meaning of duty travel

Policy for Duty Travel

Resource date: 01 Oct 2014

Author: FASP

Publisher: UNFPA PD

Policy for Duty Travel covers eligibility and procedures for duty travel including initial appointment travel; reassignment travel; repatriation travel;and official business travel. The policy covers authorization for travel; route, mode of transportation and standard of accommodation; daily subsistence allowance; other official business travel;  allowances and expenses; travel advances; unaccompanied shipment of personal effects and household goods; travel requirements; and post travel requirements.  This policy does not apply to entitlement travel which is handled by DHR.

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Temporary Duty Travel - Definitions and Responsibilities

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.1 What is the purpose of this chapter?  This chapter provides an overview of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) requirements and responsibilities governing Temporary Duty Travel (TDY) and introduces the policies in  Part 265 , Travel, of the Service Manual.

1.2 What is the scope of Part 265 in the Service Manual?

A.  Part 265 provides policy and procedures for Service employees and non-employees (called “travelers” throughout this chapter) conducting TDY travel on behalf of the Service, as well as other travel-related responsibilities.

B. Part 265 does not cover:

(1) Permanent Change of Station (PCS) travel (see 266 FW 1 ), and

(2) Temporary Change of Station (TCS) travel (see Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), Part 302, Subpart E ).

1.3 What are the authorities for the chapters in Part 265?

A. Department of the Interior (Department) Integrated Charge Card Program Policy .

B. Departmental Temporary Duty Travel Policy .

C.  Federal Travel Regulation (FTR) ( 41 CFR 301-304 ).

D. Fly America Act ( 49 U.S.C. 40118 ).

E. General, temporary, and charter air transportation certificates of air carriers ( 49 U.S.C. 41102 ).

F. Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 ( 5 U.S.C. 3371-3376 ).

G. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-123, Management's Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control, Appendix A , Management of Reporting and Data Integrity Risk.

H. Per diem, travel, and transportation expenses; experts and consultants; individuals serving without pay ( 5 U.S.C. 5703 ).

I. Training ( 5 CFR 410 ).

J. 347 Department Manual (DM) 1 , Travel Policy Issuance System.

K. 347 DM , Departmental FTR Implementing Instructions.

1.4 What is the overall Service policy on TDY travel?  We authorize official TDY travel as a program and mission enabler. Travelers should read the chapters in Part 265 and consider the following principles when planning, performing, or approving official travel:

A.  The traveler must:

(1)  Conduct official travel in the most cost-effective and efficient manner necessary to accomplish Government business.

(2)  Exercise the same care when incurring expenses on official travel that a prudent person would exercise if traveling at personal expense.

(3)  Use the Government-issued travel charge card (i.e., travel card) to incur travel-related expenses when issued a card (see  265 FW 3  and  265 FW 7 ).

(4)  Document all travel arrangements, travel authorizations, and travel vouchers in our electronic travel system (i.e., ConcurGov).

B.  Travelers must always obtain authorization from their approving official in the electronic travel system prior to performing TDY travel (see 265 FW 4 ). The only exceptions to this requirement are bona fide emergency situations (see  265 FW 10 ) when a travel authorization cannot be reasonably obtained in advance.

1.5 What is the difference between TDY, local, PCS, and TCS travel? See Table 1-1.

Table 1-1: Types of Official Travel

1.6 How is Part 265 of the Service Manual organized?  See Table 1-2.

Table 1-2: Summary of Part 265, Travel

1.7 What terms do you need to know to understand this and the other chapters in Part 265? 

A. Approving officials are supervisors, Directorate members (i.e., Regional Directors; Assistant Directors; Director, National Conservation Training Center (NCTC); Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)), and other officials who approve travel-related transactions (e.g., authorizations and vouchers).

B. Common carrier  refers to transportation by aircraft, train, bus, ship, or local transit system.

C. Commuting residence is the location where a traveler commutes to and from work the majority of the time. It is not always the location listed on the traveler’s personnel forms.

D. CONUS is the acronym for the 48 contiguous states in the United States (i.e., all the states except Alaska and Hawaii).

E. Electronic travel system (i.e., ConcurGov) is an automated, web-based process that Service employees and approving officials use to plan, document, manage, and monitor TDY travel (see 265 FW 2 ). ConcurGov is the Service’s current electronic travel system.

F. Immediate family are members of an employee’s household, including spouse, domestic partner, children of the employee or the employee’s spouse/domestic partner, dependent parents, and dependent siblings. Approving officials may expand this definition when authorizing emergency travel on a case-by-case basis.

G. Local travel is travel that does not meet the distance requirement for TDY travel. It includes Government and commercial flights to locations fewer than and including 50 miles from the traveler’s permanent duty station and commuting residence.

H. OCONUS is the acronym for outside the contiguous United States.

I. Per diem is the sum of the daily allowable costs associated with lodging, meals, and incidental expenses.

J. Permanent duty station, for the purposes of travel, means the street address to which the employee most commonly reports (i.e., the majority of the time). There are permanent duty stations that cover a large contiguous area of more than 50 miles, and that Service employees must regularly maintain or patrol. For such duty stations, traveling from one area to another, regardless of distance, is part of the employee’s regular duty and does not qualify as TDY travel.

