail Devin Garrity.

Use of Traveler Earned Miles

Section 1-0300.45 of the Montana Operations Manual states the following with respect to promotional miles:

You are free to join frequent flyer programs and any other frequent traveler programs offered by airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, or other travel vendors. If frequent flyer mileage earned from state travel can be accounted for separately from mileage earned from personal travel, you must apply the mileage earned from state travel toward free airline tickets for future state travel.

Some of the airline web pages and ticketing functions may require the traveler to register as a user or, pursuant to the travel policy stated above, the traveler is encouraged to use their existing accounts. In addition to personal miles, Alaska Air/Horizon Air has a program that enables the agency to accrue 2-for-1 mileage specifically for agency use that is accounted for separately than the personal miles earned.