Dan Burton: “H.R. 2456 would allow Federal employees to keep frequent flyer miles they earn from official travel. This bill was…”

“H.R. 2456 would allow Federal employees to keep frequent flyer miles they earn from official travel. This bill was approved unanimously by the Government Reform Committee last week. It will help Federal agencies compete with the private sector for hard-to-retain employees. In 1994, we passed a law that said that Federal employees can't keep frequent flyer miles. The idea was to save money. We wanted Federal agencies to use these miles for official business. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Frequent flyer miles are going to waste at agencies across the government. The problem is that, according to the airlines, frequent flyer miles can only be awarded to individuals. The airlines won't set up separate business accounts and personal accounts. So in most cases, the frequent flyer miles are being wasted. They're not being used by Federal agencies, and in most cases, they're not being used by Federal workers. This situation isn't benefiting anyone. In the private sector, businesses let their employees keep frequent flyer miles. It's good employee relations. Business travel can be draining. Employees often have to travel on their own time. Letting employees keep their frequent flyer miles compensates them for lost time they could be spending with their families. It also helps companies hold on to their good employees. That's the approach the Federal government ought to take.”