K. Prudent person rule states that travelers must exercise the same care in incurring expenses that a prudent person would exercise if traveling on personal business.

L. TDY travel is travel that is performed for official purposes and is over 50 miles from the traveler’s permanent duty station and commuting residence.

M. Travelers  are employees and non-employees who are authorized to conduct TDY travel on behalf of the Service.

N. Travel arranger  is a staff member who books, documents, and adjusts travel reservations on behalf of others, including invitational travelers. The staff member could be a Service employee or a contractor.

O. Travel authorization is the form the Service uses to approve official TDY travel and travel-related expenses. These forms are created and approved in the electronic travel system. All travelers must receive authorization from their approving official before traveling, except in bona fide emergencies (see 265 FW 10 for more information).

P. Travel Management Center (TMC) (i.e., Duluth Travel Incorporated or El Sol Travel, Inc.) is responsible for assisting travelers with booking and adjusting travel itineraries. The TMC charges higher fees to assist with booking travel and adjusting reservations than those associated with self-service booking through ConcurGov.

Q. Travel voucher  is the form we use to approve travelers for reimbursement of travel-related expenses. These forms are created and approved in the electronic travel system.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1.8 What are the overall responsibilities related to Part 265 of the Service Manual? See Table 1-3. Individual Service Manual chapters, such as 265 FW 5 on transportation, have additional, specific responsibilities.

Table 1-3: Overall Responsibilities Related to Part 265

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Military TDY: What it is, How it Works, and What to Expect

Table of Contents

What is military tdy, how does military tdy work, what to expect during military tdy.

Military TDY is a common term used in the United States military to refer to temporary duty assignments that require service members to leave their home station and travel to a different location for a short period of time. In this article, we'll take a closer look at what military TDY is, how it works, and what service members can expect when they are assigned to TDY.

Military TDY, or Temporary Duty, is a type of assignment that requires service members to travel away from their home station for a period of time ranging from a few days to several months. TDY can be for a variety of reasons, including training, special assignments, temporary duty with other units or organizations, or for mission-related travel.

Military TDY can be initiated by a service member's unit, a higher headquarters, or by a specific mission requirement. Once a service member is selected for TDY, they are typically provided with orders that outline the purpose of the TDY, the location they will be traveling to, the duration of the assignment, and any other special instructions or requirements.

When traveling for TDY, service members are typically provided with transportation to and from their TDY location, as well as lodging, per diem for meals, and any other necessary support. While on TDY, service members are expected to perform the duties assigned to them and follow all applicable military regulations and policies.

When assigned to TDY, service members can expect to be away from their home station for the duration of the assignment. Depending on the location of the TDY, service members may be required to travel by commercial airline, military aircraft, or ground transportation. Upon arrival at their TDY location, service members will typically check in with their sponsor or point of contact and receive a briefing on the local area and any specific requirements or restrictions.

Service members will be responsible for performing the duties assigned to them during the TDY, which may include training, operational missions, or support functions. While on TDY, service members are expected to maintain a professional appearance and conduct themselves in accordance with military regulations and policies.

Military TDY is a common type of assignment in the United States military that requires service members to travel away from their home station for a temporary period of time. TDY can be for a variety of reasons, including training, special assignments, and mission-related travel. Service members selected for TDY can expect to receive orders outlining the purpose, location, and duration of the assignment, as well as any special instructions or requirements. While on TDY, service members are expected to perform the duties assigned to them and follow all applicable military regulations and policies.

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5 CFR § 550.1403 - Definitions.

In this subpart:

Accrued compensatory time off means the compensatory time off earned by an employee that has not been used or forfeited.

Agency means an Executive agency as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105 .

Authorized agency official means the head of the agency or an official who is authorized to act for the head of the agency in the matter concerned.

Compensable refers to periods of time that are creditable as hours of work for the purpose of determining a specific pay entitlement, even when that work time may not actually generate additional compensation because of applicable pay limitations.

Compensatory time off means compensatory time off for travel that is credited under the authority of this subpart.

Official duty station means the geographic area surrounding an employee's regular work site that is the same as the area designated by the employing agency for the purpose of determining whether travel time is compensable for the purpose of determining overtime pay, consistent with the regulations in 5 CFR 550.112(j) and 551.422(d) .

Regular working hours means the days and hours of an employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek established under 5 CFR part 610 .

Scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes means an employee's regular hours for which he or she may be charged leave under 5 CFR part 630 when absent. For full-time employees, it is the 40-hour basic workweek as defined in 5 CFR 610.102 . For employees with an uncommon tour of duty as defined in 5 CFR 630.201 , it is the uncommon tour of duty.

Travel means officially authorized travel— i.e. , travel for work purposes that is approved by an authorized agency official or otherwise authorized under established agency policies. Time spent traveling in connection with union activities is excluded.

Travel status means travel time as described in § 550.1404 that is creditable in accruing compensatory time off for travel under this subpart, excluding travel time that is otherwise compensable under other legal authority.

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Defense Travel System (DTS) Frequently Asked Questions

SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 – Air Force Reserve Command continues preparations to fully implement Defense Travel System Oct. 1, 2023 and transition away from legacy programs for its travel management needs.

