[Atom-ssai] ATom Integration Travel Support

Fri Nov 18 09:19:07 PST 2016

Friday, November 18, 2016

On behalf of SSAI, it is a pleasure to contact you regarding ATom Integration Travel Support.  You have been designated as eligible to receive travel support through SSAI, not only for the January 2017 Integration Phase at ARFC in Palmdale, but going forward through the planned deployment locations.  Most of you have already experienced a successful travel expense reimbursement through the STARSS-I and II contracts.  With the December 1st start date of STARSS-III, SSAI this healthy support  will continue.

Today's email contains a very large amount of information.  Please read thoroughly and do not hold back on questions.  If you have an unusual requirement or special situation, I invite you to contact me for discussion.  

With the attachments here you will find a Travel Request form.  Please complete Travel Request form and send it back to me as quickly as feasible.  It is preferred that you send a scanned copy that includes your handwritten signature and not an electronically embossed signature facsimile.  Retain the original paper document and include it later when you provide expense receipts during the reimbursement process.

AIRFARE - Long Distance Travel

For people needing to travel in December for ATom integration, please purchase your own coach airfare.  The contract with SSAI will be in place at the beginning of December, at which time you be able to submit an expense report for reimbursement.  Please keep a record of your airline receipt to submit with your expense report.

CIAzumano Travel:  This is the SSAI travel vendor.  The invitation is for you to contact CIAzumano Travel yourself.  At the time airline reservations are made, SSAI will pay the airfare.  Attached here you will find the contact information for CI Travel Agents.   Nardy Tello is the primary SSAI designated Travel Agent.   If Nardy is unavailable, other agents from the list are well qualified and very familiar with the SSAI purchase and billing process.  Please try to work only with one of the listed agents.  They will be able to book airline, rental car and most Amtrak reservations.  

Non-refundable airline tickets are purchased, at the lowest available rate on the day of purchase.  If you have preferences, specific airlines, flight times or specific routes, do not assume you will automatically be able to have your preferred flights or airline.  The ticket cost will determine if it will be possible to accommodate your preferences. 

CI Travel needs to have 5 pieces of personal information from you.   Please have this available when you first contact the agent.

1.     The exact spelling of your name as it is on the gov't issued photo ID that you will present at TSA security screenings.

2.     Your birth date

3.     Your Gender

4.     If you are traveling on a Passport, also required are: the ID number, the expiration date, the location where it was issued.

5.     A cell phone number or other contact phone number.

Local Ground Transportation and Rental cars

During SSAI business travel at Armstrong Flight Research Center, you will be covered under an SSAI insurance policy.  Do not purchase optional insurance from the rental car company, no matter how hard the representative pressures you.  If you do make the personal decision to purchase optional insurance, you will not be reimbursed.  The Hartford Insurance details are available upon request.

Other optional add-ons that will not be reimbursed:  pre-paid fuel, roadside assistance, child safety seats, and GPS devices. 

NOTE:  On May 13, 2015 the Federal Travel Regulation declared pre-paid fuel as non-reimbursable.  If you purchase this option, you will be responsible for this fuel expense and will not be reimbursed.  No exceptions.  So, plan to fill the gas tank yourself prior to returning the car.

Parking at the departure airport versus round-trip taxi fare:  This is particularly important for longer duration Field Mission Travel and will be closely scrutinized.

NASA may reimburse your parking fee as an allowable transportation expense not to exceed the cost of taxi fare to/from the terminal. As a prudent traveler, you should use satellite parking facilities rather than daily or valet parking facilities.

However, to be in compliance with the Federal travel requirements, when planning all travel that could require departure-airport parking fees, please prepare a simple cost comparison to determine which mode of ground travel would be more advantageous to the government (PoV driving with parking, versus round-trip taxi to/from home and airport). Whichever is MORE advantageous to the government should be the expense listed on the SSAI Travel Request form.   At this time it is not required to provide the cost comparison with the expense report.   

NASA Auditors use " <http://taxifarefinder.com/> taxifarefinder.com" when they audit vouchers. When comparing costs, please make sure the tip amount added to the fare estimate is 15%.  The site shows three different estimated costs depending on traffic, I recommend you always use the highest estimate. If the city doesn't pull up, the default is to use the average US taxi rate.

