MANAGEMENT-IN-CONFIDENCE
in
etc. In order to secure the benefit of the route deals, the Thomas
Cook Travel Centre will normally book officers on the airline
covering the route with which we have a deal. This means that,
some cases, Departments will find that the face cost of the ticket
is more than the cheapest ticket available. However, independent
consultants whom we have engaged assure us that overall it is in the
FCO's interests to conclude and use route deals. The money saved in
this way is not returned directly to Departments for AUS travel purposes, because as indicated above, it goes to the benefit of Diplomatic Service travel as a whole, which is in all our
interests.
However, I would stress that Departments do not suffer from
this arrangement, because all the travel for which bids are accepted
is budgeted at the full cost. For example, if a Department bids for
a visit to Washington, and the bid is accepted, and the business
class return fare to Washington is £1,000, that goes into the
Department's budget. If, in the event, the officer chooses to
travel by economy class at a cost of £700, the £300 difference is
available to the Department for other travel; but we would normally
expect the Travel Centre to issue this ticket rather than a ticket
for an airline with which we did not have a route deal, even though
that might be available at a lower fare, because over the course of
the year it would be more economical to ensure that the route deal
target is met.
However, if in any case the Department sees a really good
reason to use another airline, the Travel Centre will refer it to PSD who will consider it sympathetically.
(ii) Economy/Apex Fares
Generally speaking, our entitlement is to economy class within
Europe, and business class outside it. Within Europe considerable
savings can be made by buying Apex-style tickets which provide
exactly the same service as economy tickets, though with some
restrictions. (A confirmed Apex booking is no less secure than a full fare ticket.) I suggest that you encourage Departments to economise in this way if the restrictions are acceptable, eg if officers are more or less certain of the flight by which they will
MANAGEMENT. IN-COMEVIDENCE