Once implemented, the initiative is intended to reduce delays in processing since members will no longer have to rely on financial management specialists who are hundreds of miles away to review and approve vouchers for payment.

The following questions and answers are intended to assist Citizen Airmen as the Air Force Reserve Command transitions to increased use of the Defense Travel System effective Oct. 1, 2023.

Q. What is DTS? A: The Defense Travel System (DTS) is a fully integrated, automated, end-to-end travel management system that enables DoD travelers to create authorizations (TDY travel orders), prepare reservations, receive approvals, generate travel vouchers, and receive a split reimbursement between their bank accounts and the Government Travel Charge Card (GTCC).

Q: Why are we moving to DTS when My Travel will be mandatory in 2 years? A: Officials at AFRC are taking steps now to address longstanding Program, Policy and Training issues associated with official travel that are hindering the readiness for Citizen Airmen. Recent guidance was released that we will not be moving to MyTravel. Moving to DTS falls in line with the CAFR’s strategic priorities of “Ready Now” and “Transforming for the Future.” We are seeking to alleviate stressors on our Airmen now, which impacts readiness and retention.

Q: How will this change affect Citizen Airmen? A: AFRC is consolidating to a single platform for most all travel needs. Currently, we use AROWS-R to generate an AF Form 938 which populates with travel information and is our travel document for TDYs Annual Tour, MPA/RPA, etc. Once the change is implemented, the command will shift over entirely to DTS. The AF Form 938 will still be populated to “call Reservists to Active Duty via AROWS-R. However, it will not be used as a travel order as it been previously. The travel order will now be produced on a DD Form 1610 (generated in DTS).

Q. Who can I contact for assistance or questions concerning DTS? A: Every unit has an appointed Lead Defense Travel Administrator (LDTA). They are responsible to assist you in setting up your DTS account and ensuring you are receiving the proper DTS training and support. An Organization Defense Travel Administrator (ODTA) can also assist you to prepare an authorization and voucher.

Q: When can I expect more guidance on the transition to DTS? A: Officials at Air Force Reserve Command are providing guidance to Financial Management sections at units now so they can serve as local subject matter experts. They will also begin training LDTAs and ODTAs on the new functions that will be performed in DTS as part of the transition.

Q: What steps should I be taking today to prepare for the transition? A: Begin using DTS now. Log into DTS now and establish your profile. [Wing FMs} Prepare internal deadlines to and initiate measures to guide Airmen who are accustomed to using RTS on the new process.

Q: How is the command planning on implementing the change to DTS for all travel requirements? A: The goal is to fully transition to DTS by 1 Oct 23 with minor exceptions (i,e. attendance at BMT and PCS travel). Traditional Reservists and IMAs on MPA orders will follow guidance implemented Oct 22. The AF Form 938 will still be generated in AROWS-R and required for activation regardless of funding source (RPA, MPA, etc) after the 1 Oct transition.

Q: How are DTS documents processed? A: Documents are submitted, processed, and approved at the organization responsible for funding the travel. Once approved by the organizational approving official, the payment is electronically sent to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) for payment via electronic funds transfer (EFT) to the traveler’s bank account.

Q: Will Air Reserve Technicians maintain dual profiles? A: Due to multiple business rule requirements, ARTs will maintain dual profiles.

Commander Support Staff

Q: What does the transition to DTS mean for employees in a unit’s CSS who typically generate orders? Will CSS representatives still produce orders or will the member be responsible for all aspects of the process? A: CSS/Orders writers will continue to generate orders in AROWS-R (AF Form 938) to bring members into a duty status. All travel will be accomplished in DTS (by the member).

Q: Is this statement still required on the AF Form 938? Alternate means such as Secure Video Teleconference (SVTC) or other web-based communications are not sufficient to accomplish travel objectives Development Team meetings of this size because the force development process requires significant, dedicated time for discussion and hands-on record reviews, and placement of students to correct courses. A: Yes

Q: Is UTAPS still required to forecast AT and IDTs or is UTAPS also sunsetting on 1 Oct 23? A: The transition to DTS will not effect UTAPS current requirements or processes.

DTS Use and Functions

Q: We have aircrew members who fly missions as a group. Does DTS allow personnel to submit a group authorization & voucher? A: Group authorization and group voucher training is available on the DTMO site.

Q: Does the AF Form 938 have to be processed and approved prior to initiating a travel authorization in DTS? A: Yes, the AF Form 938 needs to be attached to the DTS authorization for approval/authorization.

Q: DD Form 1610s have historically been created in AROWS-R. Will the DTS authorization replace the 1610 orders request? A: Yes. Members will be able to print their own DD Form 1610 after initiating their authorization in DTS. DD Form 1610s will be generated in DTS with the ability to print from the authorization.

Q: Travel is being turned of in AROWS-R soon. When members build their authorizations, will they have to select a budget label to coincide with their type of duty? A: Yes, the traveler or person creating the DTS authorization will select the Accounting/Budget label for accepted travel expenses.

Q: Will the new DTS transition allow for filing local vouchers within DTS? A: Yes, local vouchers will be filed in DTS.

