4007.1 If heavy rail or intercity bus service is approved by an agency as a mode of employee travel, an agency shall pay for, and an employee shall only be reimbursed for, the cost of the lowest-price coach class heavy rail (for example, Amtrak) or intercity bus service that reasonably meets the travel needs of the employee, unless another class of service is authorized under § 4007.3.

4007.2 To determine and obtain the lowest-price coach class fare that reasonably meets the travel needs of the employee, the employee shall:

(a) Compare prices online at the heavy rail or bus carrier website; and

(b) Arrange for the purchase of transportation as far as possible in advance in order to ensure that the lowest prices are available.

4000

4001

4002

4003

4004

4005

4006

4007

4007.1

4007.2

4007.3 An agency may approve a class of service other than basic, coach-class service if:

(a) No basic, coach-class service is reasonably available and the travel cannot be rescheduled in a manner that is advantageous to the government;

(b) Use of other than basic, coach-class service is necessary to accommodate a medical disability

or other special need;

(c) Regularly scheduled heavy rail or bus service between the origin and destination points only provide classes of service that are not basic, coach-class service; or

(d) The use of other than basic, coach-class service results in an overall cost savings to the government, for example by avoiding additional travel expenses, overtime, or lost productive time while awaiting or using basic, coach-class service.

Mere preference or convenience is not an acceptable factor for an agency to consider.

4007.4 An employee may upgrade to other than basic, coach-class service, or to preferred seating or service in coach-class accommodations, at the employee's personal expense. The employee shall be responsible for the payment of the cost of any upgrades.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 67 DCR 7860 (June 26, 2020).