travel.dod.mil 1 March 2023
INFORMATION PAPER
Restricted Airfares Available in DTS
DTS allows travelers to select restricted airfares* if all the following conditions are true:
1. The trip includes only a single TDY location.
2. The overall trip is not a City Pair market.
3. The traveler has a Government travel charge card (GTCC) or the traveler’s unit has a
traditionally reconciled (i.e., outside DTS) centrally billed account (CBA).
This information paper briefly explains how DTS marks restricted airfares and provides some
additional considerations when deciding whether to use a restricted airfare.
*Note: You may also see the term “lowest logical airfare (LLA)”. This term describes the process
DTS uses to search for and display available flights.
Note: In this info paper, unless stated otherwise “you” are a traveler, although anyone with
access to traveler functions on your DTS documents can use them.
In the Reservation module, if there are any restricted flights for the selected airports, then
system returns the results, and highlights the flights to distinguish them.
The indicators include:
• A large yellow box marked Restrictions Apply (Figure 1, Indicator 1) identifies the fare as
restricted and lets you know whether the fare is refundable.
• A ? icon in the yellow box displays a general warning (Figure 2, Indicator 1) about
selecting restricted airfares.
• A Fare Rules (Figure 1, Indicator 3) link. Once the link is selected, the Fare Rules (Figure
3) window opens with specifics of refundable or changeable (if permitted), penalties (if
any) for changing or canceling the flight after ticketing, and much more.
Summary
Selecting
Restricted
Fares
INFORMATION PAPER: Select Restricted Airfares
Defense Travel Management Office 2 March 2023
Figure 1: Restricted (Nonrefundable) Airfare Display
Figure 2: Restricted (? Icon) General Warning Message
Figure 3: Fare Rules Screen
1
2
Selecting
Restricted
Fares
(continued)
3
4
1
INFORMATION PAPER: Select Restricted Airfares
Defense Travel Management Office 3 March 2023
When you choose the Select Flight button (for a restricted flight) DTS generates a Confirm
Selection pop-up message (Figure 4). The data in the window includes:
• Airfare type, nonrefundable, provides a reminder to ensure your GTCC is active, and
more.
• The Confirm Selection (Figure 4, Indicator 1) button to select before proceeding to
choosing a seat.
• The Cancel (Figure 4, Indicator 2) link gives you the chance to look for cheaper
Government fares on the Alternative Options results list (not listed).
Figure 4: Confirm Selection Screen
Once you determine the restricted flight meets your needs, select Confirm Selection. Another
screen appears. DTS cautions you once again that the flight is restricted (Figure 5) and tells you if
the selection is refundable or nonrefundable.
1
Selecting
Restricted
Fares
(continued)
2
INFORMATION PAPER: Select Restricted Airfares
Defense Travel Management Office 4 March 2023
Figure 5: Final Warning Message
Once you confirm the fare selection, on the Pre-Audit screen, DTS flags the fare requiring a
justification. You much justify all flags before signing the document. There are several Reason
Codes for choosing the LLA in a Non-CPP market.
• Based upon your mission, select one or more of the following Reason Codes for the LLA
pre-audit:
o X1: Trip dates are not firm and the change or cancellation fees would increase
the cost.
o X2: The available restricted fare departure or arrival times do not meet Mission
requirements.
o X3: I am traveling to multiple TDY locations.
o X4: The restricted flight cannot accommodate my medical or special need.
o X5: The restricted fare had to be ticketed and my AO was not available to
approve.
o X6: Originally selected restricted flight no longer available due to approval
delay.
o X7: The cost of the restricted ticket is not advantageous to the Government.
• When appropriate, the Pre-Audit screen displays an Advisory message informing you
that you did not select the cheapest available restricted fare. The Advisory message also
provides vital approval dates to ensure ticketing and prevent fare loss. Note: This is
information only and requires no comments.
• Be sure to sign the trip timely. Once the TMC processes your reservation request,
ensure you check DTS for updates and review the TMC emails for reservation and
ticketing status.
Pre-Audit
and Signing
Selecting
Restricted
Fares
(continued)
INFORMATION PAPER: Select Restricted Airfares
Defense Travel Management Office 5 March 2023
DTS also performs the following actions:
• At CTO BOOKED, DTS emails all applicable Routing Officials and AOs to urge immediate
approval. It re-sends this email at 6, 12, and, 18 hours before the ticketing deadline until
APPROVED.
• If the ticketing time limit expires before the AO approves the authorization, DTS
prevents approval and requires the AO to use the RETURN FARE EXPIRED stamp to
return the document to the traveler. DTS also emails you, as well as all applicable
NDEAs, Routing Officials and AOs, when the ticketing time limit expires. After that time
passes, you may not try to re-book another flight on the same authorization. Instead,
you must cancel your original authorization and create a new document to process your
trip.
Selecting Request TMC Assistance when trying to use a restricted airfare causes DTS to treat the
reservation as an unrestricted fare. That means DTS provides no additional system messaging or
emails to you, the AO, etc. It also means that at APPROVED, DTS tags it for ticketing three
business days prior to departure. In other words, you must include the need for urgency in your
comments to the TMC and watch carefully for TMC remarks back to you to prevent missing the
purchase deadline.
Your organization must develop business rules when there is a need to inform the TMC of the
early ticketing requirement. Check the DTMO website for suggested guidance when using the
Request TMC Assistance option.
Finally, you should be aware that flights booked using Request TMC Assistance are not included
in any of the restricted airfare-related reports (see below).