Q: Will there be another step or review put in place on the authorizations to ensure the proper funding is being used depending on the status of the member as listed on the AF 938. A: Yes, Resource Advisors (RAs) can be added to the routing list if the unit chooses.

Q: Will Traditional Reservists (TRs) be responsible for building their own travel authorizations? A: Yes, end users will be responsible for building their own authorizations in DTS.

Q: Will DTS be updated to include “other mileage” rate? A: Officials at AFRC/FM are working through this process. Contact your local FM representative if you have questions on this issue.

Q: Can you please elaborate on why AROWS-R was not kept “as is” and adjustments made to simply route all applicable RTS orders to DTS? A: The move to take travel out of AROWS-R into DTS was a corporate decision. Separating the process of placing a member in military status (AF Form 938) and the travel process (DD Form 1610) better aligns the Reserve with Active Duty.

Q: Since we are not to use travel days for our AROWS-R requests, do units need to resubmit AROWS requests for FY24 that have already been submitted? For example, I have a member who signed up for school from 27 Nov 23 to 7 Dec 23 with a travel day at the beginning and end of the TDY. Do I need to cancel this order? A: Yes, all orders that were routed and approved without the manual workaround should be cancelled and resubmitted in AROWS-R using the new “Corporate City Limits” process.

Q: Is it possible to MOD those orders that were created previously and labeled as RTS? A: Orders currently routing to RTS should not be curtailed, MOD’d or cancelled. The change is for orders starting on or after 1 Oct 23 unless transitioned earlier.

Q: If an order that includes travel crosses over into FY24, should the unit cancel the order 30 Sep 23 and start a new one in its place? A: Any orders that started in AROWS-R for processing in RTS in FY23 and cross over into the new fiscal year should finish and be filed in RTS.

Budget and Lines of Accounting

Q: What DTS label will MPA mileage only orders use to tale the place of FC30 in PBAS? A: Use the same LOA as the other travel items on the authorization.

Q: Will DTS offer two Lines Of Accounting for centrally funded schools when members are authorized rental cars with a unit funded school LOA? A: Yes, DTS will accommodate multiple LOAs.

Q: If orders are mileage only then the LOA will not import into DTS. I have many active fund cites in AROWS. Will I have to build all those in DTS now? A: There will not be an import. Local vouchers will be processed for mileage only. We are working with the Budgets to see what level the LOAs need to be built at to allow the least amount of lines to be manually created.

Q: If non-corporate limits orders are cut as corporate (mileage only) will the travel obligate when the authorization is approved in DTS or when the DTS voucher is filed? I’m concerned with following the money on my SOF. A: Corporate Limits does not create any travel expense entitlement. This is the workaround to remove travel from AROWS-R without extensive programming. Additionally, for mileage only, the obligation will occur when the member submits a local voucher in DTS.

Q: Will Special Partial Payments be an option (to alleviate the member from having to file every 30 days)? A: Yes. DTS has an option in the authorization (for 46+ day orders) to schedule partial payments. As long as a voucher is not initiated, members can go into DTS and adjust their partial payments, as needed. Training available in Defense Travel System (DTS) Guide 2: Authorizations (pg. 80)

Q: From what we understand currently, any order that is under 45 days will not have the option in DTS to make partial payments. So, if a member is on a long tour order over 31 days but less than 45 and goes TDY multiple times while on that order, he/she will not be able to get paid for any of those trips until after the order is over and voucher submitted. A: If each TDY is a separate trip and return to PDS or Home Of Record between trips, the members should create a DTS authorization for the intent of the trave required – voucher will be created after trip competition.

Q: Officials at AFRC are going to turn travel off in AROWS-R effective 1 Oct 2023. When members build their authorizations, will they have to select a budget label to coincide with their type of duty? A: Yes, the traveler or person creating the DTS Authorization will select the Accounting/Budget Label for associated travel expenses

Q: Since mileage will not be paid through MILPAY anymore, will the mileage cost be obligated through DEAMS and if the member doesn’t want to complete a voucher for the mileage only will that cost show up on the UOO report? A: Mileage only will be a local voucher. Local vouchers will straight pay from the LOA in DEAMS, no UOO will be established. Additionally, Mileage Only is on the “Processes under Review” list – more to follow.

Q; If non-corporate limits orders are cut as corporate (mileage only) will the travel obligate when the authorization is approved in DTS or when the DTS voucher is filed? I’m concerned with following the money on my Status of Funds (SOF). A: Corporate Limits does not create any travel expense entitlement. This is the workaround to remove travel from AROWS-R without extensive programming. Additionally, for mileage only, the obligation will occur when the member submits a local voucher in DTS.

Q: If orders previously created are labeled as RTS during this transition, as you stated orders won’t stop, but is there a way to mod the original order to state DTS instead? A: Orders currently routing to RTS now should not be curtailed, mod’d, or cancelled. This change is for orders starting on or after 1 Oct 2023 unless transitioned earlier

Q: Are MOB/ACT orders going to be done the same way or will the FGC be loading the Auth in DTS since they do the 938? A: There will be no change to this process

Q: Regarding long tour orders: if duty crosses over into FY24, should the orders end in AROWS on 9/30 then pick it up in DTS starting 10/1? A: If a tour starts in AROWS you will continue the order in AROWS. (Note: Depending on the tour length, it may be deemed a Permanent Change of Station and PCS orders will not be processed in DTS).

