FEA has heard from many Overseas members about getting their Renewal Agreement Travel (RAT) tickets for this summer. FEA President Brian Chance has been in communication with DoDEA on this issue. Due to a large number of employees reporting travel issues, the DoD’s Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) has contacted DoDEA with additional travel booking options for Overseas employees, including self-procuring your own travel then vouchering for it or DoDEA booking employee travel through the Defense Travel System (DTS).

DoDEA has shared the below communication with FEA, which DoDEA will likely send to all employees today. See below for more details.

FEA suggests Overseas members should carefully consider their options and act in their families’ best financial and timing interests. For example, booking your own travel would mean waiting for voucher reimbursement, while booking through DTS may not fit with your timing or destinations.

If members continue to have RAT travel issues this summer, please email FEA President Brian Chance at bchance@nea.org.

Message shared by DoDEA:

Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) Notification

ISSUE: The travel industry continues to experience staffing shortages and other challenges. The increase in travel volumes due to summer leisure travel can result in changes to airline schedules, flight delays & cancellations, and long wait times to check in, obtain rental cars, or to pass through security. These industry challenges result in increased demands for assistance and have the potential to additionally impact Travel Management Companies (TMCs).

IMPACT: When TMCs experience high call volume and requests for assistance, travelers may encounter extended call wait times and delays in TMC responses.

We have had many reports from employees that they have not received travel itineraries and airline tickets.  The DoDEA has several options listed below for employees:

1. Bargain Unit employees may self-procure their own airline tickets.  Listed on the previously received RAT orders, there is a maximum city-pair cost which can be reimbursed for airfare when the employee settles their voucher.

2. The DoDEA can purchase employee airline tickets using the Defense Travel System (DTS).

• Airline tickets may be booked from the employee’s duty station to their home of record and return.  We must use the established routings available in the DTS,  which means employees will not be able to request preferences for stops or specific routes.
• An alternate destination can also be booked if that destination is listed on the TOPS DD1614 RAT authorization and does not exceed the cost of the travel to the employee’s official home of record.
• If employees wish to use this option, they must fill out the attached “DoDEA Travel Reservation Request” form and submit it to the following:  hqdts_dodea@dodea.edu.
• Employees will be contacted via Microsoft Teams and/or their DoDEA email for additional information, if needed.
• We will notify the Sembach SATO office if we use the DTS to book employee travel.

3. The following emergency number may be used no earlier than 48 hours before the travel is to commence.

• Be prepared to be on hold for long periods of time.

EMERGENCY WORLDWIDE COLLECT……..210-877-6828

**24 HOUR RESERVATION NUMBER CALL 877-245-3256

FAX ORDERS TO LOCAL OFFICE AT 855-452-4879