The White House Travel Office (WHTO) provides members of the White House Press Corps (WHPC) with a range of travel services when they accompany the President, Vice President, and First Lady, or when requested by the White House Press Secretary. Services include: air and ground transportation, hotel accommodations, and the Press Filing Center (PFC). WHTO staff accompanies the WHPC on domestic and international trips to serve as a liaison between third party contractors, White House staff, host representatives, and other government entities. WHTO staff expedites and ensures WHPC access to open press events.

The level of travel services varies with each trip site and is determined by scheduled events. Specific service requirements are obtained from the travel sign-up via www.PressCorpsTravel.com.

The WHTO maintains a thorough and accurate account of all expenses incurred in support of the WHPC through Air Partner.

Cost allocations will be done in accordance with the policies outlined in this document using the confirmed billing manifest provided by the WHTO. Upon completion of a trip, all participating news organizations will receive a customer receipt. In most cases, domestic trips will be processed and billed within 60 days of travel. International trips will be billed upon receipt of a financial spreadsheet documenting expenses from the U.S. Department of State and AT&T. This process can take up to 3 months to receive final reconciliation. For any billing inquiries, please contact the WHTO by email at whto@who.eop.gov.

Annually, Air Partner will provide the WHTO with a detailed financial report to distribute to the Press Corps senior leadership as needed. The Directors of the White House Travel Office and White House Press Advance may conduct quarterly meetings with the White House Correspondents Association Board of Directors (WHCABD) and TV network representatives. All issues relevant to WHPC support will be discussed.

The policies and procedures contained in this document were approved by the WHTO, WHCA and network representatives.

Agreement

Anyone traveling on a WHTO press charter or availing themselves of other WHTO services agrees to be subject to the following rules and procedures. Exceptions to the policies and procedures described below are at the sole discretion of the WHTO Director.

Please contact the White House Travel Office with any questions or concerns.

WH Travel Office contact information:
202-456-5233
whto@who.eop.gov

General Information

Press cooperation is a critical component of the overall success of White House Press Corps travel. The quality of support and billing accuracy depends upon accurate and timely information.

PressCorpsTravel.com

PressCorpsTravel.com is a web application designed for White House Press Corps travel registration. The website is available to members of the media who are interested in registering for White House Press Corps travel. PressCorpsTravel.com is the primary source for deciding the level of support afforded to individual members of the WHPC.

Requests for PressCorpsTravel.com accounts are verified by the White House Travel Office. Personal information is securely protected and only accessible to the WHTO and each individual organization.

An online account request via PressCorpsTravel.com must be approved by the WHTO before first-time travelers can register for upcoming travel and related media credentials. Once approved, users must maintain an up-to-date account profile including a JPEG photo and all requested data.

PressCorpsTravel.com is a service provided by Air Partner, Inc for the White House Press Corps. Air Partner provides corporate travel management and accounting solutions. Air Partner is an aircraft charter broker that provides access to charter domestic and international aircraft services year-round. The website privacy policy can be obtained on the homepage of www.PressCorpsTravel.com under “privacy policy”.

Pre-Trip Preparation

The WHTO begins planning the travel process when the WHPC Voting Board determines there is sufficient interest in a particular trip to warrant a bidding process for a chartered aircraft. The WHTO Director and Travel Managers contact Air Partner to solicit competitive bids for aircrafts. Bids are evaluated on the basis of cost, quality of associated services, and safety. Once the WHTO receives the bids, the Travel Manager emails them to the WHPC Voting Board to start the voting process.

The Voting Process

The five major networks (ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC) are each entitled to one vote. The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) is entitled to two votes. These entities constitute the WHPC Voting Board. If any single charter option receives four votes or more and the deadline for voting elapses, that option is selected for the WHPC Press Charter. However, if the Voting Board cannot reach a consensus on a single option and no option receives at least four votes, the WHTO will not book a press charter. In these cases, the WHPC will be responsible for arranging their travel to and from the event site.

Trip Sign-Up

Support may only be provided to those news organizations who have signed up online through the WHTO via PressCorpsTravel.com.