DTS provides reporting information regarding LLA fares when booked using the Reservation
module. DTAs use the Report Scheduler to request LLA reports to help manage their
organizations upcoming travel (Figure 6).
Pre-Audit
and Signing
(continued)
Requesting
TMC
Assistance
to Book
Restricted
Airfares
Reports
INFORMATION PAPER: Select Restricted Airfares
Defense Travel Management Office 6 March 2023
Figure 6: Report Scheduler Home Screen
The three available reports include:
• Restricted Expired Fare: Provides a list of authorizations with restricted fares that timed
out before AO approval.
• Restricted Fare Savings: Identifies when an unrestricted or GSA contract city pairs was
available and the restricted fare was selected instead, therefore, showing an overall net
savings, or loss for the costs of airfare.
• Restricted Fare Lost Opportunity: Identifies restricted fare availability where the
traveler selected unrestricted fare instead.
Once the report generates, the DTA receives an email to log into DTS and access the file. The
DTA returns to Reports Scheduler, Requested Reports, and selects download to open the
report and exam the results.
There are a few important things to keep in mind when using a restricted airfare:
• For travelers
o If you book a restricted airfare through the Request TMC Assistance option, DTS
does not notify those on the routing list of an urgent action. You must notify
them to ensure your authorization reaches APPROVED and CTO Ticketed before
Reports
INFORMATION PAPER: Select Restricted Airfares
Defense Travel Management Office 7 March 2023
the fare price expires. As a best practice, you should pre-coordinate your
intended use of a restricted airfare with the AO and monitor responses to meet
the booking deadline.
o You must ensure that your GTCC is active before you book your restricted fare,
to avoid a decline that would prevent timely ticketing.
o If the AO returns your authorization with the RETURN FARE EXPIRED stamp
applied, you must cancel your authorization and create a new one. You must
not try to re-book another flight on the same authorization.
o Per the JTR, you must use your GTCC to purchase airfare. Since you must pay
your GTCC bill in full when you receive it, if you anticipate that your voucher
won’t be processed before the date the payment is due, you must either pay it
out of pocket, or (if your local business processes allow) request a travel
advance for the air tickets and TMC fee. For more information, see the Travel
Advances for Ticketing Restricted Airfares information paper.
o Make sure you read the fare rules before booking any restricted fares, so you
understand the booking deadline, change or cancellation restrictions, and other
important information.
o If you need to change a restricted fare that you reserved in DTS and the fare is
non-changeable, the TMC must make the change. Contact the TMC as early as
possible.
o You must report unused restricted tickets to the TMC and track any residual
ticket value that you could apply to a future trip.
o If you booked your flight via the Request TMC Assistance function, after the AO
approves your authorization, contact TMC of the ticketing deadline, to avoid
loss of flights.
• For Approving Officials
o DTS sends an email (or the traveler may alert you) that use of a restricted airfare
requires you to approve an authorization quickly. If the time limit expires before
you approve the authorization, you won’t be able to approve the document.
Instead, DTS offers you the RETURN FARE EXPIRED stamp instead of the
APPROVED stamp on the Digital Signature page. Select it to send the
authorization back to the traveler, who must cancel the authorization and
create a new one.
o A traveler who selected a restricted airfare may require a travel advance to pay
for their flight before they file their voucher. If they do, make sure they only
request an advance for the amount of the restricted airfare. For more
information, see Travel Advances for Ticketing Restricted Airfares information
paper.
INFORMATION PAPER: Select Restricted Airfares
Defense Travel Management Office 8 March 2023
• Cancellation and Changes
o If a traveler amends an authorization to include a second TDY location or a new
segment after they have already booked a restricted airfare, DTS prompts them
to cancel the authorization and begin again.
o If the trip is cancelled or the traveler exchanges a restricted ticket:
▪ It is the traveler’s responsibility to contact the TMC to determine how
much residual ticket value, if any, remains on that ticket, and to track
the use of that residual value, to minimize the monetary loss to DoD.
The DTMO website provides several travel resources. To see the full list, go to the main Training
page and search the Training Search Tool. Below are some references.
• DTS Guide 2: https://media.defense.gov/2022/May/11/2002995241/-1/-
1/0/DTS_GUIDE_2_AUTHORIZATION.PDF
• DTS Guide 3: https://media.defense.gov/2022/May/11/2002995240/-1/-
1/0/DTS_GUIDE_3_VOUCHER.PDF
• Trifold - Update Authorization: https://media.defense.gov/2022/May/13/2002996882/-
1/-1/0/UPDATINGITINERARYAUTH.PDF
• Trifold - Update Voucher: https://media.defense.gov/2022/May/13/2002996883/-1/-
1/0/UPDATINGITINERARYVOU.PDF
• DTA Manual, Chapter 10: Reports:
https://media.defense.gov/2022/May/11/2002994832/-1/-1/0/DTA_10.PDF
• DTMO Website Commercial Air: https://travel.dod.mil/Programs/Commercial-Air/
• Create a Voucher From Authorization:
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/08/2002889408/-1/-
1/0/VOUCHER_FROM_AUTHORIZATION.PDF
• Restricted Airfares Checklist: https://travel.dod.mil/Programs/Commercial-Air/Airfare-
Types/
• Restricted Airfares Available in DTS:
https://media.defense.gov/2022/May/13/2002996896/-1/-
1/0/ADVANCE_FOR_TICKETED_RESTRICTED_FARE.PDF
Resources