International Travel

If You Are Planning a Trip

• What must I pack, what can I take on board? - Know what you can take, bring back, and wear on your flight.
• City Pair Pricing  - In addition to the tremendous price savings, the Airline City Pair Program has many features which allow government travelers all the flexibility possible in planning official travel. The benefits of this service include:
  • Fares priced on one-way routes permitting agencies to plan multiple destinations
  • No advance purchase required
  • No minimum or maximum length stay required
  • Tickets fully refundable
  • Last seat availability
  • No blackout periods
  • Stable prices enabling travel budgeting
  • Dual fares availability
    A full listing of the 2012 City Pair Fares is available here.
• The U.S. Government Rental Car Program provides quality vehicles at reasonable prices for federal travelers on official travel. U.S. Government Rental Car Agreement Number 4 governs the rental of vehicles (passenger cars, sports utility vehicles, station wagons, passenger vans, and small pick-up trucks) by military members, employees of the Federal Government, and employees of the United States Postal Service while in official travel status and when such rental is authorized by the Government. Benefits of the program include:
  • 15 rental car vendors and over 5000 locations worldwide
  • Established Domestic and International ceiling rates
  • Unlimited mileage (except for one-way rentals)
  • No advanced reservations required
  • Vehicle contract will be ready upon arrival
  • If size/class reserved is not available, company will offer an upgraded vehicle at the same cost
  • No fee for collision damage waiver (CDW)/loss damage waiver (LDW)
  • No fee for liability coverage
  • No underage drivers' fee for drivers between the ages of 18-25
  • No blackout periods
  • No minimum rental period
  • All rental vehicles are under 2 years old and under 40,000 miles
  • No cost for additional authorized drivers
  • Rental Car accident assistance and Customer Service 
• Baggage Fees - Many airlines are charging additional fees for checked baggage.  Government travelers are not exempt from baggage fees.
• FY 2012 Domestic Per Diem Rates (to download the 2011 Per Diem Rates click here).  Domestic Per Diem Rates are set by fiscal year and are effective October 1 - September 30.
• International Per Diem Rates - International Rates are subject to change throughout the year
• Rail - All reservations must be made using GovTrip or by contacting Omega Travel. Add delivery address and the ticketing date to your travel authorization to avoid the full touch fee.
• FedRooms Hotels -FedRooms® offers specially negotiated Federal government hotel rates with FEMA certified hotels, simplifying hotel selections for Federal travelers. These rates are at or below per diem and often include value-added amenities unavailable through other government programs or websites, reducing travel costs for the HHS.  FedRooms was designed for all federal employees, military and civilian. The FedRooms rate can be used by government contractors and state employees on official travel and federal travelers on leisure travel if the individual hotel agrees.
• Passports - When applying for an official, no-fee passport, contact your Federal Agency Travel Administrator (FATA)
• Visa Requirements - Contact your Federal Agency Travel Administrator (FATA) for assistance.
• Vaccination & Immunization - What you need to know about vaccinations and travel.
• Embassy Information - Locate a US Embassy or consulate in any country
• Travel Tips- How to have a safe trip - Tips for traveling abroad
• Country Cultures- Essential business culture guides for the international traveler
• Currency Converter - Perform currency and foreign exchange calculations using live, mid-market rates.

Making a Reservation or Making a Change To Your Reservation

• GovTrip - Know when and how to book and change your reservations.

• Reservations should be made in GovTrip whenever possible.  Only contact Omega Travel if you are unable to book your reservation in GovTrip.

  If you have made reservations and need to make changes, please access your travel authorization in GovTrip and make your changes. No fee will apply unless a new ticket is issued. 

  If you are on travel and cannot access GovTrip, please call Omega Travel, Monday - Friday, from 7:30am - 9:00pm EST at 877-433-1162.

  To reach Omega Travel after hours or on weekends, please call 866-892-0810. Please note: Fees will apply if your phone call results in any action being taken.

• With Sabre^® Virtually There^® it's easy to pinpoint your travel details. Access virtuallythere.com 24/7 via your PC or mobile device and you can:
  • Check the status of any flight including delays, cancellations and gate info
  • Book ground transportation, travel extras and travel protection to complete your trip
  • Find out what's happening in the city you're visiting including weather, maps and more with our city guides
  • View your past and current trips from one page upon completion of a simple profile
  • Email your itinerary to friends, family and colleagues right from your mobile or PC
  • Register for flight notifications for any flight in your itinerary to notify you of gate changes, delays and cancellations.

Upon Returning from Travel:

• • Vouchers are required to be submitted within 5 days after your return.
  • When creating your Travel Voucher, GovTrip will populate your voucher with the estimated expenses from your travel order/ authorization.  Be sure to update the estimated expenses, on your voucher, with your actual costs incurred. 

Important Information

Ticketing: Do not upgrade your seats with the airlines if your ticket has not been issued. This may cause you to lose your reservation.

Reservations: Reservations made in GovTrip should be cancelled in GovTrip. Reservations made directly with Omega should be cancelled directly with Omega.

Passport: Many countries now require entry visas.  Without an official U. S. Government passport, you will not be able to arrange for international travel.

Vaccination & Immunization: Regulations require yellow fever vaccination for travel to certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa and tropical South America.  The government of Saudi Arabia requires Meningococcal vaccination for travel during the Hajj.

Country Clearance & Embassy Registration: All government employees must have country clearance in order to travel overseas. U.S. citizens are required to register with their embassy upon arrival to the host country.  

Paper Tickets: Reservations with some foreign airlines may require paper tickets. Omega World Travel will mail your paper tickets.  

Inter-country Tickets: Some airlines do not have ticket offices in the U. S.  You may be required to purchase inter-country tickets directly from the airlines in the country you are visiting.

Confirmation: Although it is not required by all airlines, we recommend that you reconfirm your international flights 72 hours before departure. Do not upgrade your seats with the airlines if your ticket has not been issued. This may cause you to lose your reservation at ticketing

Hotels: Do not contact the hotel directly for reservations or changes.  Use GovTrip or Omega Travel to book your hotel.

Car Rental: Decline any additional liability or collision insurance while on official Government business.  These are included in the Government rates.