Support for trips where there is no Press Charter is based on whether or not there will be WHPC expenses.

Domestic Travel & International Travel

Following a public announcement of a trip by the White House Press Office, a “White House Travel Office Sign-Up” will be sent via email to an established representative press list. All travelers must sign up for trips via PressCorpsTravel.com. No email or phone submissions will be honored for domestic or international trips.

By requesting credentials, the media organization or individual agrees to pay a pro-rata portion of all ground costs which may include telecommunications (not applicable for TV organizations), buses, catering, power, and workspace at the given site. Unilateral travelers using ground facilities (i.e., PFC, transportation), but not using air services, will only be billed for ground expenses.

The act of signing-up for a trip, regardless of whether the registrant is the actual individual traveling, constitutes a commitment on behalf of the represented media outlet to comply with the policies and procedures contained in this document.

When registering for travel on PressCorpsTravel.com, members of the WHPC must ensure that their personal profiles are accurate and complete. In addition, WHPC travelers are responsible for selecting the services they require while traveling.

Sign-Up Deadline

The sign-up deadline date and time will be clearly posted on each trip sign-up. After the deadline, all requests are considered confirmed and constitute a binding agreement to pay for the services ordered (see No Shows // Cancellations and Trip Cancellations).

No Shows // Cancellations (Overall Trip)

Written cancellations will be accepted before the sign-up deadline without incurring cost to the traveler. Where possible, and when it will not impose significant costs on the other travelers, WHTO will accommodate cancellations after the sign-up deadline. Written cancellations after the deadline can only be approved by the WHTO Director. No cancellations will be accepted over the telephone.

For late cancellations received after the deadline, news organizations are liable for all air, phone, ground, and hotel expenses as requested on the trip sign-up. Expenses will be billed on a pro-rata basis. Hotel cancellation charges, if incurred, will be billed directly to the organization. Press failing to show up will be charged as a late cancellation for the full cost.

Trip Cancellations

In the event a trip must be cancelled by the White House, and non-refundable costs have been incurred on behalf of the WHPC, these costs will be passed on to those news organizations that have signed up. The WHTO will make every effort to reduce cancellation costs.

Backups, Substitutions & Additions

News organizations may register backup travelers online at PressCorpsTravel.com. The Backup List is used to make a potential promotion to the Traveler List more efficient. Anyone registered as a backup will automatically obtain a credential for the trip. Backups do not incur any costs, unless they are promoted to active status.

Substitutions or additions in the number of personnel traveling for news organizations that have signed up prior to the deadline may be accepted at any point during a trip. This acceptance is based on the charter seating availability, hotel availability, and other considerations (i.e. credentials or visa and passport requirements).

Emergency Cancellations

Cancellations due to personal emergencies such as death in the family, serious illness, hospitalization, etc. will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. If non-refundable charges have been incurred (i.e. dedicated phone line, non-refundable hotel room costs) the news outlet is still responsible for these charges.

To receive credit in case of emergency, the applicable news organization must notify the WHTO as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the trip.

Oral notification must be followed by written confirmation within two business days.

Charter Aircraft

Air Partner provides the WHTO with competitively priced charter service for the White House Press Corps. Passenger safety and reliability will never be compromised.

Charter Aircraft Services

The WHTO arranges air charter service based on the number of press who sign up. Charter service will not be provided if the WHTO and the WHPC Voting Board determine that the per capita cost of chartering an aircraft is far greater than the cost of a commercial, unrestricted first-class fare for the number of individuals signed up.

Passenger Safety

Passenger safety is the highest priority. In accordance with Federal Aviation Regulation, all passengers must be seated with seat belts fastened for all takeoffs and landings and when instructed by the pilot and/or flight crew.

In-Flight Service

The WHTO will ensure the same level of service is provided to all passengers regardless of their seat assignment. Charter companies selected to transport the White House Press Corps are committed to providing all first class in-flight services. The WHTO will ensure that a hot meal service is provided on every flight exceeding one hour in duration, unless otherwise requested.

