TNAG-2386-FCO40-3468-Asia-travel-budget-for-1991-1991 — Page 136

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