Duty Travel Overseas

[techie_tubby]

I'm organising travel for myself and 3 others to Jacksonville for later in the year. I've got to get details for 3 methods of travel

1. Service travel from door to door. Got requests into BZN and Abbey Wood for details about service transport out to the states
2. Civi flights.
3. American mil transport

Question I've got is what are the rules about booking civi flights? I've only ever booked internal UK flights so never had the options about travel classes. The total journey is probably going to be in the 16 hour time frame from door to door. Is there still the guidelines for travelling premium economy or business if over 10 hours? If anyone has any JSP refs I can read up on as well that would be very handy.

 

[Dan_Brown]

I've been travelling across Europe for the past 3 years and i have:

• Researched via Skyscanner flights suitable to me.

• Raised relevant paperwork and submitted to my travel cell.

• Flights booked by HRG,

Not sure what your process is, but the above worked for me.

WRT classes etc, Economy unless certain distance/flight time, which from Economy up to premium Economy. It used to also depend on rank, ie OF-5 and above got bumped up, but the workers got to slum it.

JSP752 (?) or have a chat with your travel cell/scribbly.

 

[Downsizer]

This would normally be sorted by the Stn Travel Cell. Never nooked my own flights and regularly flew economy Heathrow to LAX.

 

[techie_tubby]

JSP752 is more about costings and what you can claim back. I've been looking through JSP800 and page 29/30 of that link says that all pers travelling by civi air over 2.5 hours are entitled to travel by business class. Has anyone ever had any joys when requesting this? Looking at flights on sky scanner it's going to be about 16-19 hours in the air due to connections, looks like it's going to be 20-22 hours from door to door!

 

[Dazzy26]

I'm organising travel for myself and 3 others to Jacksonville for later in the year. I've got to get details for 3 methods of travel

1. Service travel from door to door. Got requests into BZN and Abbey Wood for details about service transport out to the states
2. Civi flights.
3. American mil transport

Question I've got is what are the rules about booking civi flights? I've only ever booked internal UK flights so never had the options about travel classes. The total journey is probably going to be in the 16 hour time frame from door to door. Is there still the guidelines for travelling premium economy or business if over 10 hours? If anyone has any JSP refs I can read up on as well that would be very handy.

As already been said don't you have a Stn travel cell to do all that? The JSP won't be much help as it depends on what the latest imposed policy is. Late last year when I booked USA travel, it had to be signed off at 2* level.

You will likely only get Economy no matter how long the trip as its cheaper to give you 24 hours off before your first event than book above economy. Again that will be down to your budget manager.

Beware of the USAF route as what would you do if you are bumped off the flight/delayed or they can't get you back? Atleast a Civ airline has to re-arrange for you.

If you want to use the pre-allocated seats that the MoD use then the application/allocation is done through the Embassy in Washington.

Not arranged anything in a couple of months, but Civ Air would have to go through HRG so no matter how cheap you find it on line you will have to pay the fare they find!

 

[techie_tubby]

The travel cell will happily book the flights but they prefer you to submit the application with preferred flights you want. They will then book it on HRG. Was curious if there was a precedent, tempted to ask anyway with the reasoning of time and distance and see what I get DT_Xtremez_15:

 

[Downsizer]

There is no way you will travel anything other than economy.

Just pick the best route for you to get there and bang it in.

 

[Dan_Brown]

We had a team go out to Hawaii, they showed the policy about business - HRG stretched to premium economy.

 

[dessp2]

Wow my 28 year RAF career got me an hour at Dulles Airport Washington, before onward to Belize in 1992. Saying that the more I hear about Las Vegas and Red Flag etc, the less I want to go.

 

[ScoobTech]

Let your travel cell book it, if you can sway it try and avoid United they are cheap for a reason. If your going on a NATO travel order instead of an ESTA, have a chat to the helpers before go through immigration in the US, they put us through the dip channel, that meant one less big queue to deal.with.

 

[techie_tubby]

Let your travel cell book it, if you can sway it try and avoid United they are cheap for a reason. If your going on a NATO travel order instead of an ESTA, have a chat to the helpers before go through immigration in the US, they put us through the dip channel, that meant one less big queue to deal.with.

Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you look at it) we have to fly with BA.

 

[FOMz]

If you are flying with BA and got either any Avios points or if you are a silver member or above.. upgrade yourself...

Tip.. you won't get Avios upgrades available usually if you fly Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon with BA.

And thanks to their new boarding system, if you get a bargain bucket cheapest ticket going (which the RAF no doubt will have) you will board last, so don't expect any overhead locker space available...

 

[Spearmint]

Let your travel cell book it, if you can sway it try and avoid United they are cheap for a reason. If your going on a NATO travel order instead of an ESTA, have a chat to the helpers before go through immigration in the US, they put us through the dip channel, that meant one less big queue to deal.with.

Always works for me going through US immigration, UK side though and requesting to use the diplomatic lane gets you the look of 'You've just killed my cat.

Miserable c*nts.

 

[techie_tubby]

Updates with another question:

After much red tape from Waddington we have no got policy in place to book flights to the US with quite a bit of freedom with routes and airlines we use. I've been researching multiple airlines and routes to see what is the easiest and cost effective way to do it as what we decided will probably become the default method for everyone off out for training.

My latest question is about baggage. We will probably have to take 2-3 bags out with us with a mixture of mil kit and civvies due to the length of time we are off out for. With the extortionate costs for extra baggage does anyone know if the mil gets discount? We have pretty much sorted a route we will be taking but the airline only allows for 1 bag to be booked and any extras must be paid for at the airport on check in. Now with the extra costs of the bags (€100 per bag up to 28 Kg) it is cheaper to fly premium economy as you can get up to 3 checked in bags with the ticket. Do the boaters think it would be worthwhile requesting premium economy tickets as a cost saving measure to travel cell?

 

[Spearmint]

You can get 2 bags through Virgin, plus if I remember correctly you are entitled to 2 bags anyway. So it may be a case of claiming the costs back after.

 

[Dan_Brown]

When i've travelled overseas for training etc i had a bag of civvies and a bag of training aids.

My travel app detailed my preferred routes and the request for extra bag + reasons why.

WRT the extra bag, in the travel app i priced up the cost, but ultimately travel cell did what they want and as long as i got the extra bag, i didn't mind how they did it.

Recently had some colleagues head to Hawaii and quoted JSPs about travel time meant bump up to business class; travel cell "thanks, but no".

 

[Stevienics]

You probably wont get PE unless your seniority of duty type demands it. Be very careful - even if it is a LOT cheaper, they will audit your arse for this.

Why don't you hand it off the HRG? They get a lot of money for what they do.

 

[Downsizer]

As the above posters state, in the past all travel cells I've used have just paid for excess baggage.

 

[FOMz]

You can pay for extra baggage, but a slightly more expensive ticket could be available that allows a higher baggage allowance. If you travel cell is any good, they will spend more on the ticket, then not pay for extra baggage, as it can work out cheaper that way.

 

[Stevienics]

You can pay for extra baggage, but a slightly more expensive ticket could be available that allows a higher baggage allowance. If you travel cell is any good, they will spend more on the ticket, then not pay for extra baggage, as it can work out cheaper that way.

They really won't. I promise you the rank demarcation lines are pretty solid. They'll pay more for the baggage than a higher class of ticket. However, just tell them what they want and let them get on with it... then you're clean.