No Shows // Cancellations (Aircraft)

Written cancellations will be accepted before the sign-up deadline without incurring cost to the traveler. Cancellations after the deadline are subject to approval by the WHTO Director. No Shows will be charged for all registered legs of travel.

Check-In and Departure

All passengers should arrive at the designated airport or offsite staging location during gear call or check-in times. Gear call is generally an hour and a half prior to departure and check-in is usually an hour prior to wheels-up time (specific trips may require exceptions to these times). All passengers must comply with scheduled baggage and equipment check-in times in order to ensure on time departure. Passengers should be on-board the aircraft a minimum of 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time. All baggage must be stowed.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted on the White House press charter aircraft. For safety reasons, smoking is prohibited on or around the aircraft during ground servicing operations.

Seating Assignments (Domestic & International)

Seating charts will be provided when boarding the flight. The WHTO will assign seats by news organization and not by the name of the individual flying. News organizations are responsible for individual seat assignments within their allocation. Priority for first-class or forward seat assignments will go to news organizations that routinely travel on White House press charters and are current in payments.

The following organizations will always be assigned one first-class or forward seat: ABC, AFP, AP, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC, Bloomberg, and Reuters. In addition, one seat will be provided and rotated among radio correspondents, news magazine correspondents, newspaper correspondents, and still photographers.

The WHTO will make every effort to ensure seat assignments do not change for the duration of the trip when there are fewer than three legs of travel. A seating chart will be sent to the WHPC Voting Board at least one day prior to departure on international trips.

Boarding

Before each flight, all travelers are responsible for checking in with the Travel Manager in person. Individuals must have signed up in advance through the website and staff sign-up process.

The WHTO shall maintain its own manifest of all passengers on each leg of the trip. Sign-up information and WHTO manifests are prepared and confirmed before billing to ensure that individuals and news organizations are billed accurately.

Lost or Damaged Baggage // Equipment

The White House Travel Office, Air Partner, and participating Charter airline operators are not responsible for lost or damaged luggage or equipment.

In-Trip Schedule Changes

Travelers are responsible for monitoring the status of schedules in the event that a change in the President or Vice President’s schedule requires a change to the press travel schedule. Travelers must ensure that they receive the press schedule from the White House Press Office prior to departure and to check frequently with the White House Travel Office for schedule changes during a trip.

Press Charter Award Mileage

Travelers must be on at least one leg of the Press Charter in order to receive award miles—when offered by the airline. Whether miles are awarded depends on the aircraft carrier. If miles are awarded, the total number of miles varies based on the aircraft carrier and trip locations.

Dependent Travel on Principal Vacation Trips

The following is a White House Correspondents Association Policy:

• Dependents are allowed to accompany the President or Vice President on vacation if the trip is announced as a family trip by the White House Press Office
• Aircraft seating is available without changing to a larger/more expensive aircraft (Note: journalists, official staff, and support travelers have priority over dependents)
• The trip is within the United States

Dependents are charged $100.00 per person for the entire trip, not $100.00 per leg.

Billing

White House Press Corps travel is funded solely through direct reimbursement from the news organizations traveling as part of the White House Press Corps. Air Partner disburses funds to vendors under direction from the WHTO. The WHTO is the only entity with the authority to approve expenses on behalf of the WHPC.

Timely billing and reimbursement are critical in ensuring future support for the White House Press Corps. The White House Travel Office and White House Press Advance work together to submit accurate invoices within 20 to 60 days of travel.

The WHTO, in cooperation with Air Partner, the WHCA, and network representatives have developed the following policies to ensure timely payments to vendors and reduce rebilling of extraneous expenses received after a trip has been invoiced.

Expense Categories

At the conclusion of each trip, the WHTO collects the final invoices on the ground from Press Advance representatives. The WHTO organizes and forwards them to Air Partner for payment. Generally, these invoices cover ground and workspace related charges. Other invoices for telecommunications items such as dedicated phone lines are billed directly to the news organizations by AT&T. Air Partner strives to pay each vendor within the 60-day billing cycle.

