Gainsharing Travel Savings –
Save Money on Travel and Earn a Little Extra Cash for Yourself
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(January 10, 2012) The NWSEO and NWS signed a clarification of Article 23 Section 5 of the contract, spelling out members’ liabilities when flying with non-refundable airline tickets. The NWSEO encourages all NWS employees to utilize lower cost non-refundable airfares when that makes sense. This saves money for your local office's travel budget and makes you eligible for a Gainsharing award equal to 50 percent of those savings. However, if you choose a non-refundable ticket, be aware that you assume a certain degree of risk if your flight plans change for some reason. This is outlined in the clarification below.
It is easy to get a non-refundable ticket. When you call AdTrav to make your flight arrangement, ask the price of the contract fare and the cheapest fare. If there is a big difference, tell them you want the cheaper non-refundable fare. Make sure the person authorizing your travel indicates on your travel order that a non-refundable ticket is authorized. When you return home, file a form CD-326 with your travel voucher. This not only saves taxpayer money, you will also receive half of those savings for yourself.
Gainsharing Clarification
Travel arrangements for NWS employees will be made through the Travel Management Center (TMC). Employees who obtain a nonrefundable, non-contract fare are eligible for the travel savings program only after first considering a city-pair fare where available. Savings will be measured against the lowest city-pair fare (YCA or -CA) available at the time of ticketing. If there is no city-pair fare available, then the lowest non-restricted coach fare available at the time of ticketing will be used as the basis for measurement of the savings.
In the event of an unanticipated change/cancellation in schedule made for official reasons, or necessitated by circumstances beyond the employees control, or of an emergency nature, the government is responsible for all cost associated with the ticket, and the approving official must specifically authorize these costs on either an amended travel authorization or on the travel voucher. In the event of a change/cancellation in schedule made for the personal preference of the employee, the employee is responsible for all cost associated with the ticket.
-NWSEO-