Q: Who is copying/loading the budget in September/October? Are units responsible for this? A: Yes, units are responsible. FM shops are responsible for loading and maintaining budgets in DTS.

Authorizations

Q: How do I check the status of my authorization? A: Check document status by logging in to DTS. Go to “Official Travel” vouchers or authorization, and then look in the “Sort by Status” column. Or, go to the digital signature page within the document. If you can’t access to DTS, contact your Defense Travel Administrator (DTA) to check the status of your document. Find out from your supervisor who the DTA is for your organization.

Q: Why isn’t the Authorization built automatically in DTS like before (from AROWS-R)? A: AROWS-R will no longer “flow” into DTS and create an authorization. AROWS-R will be creating the “Call to Duty” AF938. This will be used to put a TR/IR in “active” status, and establish Military Pay. The AF938 will no longer serve as a travel authorization, so the “flow” to DTS will no longer exist. The 1610 (Travel Authorization document) will be generated in DTS when the authorization is built by the member (or the ODTA).

Q: What if: Member travels on a Sunday and performs Annual Tour Duty on Monday thru Thursday. On Friday, the member does an RMP and Saturday and Sunday are UTA days. The next Monday and Tuesday are back on Annual Tour. Wednesday is a AFTP day and member then departs the base on Wednesday and returns home. A: The orders specialist needs to zero out per diem and lodging for the days not on AT. The travel and “in-place” can be placed on one authorization. As with any authorization and voucher, be sure to add comments before signing so the reviewer and approver have an understanding of your specific situation. Lodging will not be included in the authorization since UTA lodging is a direct bill (Sunday night lodging can be manually adjusted if needed). The rest of the travel per diem can be established as usual. The zeroed out days will be achieved by selecting “Duty Days (no per diem). See link for quick instructional video

Q: What’s the process or workaround if we have members who don’t have CAC enabled computers at home? Several members don’t necessarily have the funds to purchase personal computers to ensure they can stay connected with the Reserve’s administrative processes. A: This will be a local decision for Wing CCs and likely to vary but can be completed by an NDEA. Defense Travel System regulations state NDEAs are authorized to input and digitally sign DTS vouchers for travelers who do not reasonably have access to computers.

Q: Who is considered FM for FM review where IDT travel reimbursement is concerned? Does this refer to those physically in the FM office or those who are FM coded? A: For the FM review, the person must actually be in the FM office.

Q: How will we track IDT trips in DTS per member to ensure they do not exceed 12? A: The process of tracking the number of IDT-Rs paid out to each member can be tracked by local policy/procedure.

Q: Will the LOA name for the IDT-R be up to the organization? If so, is it safe to assume the name could be different from other organizations? A: IDT-R Lines Of Accounting and routing lists will be established locally (not by AFRC).

Q: Is there a permission group that can be added to DTS for Read-Only visibility of unit members and where the vouchers are currently to verify if the vouchers moved as opposed to permission 5 that allows edits to the vouchers? A: No, Wing DTS Points Of Contact have access to reports to monitor document status. Members have the ability to view where their voucher is at any time. To do so, members simply need to open the voucher in DTS , click “View” on the applicable voucher and select “Sign and Submit” to get to the screen that shows the routing list and where the voucher is currently.

Q: Will there be another step or review put in place on the authorizations to ensure the proper funding is being utilized depending on the status the member is on as reflected on the AF Form 938 or ART/AGR status? A: Resource Advisors can be added to the routing list is the unit so chooses.

Inactive Duty Travel Reimbursement

Q: When it comes to meal expenses on IDT-R travel days, do we select the “Create Your Own Expense” line item or is there something more specific to this circumstance coming later? A: Until further notice, IDT-R meal expenses will be entered as a “Create Your Own Expense” line item.

Q: For IDTs, are members going to be charged CTO fees to book flights? The $500 usually doesn’t cover my providers flight and parking fee, so that would be an additional expense they would have to pay out of pocket.

Q: Reservists assigned to the Development & Training Flight are authorized IDT travel when attending UTAs prior to departing for Basic Military Training. Their Common Access Card will not allow them to access to complete required tasks. The ODTA could build their authorization but will not be able to sign the voucher. How will these individuals be able to finalize their vouchers to receive payments? A: IDT travel reimbursement for D&TF trainees will remain as it is currently which is within RTS.

Q: It appears IDT travel outside of normal commute will transition to DTS. Does this mean the Form 1164 is going away or will members still use it to request lodging reimbursement when not on the critical AFSC listing? A: Yes, the Form 1164 is going away. Additional guidance is provided in the updated IDT-R Guide (located on the AFRC/FM SharePoint site). Members will use a local voucher in DTS in lieu of a paper Form 1164. If a member is not on the approved IDT-R list, they will follow the normal process for securing lodging based on local policies/procedures. This process will not change.