Expenses are allocated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the following categories:

1. Air Force One/Two airfare
2. Air Force One/Two In-flight Service
3. Press charter airfare
4. Press Charter In-flight Service
5. Helicopter airfare
6. Additional fees and tariffs associated with operating the press charter

Site Survey // Airfare & In-flight Services

Press travelers on site survey trips benefit respective news organizations. Therefore, expenses are reimbursed after the actual Presidential trip is taken and the manifest is confirmed.

The WHTO will bill shares of the overseas site survey trip costs for print correspondents and photographers to their news organizations, while TV and radio pool committees will handle the sharing of site survey costs independently of the WHTO.

The aircraft expenses for the AT&T representation on the site survey are charged to all credentialed media as a Telco charge.

Credentials

Ground Expenses & Credential Cost

1. All ground transportation (i.e., buses, motorcade press vans, luggage trucks, etc.)
2. Press Filing Center space rental (100% share for non-TV organization, 50% share for TV organizations)
3. Press Filing Center equipment and electrical support- this includes pipe & drape needed to create filing area and access ways for press use
4. Catering
5. Site survey expenses incurred by press organizations selected to represent the press corps on the site survey
6. Porterage fees
7. Miscellaneous expenses (i.e., bottled water, visas, excursion fees, security, etc.)

All credentialed media at a trip site will be charged an equal pro-rata share of all ground expenses mentioned above. Signing up for a credential constitutes an agreement to pay for ground expenses. There is no additional charge for a dedicated workspace in the PFC.

Catered food in the Press Filing Center is paid for by Air Partner and therefore available only to members of the White House Press Corps.

Unilateral travelers using ground facilities (i.e., PFC), but not using air services will be billed for ground expenses. The WHTO is responsible for identifying unilateral press travelers when there is a press charter. When no aircraft is chartered, it is the responsibility of the individual traveler to register for local credentials.

Phones & Internet

Wireless internet is provided in the PFC when there is a press charter. A hard-line Ethernet cord can be requested at an additional cost. In most cases press travelers will have the option to order a phone line in the PFC.

News organizations choosing to share a phone in the filing center must indicate that they are doing so on PressCorpsTravel.com. These organizations will be billed their pro-rata share based on the number of organizations sharing that phone.

AT&T will bill TV news organizations directly for services in the transmission pool space.

1. Installation charges for “dedicated” filing center phones and hard-line Ethernet, as specifically requested on the Press Sign-Up are billed only to those requesting said service by AT&T.
2. Installation charges for shared phones at sites are charged on a pro-rata basis.

Non-Press Billable Expenses

Site expenses such as lighting, press risers, flags, and pipe & drape used behind the lectern are non press-billable expenses. If an item is ordered separately by a news organization, the specific organization (i.e., TV Pool) will be billed.

All expenses incurred in direct support of the White House Press Corps will be allocated on a pro-rata basis.

Air Transport

Each leg of the itinerary will be assigned a proportionate cost which is divided equally among all press passengers. The following formula will be used to compute the cost for each leg of the Press Charter:

(Overall Charter Cost / Total Number of Flight Segments)

Each flight segment of the charter is charged equally regardless of the distance between each leg. Travelers only pay for the legs that they travel.

Members of the Press traveling on government aircraft in use by or in support of the President or Vice President travel on a reimbursable basis and will reimburse at the lowest available fare that is unrestricted, fully refundable, and available for purchase by the general public (i.e., typically a Y-class fare). For administrative convenience and consistency for all parties, reimbursement will be established on the basis of fares available between 7-14 days in advance of travel.

Organization	Domestic Total Staff	International Total Staff
White House Travel Office	2	3
White House Press Office/ Media Affairs	3	5
White House Press Advance	1	2
White House Stenographers	1	4
U.S. Secret Service	1	2
U.S. Customs and Border Protection	0	2
National Security Council	0	2

The cost of the 13 members of the Travel Pool traveling on AF1 will be added to the cost of the charter. Helicopter charges are billed to individual members of the Travel Pool when appropriate. When there is no charter, the cost of the print seat is divided amongst a set number of pre-determined organizations and the pool traveling is billed for their seats aboard AF1. Helicopter charges are combined with AF1 costs when there is no charter.

