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Posted on Oct 24, 2018
Has anyone heard of paying for your own ticket to SeaTac to go to Korea while TDY en route?
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I am currently at the Aviation Safety Officer Course, TDY en route to Korea. I got a call today from Sato Travel stating that after talking to CTO at Fort Irwin, since I requested my flight to be from Atlanta, GA (nearest big airport from my TDY location) instead of my LAX (airport near NTC that they chose) I would be required to pay the difference in cost for my family and I to fly. Has anyone ever heard of this? Seems to me that if you send me TDY en route, you pay for my flights, period. The lady from Sato Travel said this didn’t seem right either. I’ve been in for 16.5 years and never heard of this.
PCS
South Korea
Officer
TDY
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 10
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If I am reading this correct, you are TDY in Ga but stationed in Ca? The Army should pay for your family from your duty station and you from your TDY location. Really they should send you back to your duty station where you family is and then send you all to Seattle. Generally if you took your family to your TDY location (depending on the length) but did not have orders to take family with you, then you would incur the costs of the family members back. Your narrative is a little difficult to understand where the family is at and where your permanent duty station was.
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MAJ Byron Oyler
CW3 (Join to see) - You cleared the installation but where is the Army thinking your family is at? Were they in your orders to do TDY with you or are they thinking they are at Irwin while you are at TDY? Are you drawing BAH for your family at Irwin or at your TDY location? Have you had an LES since you left Irwin? It will tell you in the comments where they are basing your BAH. If they are still out of Irwin, government will likely pay for their flight costs from that location. Again, check your LES for BAH location and a trip to the local travel office wont hurt.
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CW3 (Join to see)
MAJ Byron Oyler Thanks Sir. My family is on my orders. I am still drawing BAH from Irwin because I have not in processed anywhere else. I am on orders and 1610 showing my en route status. My next stop is the travel office when I get out of class, hopefully as soon as tomorrow.
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MAJ Byron Oyler
CW3 (Join to see) - This is tricky situation that finding a civilian that understands the process well might be challenging. We all know if family is in your orders to go, they go but why wouldn't they change BAH to TDY location?? I am not saying they should, as I just do not know. My best advise is to keep asking the travel office till you get the answer you want or till you get several answers the same. If you get 3-4 answers that say they fly from Irwin, that is probably the case. You get one answer that says they fly from Ga, go with it. On a side note, the night before you are to report for the flight and seat assignments, get a hotel and rental car even if the government does not pay for it. The way they presented my travel to Korea is I arrive at airport one day and report middle of the night for flight with no hotel. I have heard that sucks if it is done that way and I paid for hotel to have a comfortable place to rest.
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Always a good item to check and read the joint Travel Regs as per what your orders state - and then walk into the local travel office to talk it over. Doing so allows you the background knowledge of what your orders state - and what the JTR says as to that regarding TDY in Route of a PCS. It may not always be the answer you want - but you then know what the requirements are that have to be met and it better arms you for discussion. Chances are in a couple off years your will be assisting one of your soldiers on a similar issue and will then know where to turn to advise them due to your experiences,
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Nor have I. I'd be sure to try and talk to finance to see if they can shed any light. If they still insist be sure to save receipts in case you have to fight longer term! Good luck CW2 Shawn Jones
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CW3 (Join to see)
LTC John Mohor Thank you, Sir. This is the first time I have ever PCS’d and have had many, serious issues with the system (Sponsorship, CSP program, HRC) the whole time to get a semi-smooth transition from points A to B.
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Guess things have changed, but I never got paid to take my family TDY even in route. My family was only paid from where I was assigned to where I was PCSing to...
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After 16plus years in service seems to me you would know who to turn to for advice. Wouldn't think Rally point would be that source. After the fact for info maybe. But, upfront querry, NO.
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CW3 (Join to see)
CWO3 Gene A. I’ve managed to get some good info on here, but basically the lady at Rucker has been able to shine some light on it. If I do “pay out of pocket”, I’ll be reimbursed.