Local Defense Travel Administrator/Organizational Defense Travel Administrator Functions Q: Every Air Force Reserve organization is authorized a position for a LDTA. Does that include tenant units (such as a unit that is being hosted by another AFRC unit)? A: As of 10 Aug 23, GSU/tenant locations who work under separate OBANs will be given the FDTA role to manage their funding in DTS.

Q: Tenants don’t have FDTAs – who will be responsible for loading the travel lines and funding? A: Wing LDTA/FMA offices will be loading LOAs and funding in DTS.

Q: Will AFRC FM train participation specialists on how to cut orders, FM Final Certifiers to review/approve orders, RPA and O&M Budget Analysts on when/how funds will be committed/obligated/move through the various accounting stages in DEAMS? A: AFRC FM will train the LDTAs on loading budgets in DTS. FM will be responsible for training their Wing establishing local policy and training their Wing on the process.

Q: Will the FMA side become FDTAs and have the responsibility of managing that function, or will we have the LDTA manage the LOA and budget label maintenance? A: It has been identified that the best practice is to have LDTAs/FMAs build LOAs in DTS and load funding for their Wing.

Orders/AF Form 938s Q: If orders previously created are labeled as RTS during this transition and will still be in effect, is there a way to MOD the initial order to route to DTS instead? A: Orders currently routing to RTS now should not be curtailed, modified or cancelled. This change is for orders starting on or after Oct. 1, 2023 unless transitioned earlier.

Q: Are MOB/ACT orders going to be generated the same way or will the Force Generation Center load the authorization in DTS since they produce the AF 938 for deployers? A: There will be no change to this process.

Q: If duty crosses over into FY24 on long tour orders, should the orders end in AROWS-R on Sept. 30, 2023 and then pick up in DTS on Oct. 1, 2023? A: If a tour starts in AROWS-R, it should be continued in AROWS-R (Depending on the tour length, it may be a PCS and PCS orders are not processed in DTS).

Q: What is the approximate amount of time it will take for a voucher to be paid after a member submits in DTS (Note: question is specifically asking the amount of time it will take from when the voucher is submitted by the member and not when it is AO approved until payment is received)? A: After a voucher is approved, members can expect payment within 3-5 business days. The amount of time it takes routing to Reviewer and Approver will vary by unit.

Special Circumstances (Deployments, Basic Military Training, etc.)

Q: What is the reason that deployment orders will not be moving to DTS? Is there an identified reason that is not allowing for it? AD creates the CED authorization directly in DTS; shouldn’t we as well? A: Deployments are on the “Processes under Review” list – more to come.

Q: When “review” for IDT reimbursement was mentioned, does that require utilization of the “process name” routing the way the Travel Agency book/submit steps are constructed or will units have to make an IDT routing list that includes FM review? A: AFRC/FM is still working through this process (suggesting the possibility of each unit creating IDT routing lists).

Q: For any member whose AFSC qualifies for the IDT reimbursement (up to $500) for residing outside the commuting distance for UTAs, will their reimbursement request be processed through the DTS “Local Voucher?” A: Yes, this will be processed in DTS. Officials from AFRC/FM are still working this issue.

Story by Lt. Col. James Wilson 919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs

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Hours of Work for Travel

Fact sheet: hours of work for travel, description.

In limited circumstances, travel time may be considered hours of work. The rules on travel hours of work depend on whether an employee is covered by or exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). For FLSA-exempt employees, the crediting of travel time as hours of work is governed under title 5 rules-in particular, 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) and 5544(a)(3) and 5 CFR 550.112(g) and (j). For FLSA-covered employees, travel time is credited if it is qualifying hours of work under either the title 5 rules or under OPM's FLSA regulations-in particular, 5 CFR 551.401(h) and 551.422.

Employee Coverage

Title 5 overtime laws and regulations apply to most FLSA-exempt Federal employees, including General Schedule and prevailing rate employees. Certain employees, such as members of the Senior Executive Service, are not eligible for overtime pay or other premium pay under title 5. (See 5 U.S.C. 5541(2) and 5 CFR 550.101 for coverage rules.)

OPM's FLSA regulations apply to most FLSA-covered Federal employees. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) and 5544(a)(3) and 5 CFR 551.102.) An employee may determine his or her FLSA status by checking block 35 of the most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) to find out whether his or her position is nonexempt (N) or exempt (E) from the overtime pay provisions of the FLSA. Alternatively, an employee may obtain a determination from his or her servicing personnel office.

Overtime Work

In general, overtime hours are hours of work that are ordered or approved (or are "suffered or permitted" for FLSA-covered employees) and are performed by an employee in excess of 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a workweek. (See 5 U.S.C. 5542(a), 5544(a), and 6121(6) and (7), and 5 CFR 550.111 and 551.501. Note exceptions.)

Travel That is Hours of Work Under Title 5

Under 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) and 5 CFR 550.112(g), official travel away from an employee's official duty station is hours of work if the travel is-

• within the days and hours of the employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek, including regularly scheduled overtime hours, or
• involves the performance of work while traveling (such as driving a loaded truck);
• is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling (such as driving an empty truck back to the point of origin);
• is carried out under arduous and unusual conditions (e.g., travel on rough terrain or under extremely severe weather conditions); or
• results from an event that could not be scheduled or controlled administratively by any individual or agency in the executive branch of Government (such as training scheduled solely by a private firm or a job-related court appearance required by a court subpoena).

