Each test and integration period and each deployment phase will be treated as separate travel, each requiring an expense report. The periods are:
Due to the large number of people who will be in Kiruna for the mission, airline availability may be limited, especially if reservations are made late. To prevent this and to ensure the lowest cost, travelers are urged to make reservations as soon as possible. Please note that return flights from Kiruna to the U.S. may require an overnight layover somewhere in Europe. SAIC Travel can make hotel reservations for these layovers.
To make airline reservations, please contact SAIC Travel (1-800-435-1491 or 757-826-3248; fax: 757-826-4873). Please call during normal working hours (Eastern time) and speak with Leanne Hester or Tanja Grande (during off-hours, calls are forwarded to our McLean, VA office which will not be able to help you make initial reservations). You are not required to use SAIC Travel, but you will only be reimbursed the airfare rates that SAIC Travel could have arranged. If you wish to make your own travel arrangements, please contact the SAIC Project Support Office for further instructions prior to finalizing your reservations.
Airline tickets arranged by SAIC Travel are paid directly by SAIC. Regular paper tickets are normally sent to you via Federal Express but arrangements can be made for counter pick up if required. Please keep the receipt stub from paper tickets to submit with your expense report. If you are receiving electronic tickets, you will be faxed the itinerary which is your receipt.
Hotel reservations in Kiruna must be made by individual travelers per instructions provided by Kathy Wolfe. This is necessary in order to receive the reduced rates negotiated by the SOLVE Project Office. Please make reservations prior to the cutoff dates Kathy provided. SAIC Travel can make hotel reservations in Dryden and at overnight layover locations if you provide credit card information.
Each PI group is authorized a rental car for every 2-3 people in the group in Dryden and Kiruna (cars are not authorized at overnight layovers). Only Class C (mid-size) cars are authorized.
In order to receive the negotiated rate, reservations for rental cars in Kiruna must be made by individual travelers per instructions provided by Kathy Wolfe. This rate is fully reimbursable and includes insurance.
For Dryden, SAIC Travel can make reservations for cars during tests and integration. In the US, we can only reimburse the rate that SAIC Travel can obtain ($37 per day or $222 per week plus taxes, in most locations). We will not reimburse any extra insurance you may purchase (LDW, CDW, LIS, PAI, PEC, etc). IF YOU PAY FOR THESE INSURANCES, YOU WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED. Note, however, that LDW and additional liability insurance is included at no extra cost for cars rented through SAIC Travel. (Even though included in the SAIC rate, the local rental car agent may still ask if you would like to purchase this. Do not accept unless you are willing to pay for this yourself.)
If a larger car or van is required, please contact the SAIC Project Support Office for instructions. Normally, this is not allowed unless 4 or more SAIC supported travelers are sharing the vehicle (names must be provided) or there is a mission related reason requiring the larger vehicle for the entire length of the travel period.
Gas, tolls and parking for rental cars are reimbursable. However, we ask that only the person who rents the car claim these expenses.
Lodging per diem in Dryden is $95 per night (tax exclusive); in Kiruna the rate is $121 per night (tax inclusive). It is your responsibility to ensure that you stay within these rates, regardless of who makes the reservation, as we cannot reimburse you for any additional amount. (Please note that the negotiated rates in Kiruna are considerably lower than the allowed maximum and you are encouraged to take advantage of these arrangements. Also, lodging is available in Lancaster, CA (Dryden) that is lower than the allowed maximum. Again, you are encouraged to use this lodging.) Meal per diem (including $2/day incidentals) is $46/day in Dryden, $95/day in Kiruna. These rates may change prior to travel (US rates are updated annually; international rates monthly). We will reimburse the rate effective during the period of travel. We will also reimburse the per diem for required layovers based on the location.
We expect to be able to provide advances for periods of travel of 3 weeks or more for travel outside CONUS. Specific information concerning advances will be provided at a later date.
The SAIC Project Support Office will provide a Travel Summary Sheet for travelers to complete. After each phase of travel, you will need to fill out a Travel Summary Sheet and send it to the SAIC Project Support Office with all original receipts. When we receive the Travel Summary Sheet and receipts, we will complete an actual expense report that we will fax to you to check over, sign and fax back. This is then submitted to our accounts payable division. You should receive your travel reimbursement within 2-3 weeks of returning the signed expense report.
In accordance with instructions from Mike Kurylo, expenses for mission supplies will NOT be reimbursed by SAIC. This includes office supplies, FedEx, postage, tools, dry ice, locks, and any other items not directly related to travel. This is due to the fact that funds provided to SAIC were intended only for travel. Paying for these items through expense reports unnecessarily reduces the already limited funds available to provide travel support. Such items should be paid through PI grants or other funds. Also, the following is provided to clarify laundry reimbursement policies.
In accordance with government travel instructions, laundry is NOT reimbursable in foreign countries (the meal per diem rates supposedly include enough to cover this). Laundry services are reimbursable in the U.S. if receipts are submitted. Do-it-yourself laundry facilities (such as coin op) are never reimbursable since the $2 per day incidentals is provided for such minor expenses.
Receipts are required for all expenses of $25 or more (however, it is best to include all receipts, if available). Hotel bills which itemize charges for valid expenses is a valid receipt. Credit card receipts, however, are not valid since they do not itemize individual charges. Receipts for meals are neither required nor desired since all travelers will be given a daily per diem regardless of actual meal expenses.
For receipts in foreign currency, we will convert to U.S. dollars using currency converter tables from the web unless you submit a currency exchange receipt or your credit card statement showing the rate that you received. Generally the rates from the currency converter are less beneficial to the traveler. We will use only one rate for an entire expense report.
| Roy Chesson | 757-827-4686 | r.w.chesson@larc.nasa.gov |
| Mike Cadena | 757-827-4860 | m.j.cadena@larc.nasa.gov |
| Erika Harper | 757-827-4858 | e.n.harper@larc.nasa.gov |
| Chris Barnes | 757-827-4859 | c.d.barnes@larc.nasa.gov |
| SAIC Travel | 800-435-1491 | |
| 757-826-3248 | ||
| 757-826-4873 (fax) |