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Never went TDY en route, but had to pay the difference in cost for a PCS to Germany with leave en route for flying from Boston verses Monterey CA. It was back in the 80's and the additional cost was nominal but more convenient for my family and I. The old travel folks ( Pre SATO) told me then that the Gov't had set rates, routes and carriers, and if you deviated for your own convenience you pay the difference. In the end, travel pay and allowance's made up for the cost and the convenience and lower stress was for me well worth the money spent up front .
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CSM Richard StCyr
CW3 (Join to see) - We used to be able to apply for a travel advance then settle up at the receiving duty station. However the illustrious travel card and SATO have made everything better ; )
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CW3 (Join to see)
CSM Richard StCyr Every where else I left from used to give you DLA in advance, not this place. Not a fan of the travel cards either.
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MAJ Byron Oyler
CW3 (Join to see) - Travel cards are something that Citibank is simply making a steel. What other card do you have that expects payment within 30days? My current duty station wants you to go TDY twice before they give you that piece of shit and until I do those two TDYs...nope.
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In order to have them fly your family out of ATL you'll have to reach back to the levy section at Irwin to request to authorize your family to fly out from a different location. Usually when you're TDY enroute with family, you will request to return to your duty station to clear.
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CW3 (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) I was also told by Sato Travel that normally the installation you leave from arranges your travel to TDY, and the TDY location arranges your travel to your next duty station. Ever heard of this? Additionally, the woman who was in charge of travel left right before I left and there is a new woman in charge, whom Sato isn’t too fond of apparently. Sato isn’t too happy with the details of this as well.
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SFC (Join to see)
CW3 (Join to see) that I'm not sure about. Most of my reclasses returned to home station and got their tickets after school, so the home station processed both tickets, even going to Korea.
Where is your family now?
Where is your family now?
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CW3 (Join to see)
SFC (Join to see) Currently in Tennessee, 2 hours north of Atlanta. It was a full clearing of NTC when I left. I am only assigned there in name/paper only.
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SFC (Join to see)
You're stuck with it.
Usually when people clear prior they either send their family ahead, or their family goes to visit other family members. The advantage being that you're no longer paying BAH for a house that no one is in.
Fortunately, flights are dirt cheap right now and with the money you save pocketing BAH should more than cover the expense of tickets from ATL. to LAX.
Usually when people clear prior they either send their family ahead, or their family goes to visit other family members. The advantage being that you're no longer paying BAH for a house that no one is in.
Fortunately, flights are dirt cheap right now and with the money you save pocketing BAH should more than cover the expense of tickets from ATL. to LAX.
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Something similar. PCS move from Fort Belvoir to Hawaii. Sato Travel, of course, being unreasonable. Went home on leave to Texas within 100 miles of DFW. Had to travel all the way back to Baltimore for the flight. Something about it being government expedient. Still think it was shady stuff.
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CW3 (Join to see)
MAJ Rene De La Rosa It definitely seems shady to me Sir. I think it has more to do with the installation CTO and not Sato Travel. The Sato last that called me said this doesn’t sit well with her and to talk to the CTO at Rucker.
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CW3 (Join to see)
Also, it isn’t like I chose to go on leave, I was sent here for school en route, so you would think that would change things.
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did they think your family was staying in FT Irwin while you were tdy...somethings fishy here
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MSG Johnathan Mathes
Sir
id highly Recommend you go to the local travel office... speak with a supervisor
there shouldn't be any involvement in paying for tickets... you were tdy en-route... however i don't know the regs for the travel of family( that may be a stickler)( may only pay for yours and not theirs)
id highly Recommend you go to the local travel office... speak with a supervisor
there shouldn't be any involvement in paying for tickets... you were tdy en-route... however i don't know the regs for the travel of family( that may be a stickler)( may only pay for yours and not theirs)
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