An agency may not adjust an employee's normal regularly scheduled administrative workweek solely to include travel hours that would not otherwise be considered hours of work.

Travel That is Hours of Work Under the FLSA

For FLSA-covered employees, time spent traveling is hours of work if-

• an employee is required to travel during regular working hours (i.e., during the regularly scheduled administrative workweek);
• an employee is required to work during travel (e.g., by being required to drive a Government vehicle as part of a work assignment);
• an employee is required to travel as a passenger on a 1-day assignment away from the official duty station; or
• an employee is required to travel as a passenger on an overnight assignment away from the official duty station during hours on nonworkdays that correspond to the employee's regular working hours. (See 5 CFR 551.422(a).)

Official Duty Station

"Official duty station" is defined in 5 CFR 550.112(j) and 551.422(d). An agency may prescribe a mileage radius of not greater than 50 miles to determine whether an employee's travel is within or outside the limits of the employee's official duty station for determining entitlement to overtime pay for travel.

Administrative Workweek

An administrative workweek is a period of 7 consecutive calendar days designated in advance by the head of an agency under 5 U.S.C. 6101. The regularly scheduled administrative workweek is the period within the administrative workweek during which the employee is scheduled to work in advance of the administrative workweek. (See definitions in 5 CFR 610.102. See also 5 CFR 550.103 and 551.421.)

Commuting Time

For FLSA-covered employees, normal commuting time from home to work and from work to home is not hours of work. (See 5 CFR 551.422(b).) However, commuting time may be hours of work to the extent that the employee is required to perform substantial work under the control and direction of the employing agency-i.e., productive work of a significant nature that is an integral and indispensable part of the employee's principal activities. The fact that an employee is driving a Government vehicle in commuting to and from work is not a basis for determining that commuting time is hours of work. (See Bobo decision cited in the References section.)

Similarly, for FLSA-exempt employees, normal commuting time from home to work and from work to home is not hours of work. (See 5 CFR 550.112(j)(2).) However, commuting time may be hours of work to the extent that the employee is officially ordered or approved to perform substantial work while commuting.

Normal "home-to-work/work-to-home" commuting includes travel between an employee's home and a temporary duty location within the limits of the employee's official duty station. For an employee assigned to a temporary duty station overnight, normal "home-to-work/work-to-home" commuting also includes travel between the employee's temporary place of lodging and a work site within the limits of the temporary duty station.

If an employee (whether FLSA-covered or exempt) is required to travel directly between home and a temporary duty location outside the limits of the employee's official duty station, the time the employee would have spent in normal commuting must be deducted from any hours of work outside the regularly scheduled administrative workweek (or, for FLSA covered employees, outside corresponding hours on a nonwork day) that may be credited for the travel time. (The travel time is credited as hours of work only as allowed under the applicable rules-e.g., for an FLSA-covered employee, if the travel is part of a 1-day assignment away from the official duty station.)

• 5 U.S.C. 5542(b)(2) (General Schedule employees)
• 5 U.S.C. 5544(a)(3) (Prevailing rate employees)
• 5 CFR 550.112(g) and (j), 610.102, and 610.123
• 5 CFR 551.401(h) and 551.422 (OPM's FLSA regulations)
• Decision by United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Jerry Bobo v. United States , 136 F.3rd 1465 (Fed. Cir. 1998) affirming Court of Federal Claims decision of same name, 37 Fed. Cl. 690 (Fed. Cl. 1997).
• Section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 84) as amended in 1996 by section 2102 of Public Law 104-188. (See 29 U.S.C. 254.)

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Customs Duty Information

What is a customs duty.

Customs Duty is a tariff or tax imposed on goods when transported across international borders. The purpose of Customs Duty is to protect each country's economy, residents, jobs, environment, etc., by controlling the flow of goods, especially restrictive and prohibited goods, into and out of the country.

Dutiable refers to articles on which Customs Duty may have to be paid. Each article has a specific duty rate, which is determined by a number of factors, including where you acquired the article, where it was made, and what it is made of. Also, anything you bring back that you did not have when you left the United States must be "declared." For example, you would declare alterations made in a foreign country to a suit you already owned, and any gifts you acquired outside the United States. American Goods Returned (AGR) do not have to be declared, but you must be prepared to prove to U.S. Customs and Border Protection the articles are AGR or pay Customs duty.

The Customs Duty Rate is a percentage. This percentage is determined by the total purchased value of the article(s) paid at a foreign country and not based on factors such as quality, size, or weight. The Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) provides duty rates for virtually every existing item. CBP uses the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSUS), which is a reference manual that the provides the applicable tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the U.S.

Duty-Free Shop articles sold in a Customs duty-free shop are free only for the country in which that shop is located. Therefore, if your acquired articles exceed your personal exemption/allowance, the articles you purchased in Customs duty-free shop, whether in the United States or abroad, will be subject to Customs duty upon entering your destination country. Articles purchased in a American Customs duty-free shop are also subject to U.S. Customs duty if you bring them into the United States. For example, if you buy alcoholic beverages in a Customs duty-free shop in New York before entering Canada and then bring them back into the United States, they will be subject to Customs duty and Internal Revenue Service tax (IRT).

