From the Branded Program: Booking Airfare

By Amy Austin, Branded Program Coordinator, Food Export-Northeast

Here are some tips to Help Ensure Your Flights Qualify for Branded Program Reimbursement!

Submitting airfare expenses can be one of the more difficult Branded Program claims participants. But it does not have to be! The requirements are straightforward, so if you understand what they are, you will not have difficulty submitting the necessary back up to be reimbursed. 

Here are the Branded staff’s tips that will help ensure your airfare will qualify for reimbursement:

1. Book on a USA flag carrier! Per the Fly America Act, all government funded travel must be on a USA flag carrier, with few exceptions. The EU Open Skies Agreement does permit reimbursement of flights on EU airlines if the flight passes through the EU, or if an EU country is the origin or destination. (Note: The UK is no longer a member of the EU!)  Flights on Japanese, Australian, or Swiss airlines may qualify if the destination is one of those countries and there is no “city pair rate”.  If it is not possible to fly on a USA or EU carrier to your destination, and you can prove it (web search screenshots suffice), then another airline may be used.  Please contact Branded Program staff if you cannot find a US or EU carrier and want to be sure your airfare will still qualify!
2. Book economy class! Per Branded Program regulations, any upgraded class (including Delta +, More Legroom, Preferred Seats, etc.) is not reimbursable. The Branded Program can only reimburse up to full fare Economy. You can always upgrade your fare afterwards, but if you book Economy, then your fare would qualify under the program regulations.
3. Book directly with the airline instead of through a third-party travel site! We require an e-ticket itinerary and receipt from the airline as proof of your flight, and if you book through a third-party site, you may not get this document. We are specifically looking for the following information:
   • Traveler Name
   • Ticket Number
   • Class of Travel
   • Full Itinerary including flight numbers, origin/destination and dates
   • fare details. 
     • We suggest booking directly through the airline so that obtaining this information is as simple as possible.  While this is not required, it is suggested for ease of your claim submission.

When is a Comparison Fare Quote is necessary?

Since the reality of travel does not always fit into the Branded Program’s regulations, there is a way you can still be reimbursed for at least a portion of your airfare if your flights do not fully qualify. However, this only works if you are flying on an eligible airline.  A fare quote is required in the following situations:

1. If you do not fly on the eligible dates around the trade show or trade mission (arriving 2 days prior and leaving the day after), or if you book a fare other than economy, then you will have to obtain a comparison fare quote for economy fare on the eligible dates if you want to be reimbursed for a portion of the airfare. 
   • The quote should be obtained when you book your flight (using the same website as your actual booking) since fares can change daily.
   • The quote must show the cost of the economy class fare to/from the same origin/destination as your actual flights but arriving and departing on the eligible dates in economy.
   • Note that this does not work if you fly an ineligible carrier, in that case your airfare is simply not eligible.  Ask Branded Program staff to review your planned itinerary and quote prior to booking your flights!
2. If your flight includes a side trip.  A side trip means you to do not fly into/out of the same origin and destination cities as your home/city of the trade show/trade mission. Without a comparison fare quote, your airfare will not be reimbursable in this scenario. We need to see the cost of the direct round trip as compared to your actual flights which include the ineligible origin/destination/stopover. We are permitted to reimburse the lesser of the two fares. Note that layovers do not count as side trips.  Simply obtaining a quote for an eligible flight does not guarantee you will be reimbursed, so contacting Branded Program staff prior to booking travel is highly recommended!

The Branded Program staff at Food Export wants you to be reimbursed for your eligible travel, so please do not hesitate to contact us whenever you have doubts or questions!