§ 86-713. Airfare coupons; discounts

(a) It is county policy to account for discount fare coupons and all other promotional gratuities of air travel received by county employees as a result of county purchased travel. Under no circumstances shall discount fare coupons be used for personal travel. Official records must be documented and filed with the county auditor to show the receipt and disposition of discount fare coupons.

(b) Each individual county employee who travels as a substantial and/or primary part of his job shall apply for frequent flyer membership or other discount opportunities with any airline on which routine travel occurs. Employees covered by this subsection are only those that earn significant and readily identifiable travel benefits such as, but not limited to, the sheriff's department fugitive officers. Employees and elected officials that travel on county business where frequent flyer benefits earned from county travels are not distinguishable from the personal travel benefits of the employee or elected official are not covered by this section. Frequent flyer membership statements and other discount opportunities will be addressed or forwarded to the employee at his county place of business. Individual employees are expected to immediately convert frequent flyer miles and other discount opportunities to tickets or ticket certificates, at the direction of departmental management. Free or discount tickets received as a result of frequent business travel shall be used as soon as legally available to offset or replace the purchase of the most expensive ticket then required for county business. Individuals who earn free or discounted tickets on county business travel must surrender all such tickets to departmental management and take whatever steps are necessary to make them available for the travel that would otherwise be taken at taxpayer expense. Departments that include frequent business travelers will report the status of all frequent flyer programs to the county auditor on a monthly basis.

(c) Airline refunds.

(1) Southwest ticketless travel. To obtain a credit for unused travel tickets charged through the county's designated travel agent, the employee must call the designated travel agent, provide the confirmation number and ask for a cancellation. Credits for nonrefundable tickets can be used toward the purchase of another ticket for the same traveler within one year, but the traveler must provide the confirmation number when the next reservation is made and notify the county auditor of cancellation and confirmation number to receive credit on the departmental budget.

(2) Other airline ticketless travel. To obtain a credit for unused travel tickets charged through the county's designated travel agent, the employee must call the designated travel agent, provide the confirmation number and ask for a cancellation and provide the record locator number for nonrefundable tickets. Ticket coupons will be printed and returned to the traveler, who may use the ticket toward the purchase of another ticket on that particular airline for a $50.00 fee, plus any air fare difference, notify the county auditor of cancellation and record locator number for tracking purposes. All costs incurred will be charged against the departmental budget.

(3) Prepaid ticket or regular ticket. If a prepaid ticket has not been picked up, advise the designated travel agent of the cancellation. If the ticket has been picked up from the airline, return the ticket to the designated travel agent for refund. If the ticket is lost, a lost ticket application may be filed. A refund will be processed, less a $70.00 fee. This process takes approximately three months. If the ticket was nonrefundable, the price of the ticket is lost. All costs incurred will be charged against the departmental budget.

(Ord. No. 2000-1342, §§ 1.24—1.26, 7-11-2000)

refstatelaw

Airline fares account, V.T.C.A., Government Code § 2171.055.