Lodging

ESPO has booked a room block at the hotels listed below at below GSA max lodging rates in Palmdale for the ATom integration period. You must obtain a receipt, the check-out invoice from the hotel in order to be reimbursed.  An on-line hotel reservation confirmation email is not an adequate receipt.  You must have a document that itemizes the room rate, taxes/fees, and miscellaneous charges.

Preferred Palmdale Lodging:

Residence Inn Palmdale Lancaster

514 W Rancho Vista Blvd, Palmdale, CA 93551

Phone: (661) 947-4204

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wjfri-residence-inn-palmdale-lancaster/

Courtyard by Marriott Palmdale

530 W Rancho Vista Blvd, Palmdale, CA 93551

Phone: (661) 947-4100

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/wjfcy-courtyard-palmdale/

Rate: 136.12 USD (plus tax) per night.

Nights available: 

*     12/4/16 - 12/17/16 (last day to book is 11/20/16)

*     1/2/17 - 1/29/17 (last day to book is 12/19/16)

How to book:

Call the hotel using the appropriate phone number above and refer to the name of the room block - 'NASA ATom' - to receive the group rate. Reserve your room by providing a credit card number.  (Make sure you speak with a person IN the hotel, and not the 1-800 national reservations center.) 

There is a 24-hour cancellation policy at both the Residence Inn and Courtyard. The traveler is responsible for managing their room reservations in Palmdale if changes to travel plans occur. 

Expense Reimbursement

Meals & Incidental Per Diem is paid at the established GSA allowance.  This is a flat rate and meal receipts are not required for reimbursement.   The established government Meals & Incidental Expense allowance for Armstrong Flight Research Center/Palmdale CA is as follows:

The two travel days will be paid at $48.00 and the full days spent in  Palmdale will be paid at $64.00.  Built in to this allowance is $5 that is meant to cover gratuity, ATM fees, pay telephones, laundry, generally the smaller expenses that would not normally produce a receipt. 

The full per diem breakdown:  Breakfast $15; Lunch $16; Dinner $28; Incidentals $5 = $64.00. 

Certainly you can spend whatever amounts you want.   However, even when the true expenses exceed $64, you will only be reimbursed the maximum $64, or $48.00 on a travel day. 

Required Receipts:

*            Airfare, if you purchased it yourself

*            Train fare, if you purchased it yourself

*            Baggage receipts (one checked bag, and or one carry-on)

*            Hotel check-out invoice.  An electronic copy of your reservation confirmation is not sufficient.  You must provide a receipt showing the full breakdown of PAID hotel charges.

*            Parking at departure airport, or directly related to SSAI work while on travel; If you were charged parking by a hotel it will be indicated on your check-out invoice.

*            Toll Receipts or the best document that can be made available for the electronically collected toll fees.

*            All ground transportation that is directly related to SSAI work while on travel.

*            Rental car, directly related to SSAI work while on travel.

*            Gas for the rental car, directly related to SSAI work while on travel.

*            Telephone charges only if directly related SSAI work while on travel.

*            Internet fees only if directly related to SSAI work while on travel.

Missing Receipts:  SSAI is a contractor to NASA and not eligible for the $75 maximum amount for reimbursement without a receipt.  Simply, without a receipt there will not be a reimbursement.  Two exceptions:  The maximum reimbursement of $10.00 is paid for toll or parking expenses without receipt documentation.  The maximum reimbursement of $15.00 is paid for Taxi/Shuttle expense without receipt documentation.   A bank card statement is a satisfactory substitution for any expense that has been paid by credit or debit card. 

The Expense Report Form is attached here with the Trip Report 

Form.  Both original paper forms are required for reimbursement payment.  Submit both signed forms together at the same time as the original receipts.   Please provide hand written signatures on the original forms.  Mail/ship all original paper documents to me at the address below in the signature block. 

My standard working hours are Mon-Friday 9am to 6pm Eastern Time Zone.  I am available to support your travel and reimbursement requirements to be best of my ability.

Sincerely

          Diane Zeimet

Diane L. Zeimet

Travel Logistics

 <mailto:diane.zeimet at ssaihq.com> diane.zeimet at ssaihq.com

phone 757-951-1674 

fax 757 951-1900

Science Systems and Applications, Inc.

1 Enterprise Parkway, Suite 200

Hampton, VA 23666

 <http://www.ssaihq.com/> www.ssaihq.com

Science and Technology with Passion

Please be mindful about forwarding this e-mail; it may contain confidential information that is not intended for anyone else. Thank you.

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