Government employees and government contractors traveling in an official capacity in direct support of the traveling national press will travel on the charter on a non-reimbursable basis. (Note: Numbers may vary depending on trip complexity, events, and staffing requirements.)

Federal Excise Tax (FET)

• For Domestic Trips: FET is equal to 7.5% of the total cost of the press charter. In addition to FET, there are segment fees/taxes equal to $3.70 per person, per flight leg and passenger facility charges/taxes equal to $4.50 per person, per airport.
• For International Trips: There is a FET departure tax of $16.30 and a FET arrival tax of $16.30 per traveler. In addition to these charges, there are miscellaneous country taxes which are included in the overall press charter bid.
• FET is included in the charter broker bid and is paid by the charter broker on behalf of travelers.

Staff Seating Allocation

The following seat allocation is agreed to for staff in a press supporting role. The staff number will not exceed what is listed below. When a seat is not being used by a given organization, it can be used by another listed below, at the discretion of the WHPC Voting Board. On international travel, there will be a maximum of 2 business class seats assigned to senior White House staff.

Government employees traveling in an official capacity, but not in the direct support of the press may travel on the charter if:

• There is available seating that does not disrupt regular travelers
• The traveler(s) reimburse government fare for the leg of the trip which is applied towards the charter cost

The government travelers listed above, who are working in direct support of the press, are not billed for ground expenses.

Billing Terms & Cycle

Manifest Confirmation

Domestic Trips

The WHTO will strive to provide an accurate billing within 30 business days of the return of a domestic trip.

A Verify Manifest will be sent to the press distribution list and WHPC Voting Board no more than 72 hours after the conclusion of a trip. News organizations have five business days to refute. No response is considered an agreement.

Additional billing may be required when AT&T, late, or adjusted bills are received after the trip has been billed.

International Trips

Within seven business days of the conclusion of an international trip, the WHTO will send the Verify Manifest, on which billings will be based, to the press distribution list and news organizations. Each network will then have five business days to respond in writing with any additions, deletions, or corrections. No response is considered an agreement.

Invoicing

Air Invoicing

After confirmation of the manifest, accurate final air bills will be distributed following the guidelines and deadlines outlined elsewhere in this document (30 business days of the return of the trip).

Ground & AT&T Invoicing

Ground arrangements and AT&T services are billed within 15 business days of receipt of the final invoices from vendors. For international trips, ground expenses will be billed within 15 days of receipt of the final expense spreadsheet from the U.S. Department of State.

Payments by Credit Card

The WHTO requires a valid credit card from each news organization to be kept on file by Air Partner in a confidential database for use for all expenses. The appropriate cost of each charter flight will be automatically charged by Air Partner to this credit card. In most cases, these charges will be billed within 30 business days of a domestic trip and 60 business days of an international trip.

There is a service fee for processing a credit card. Fees vary depending on the rates used by major crediting institutions. At this time, the rates are 2.5% on Visa and MC transactions, and 3.3% American Express.

“No Pay, No-Play”

Failure to pay constitutes grounds for denial of access to further WHTO charters or other services arranged under the terms of this document.

Failure to pay AT&T for phone services within 90 days also constitutes grounds for denial of access to further WHTO charters and support.

Billing Rights

Due to the accounting system provided by Air Partner, all bills are due five days after billing. If there is a dispute, the WHTO will make every effort to research the disputed charges. If errors are found, payment will be refunded.

Customer Payments & Receipts

Amounts are due and payable upon billing. A valid credit card is required for all payments.

Trip expenses are provided on an Air Partner receipt and sent to each news organization via hard copy or e-mail. There is a service fee from Air Partner on all invoices. This fee is 3.3% when paying by Amex and 2.5% when paying by Visa/MC. This fee is for the total expenses before the credit card fee.