chrismattmann
commented
10 years ago per @cryocity:
It appears that the ticket needs to be issued by US carriers but the
carrier can be another, if it complies the Open Skies agreement …Detailed information below:
1. Travel to Foreign Countries
a. Policy
(i) Expenses for transportation, lodging, subsistence and related items
incurred by project personnel and by outside consultants employed on the
project, (see AAG Chapter V.B.4
<http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf14001/aag_5.jsp#VB4>)
who
are on travel status on business related to an NSF-supported project are
allowable as prescribed in the governing OMB cost principles. The
requirements for prior approval detailed in the governing OMB cost
principles are waived.
(ii) Except as provided in the governing OMB cost principles, the
difference between economy airfare and a higher-class airfare is
unallowable. A train, bus or other surface carrier may be used in lieu
of,
or as a supplement to, air travel at the lowest first-class rate by the
transportation facility used. If such travel, however, could have been
performed by air, the allowance will not normally exceed that for jet
economy airfare.
(iii) Support for the foreign travel of an investigator’s dependents is
allowable only under the conditions identified in AAG Chapter V.B.4
<http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/policydocs/pappguide/nsf14001/aag_5.jsp#VB4>.
b. Use of U.S.-Flag Air Carriers
(i) In accordance with the Fly America Act (49 USC 40118), any air
transportation to, from, between, or within a country other than the U.S.
of persons or property, the expense of which will be assisted by NSF
funding, must be performed by or under a code-sharing arrangement with a
U.S.-flag air carrier if service provided by such a carrier is available
(see Comptroller General Decision B-240956, dated September 25, 1991).
Tickets (or documentation for electronic tickets) must identify the U.S.
flag air carrier’s designator code and flight number.
(ii) For the purposes of this requirement, U.S.-flag air carrier service
is considered available even though:
(a) comparable or a different kind of service can be provided at less
cost
by a foreign-flag air carrier;
(b) foreign-flag air carrier service is preferred by, or is more
convenient for, NSF or traveler; or
(c) service by a foreign-flag air carrier can be paid for in excess
foreign currency.
(iii) The following rules apply unless their application would result in
the first or last leg of travel from or to the U.S. being performed by a
foreign-flag air carrier:
(a) a U.S.-flag air carrier shall be used to destination or, in the
absence of direct or through service, to the farthest interchange point
on
a usually traveled route.
(b) if a U.S.-flag air carrier does not serve an origin or interchange
point, a foreign-flag air carrier shall be used only to the nearest
interchange point on a usually traveled route to connect with a U.S. flag
air carrier.
c. Use of Foreign-Flag Air Carriers
There are certain circumstances under which use of a foreign-flag air
carrier is permissible. These circumstances are outlined below:
(i) Airline "Open Skies" Agreement:
A foreign flag air carrier may be used if the transportation is provided
under an air transportation agreement between the United States and a
foreign government, which the Department of Transportation has determined
meets the requirements of the Fly America Act. For information on "open
skies" agreements in which the United States has entered, please refer to
the GSA website at http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/103191.
Note on U.S./European Union Open Skies Agreement In 2007, the U.S.
entered
into an “Open Skies” Agreement with the European Union (“EU”). This
agreement was modified in June 2010. The current Agreement gives European
Community airlines (airlines of Member States) the right to transport
passengers and cargo on flights funded by the U.S. government, when the
transportation is between: (1) any two points outside the United States;
or (2) a point in the United States and any point outside the United
States that the EU airline is authorized to serve under the “Open Skies”
Agreement.
As of 2011, two significant changes have been made to the U.S./EU Open
Skies Agreement. First, EU airlines are now granted the right to
transport
civilian agency-funded passengers who are NOT eligible to travel on GSA
Airline City Pair Contract fares (e.g., grantees) between a point in the
United States and a point outside the United States even if there is a
GSA
Airline City Pair Contract fare in effect between the origin and
destination points. An individual, however, who is traveling on a route
for which there is a City Pair Contract fare in effect, and who is
eligible for such a fare (e.g., Federal employee), will be required to
fly
on a U.S. carrier, absent another applicable exception.
Second, under the amended Agreement, EU airlines are now authorized to
transport passengers between points in the United States and points
outside the EU if the EU airline is authorized to serve the route under
the Agreement. This includes flights that originate, arrive, or stop in
the EU. Prior to this change, EU airlines were limited to flying
passengers between points in the U.S. and points in the EU.
(ii) Involuntary Rerouting
Travel on a foreign-flag carrier is permitted if a U.S.-flag air carrier
involuntarily reroutes the traveler via a foreign-flag air carrier,
notwithstanding the availability of alternative U.S.-flag air carrier
service.
(iii) Travel To and From the U.S. on non-European Community Airlines
Use of a non-European Community foreign-flag air carrier is permissible
if
the airport abroad is:
(a) the traveler's origin or destination airport, and use of U.S.-flag
air
carrier service would extend the time in a travel status by at least 24
hours more than travel by a foreign-flag air carrier; or
(b) an interchange point, and use of U.S.-flag air carrier service would
increase the number of aircraft changes the traveler must make outside of
the U.S. by two or more, would require the traveler to wait four hours or
more to make connections at that point, or would extend the time in a
travel status by at least six hours more than travel by a foreign-flag
air
carrier.
(iv) Travel Between Points Outside the U.S. on non-European Community
Airlines
Use of a non-European Community foreign-flag air carrier is permissible
if:
(a) travel by a foreign-flag air carrier would eliminate two or more
aircraft changes en route; (b) travel by a U.S.-flag air carrier would
require a connecting time of four hours or more at an overseas
interchange
point; or
(c) the travel is not part of the trip to or from the U.S., and use of a
U.S.-flag air carrier would extend the time in a travel status by at
least
six hours more than travel by a foreign-flag air carrier.
(v) Short Distance Travel
For all short distance travel, regardless of origin and destination, use
of a foreign-flag air carrier is permissible if the elapsed travel time
on
a scheduled flight from origin to destination airport by a foreign-flag
air carrier is three hours or less and service by a U.S.-flag air carrier
would double the travel time.
Seek guidance on what carriers can be used for international travelers. There was a suggestion that it may still be possible to support an expanded set of carriers.