Determining Customs Duty

The flat duty rate will apply to articles that are dutiable but that cannot be included in your personal exemption, even if you have not exceeded the exemption. For example, alcoholic beverages. If you return from Europe with $200 worth of purchases, including two liters of liquor, one liter will be duty-free under your returning resident personal allowance/exemption. The other will be dutiable at 3 percent, plus any Internal Revenue Tax (IRT) that is due.

A joint declaration is a Customs declaration that can be made by family members who live in the same household and return to the United States together. These travelers can combine their purchases to take advantage of a combined flat duty rate, no matter which family member owns a given item. The combined value of merchandise subject to a flat duty rate for a family of four traveling together would be $4,000. Purchase totals must be rounded to the nearest dollar amount.

Tobacco Products

Returning resident travelers may import tobacco products only in quantities not exceeding the amounts specified in the personal exemptions for which the traveler qualifies (not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars if arriving from other than a beneficiary country and insular possession). Any quantities of tobacco products not permitted by a personal exemption are subject to detention, seizure, penalties, abandonment, and destruction. Tobacco products are typically purchased in duty-free stores, on sea carriers operating internationally or in foreign stores. These products are usually marked "Tax Exempt. For Use Outside the United States," or "U.S. Tax Exempt For Use Outside the United States."

For example, a returning resident is eligible for the $800 duty-free personal exemption every 31 days, having remained for no less than 48 hours beyond the territorial limits of the United States except U.S. Virgin Islands, in a contiguous country which maintains free zone or free port, has remained beyond the territorial limits of the United States not to exceed 24 hours. This exemption includes not more than 200 cigarettes and 100 cigars:

• If the resident declares 400 previously exported cigarettes and proves American Goods Returning (AGR) , the resident would be permitted or allowed to bring back his AGR exempt from Customs duty.
• If the resident declares 400 cigarettes, of which 200 are proven AGR or previously exported and 200 not AGR or not previously exported, the resident would be permitted to bring back his 200 previously exported cigarettes tax and Internal Revenue Tax (IRT) free under his exemption.
• The tobacco exemption is available to each adult 21 years of age or over.

In December 2014, President Obama announced his intention to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. The President did not lift the embargo against Cuba. Absent a democratic or transitional government in Cuba, lifting the embargo requires a legislative statutory change. Since the announcement, however, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has amended the Cuba Assets Control Regulations (CACR), effective January 16, 2015, to authorize travel within certain categories to and from Cuba and to allow certain imports from and exports to Cuba.

All travelers, including those from Cuba, must comply with all applicable laws and regulations. This includes the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”) (2016) limitations on personal exemptions and rules of duty extended to non-residents and returning U.S. residents.

Persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are authorized to engage in all transactions, including payments necessary to import certain goods and services produced by independent Cuban entrepreneurs as determined by the State Department and set forth in the State Department’s Section 515.582 list located at FACT SHEET: U.S. Department of State Section 515.582 List . 

Declared amounts in excess of the exemption are subject to a flat 4% rate of duty, and any applicable IRS taxes, pursuant to HTSUS 9816.00.20 and 19 CFR 148.101, which impose a duty rate of 4% of the fair retail value on goods from a Column 2 country.

Regarding goods: The Department of State will, in accordance with the State Department’s Section 515.582, issue a list of prohibited goods. Placement on the list means that any listed good falls within certain Sections and Chapters of the HTSUS which do not qualify for this exception.

Regarding entrepreneurs : The Cuban entity must be a private business, such as a self-employed entrepreneur or other private entity, not owned or controlled by the Government of Cuba. Travelers engaging in these transactions are required to obtain evidence that demonstrates the goods purchased were obtained from a Cuban entrepreneur, as described above, and should be prepared to furnish evidence of such to U.S. Government authorities upon request. Evidence may include a copy of the entrepreneur’s license and/or an invoice and/or purchase order demonstrating the goods were purchased from a specific Cuban entrepreneur. Whether a traveler presents adequate evidence that a good qualifies from importation and that it was bought from a licensed independent Cuban entrepreneur shall be determined on a case-by-case basis by the inspecting CBP officer.

Imports under Section 515.582 (i.e., imports from licensed independent entrepreneurs not on the Department of State’s prohibited list) must comply with all current U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) formal and informal entry requirements, as applicable. This means that, while there is no value cap on the amount of goods that may be imported under this provision, the applicable duties in the HTSUS must be considered.

In particular, HTSUS 9804.00.65 allows for the duty-free importation of personal-use articles from a Column 2 country when the fair retail value of such goods is under $800. Also see 19 C.F.R. 148.33. HTSUS 9816.00.20 establishes a duty rate of 4% of the fair retail value for personal-use articles under $1,000 imported from a Column 2 country. Thus, any articles imported under this section for personal use with a value of under $800 can be imported duty free, and any articles imported for personal use with a value between $800 and $1800, will be subject to a flat 4% duty rate. Any articles valued over $1800, regardless of whether for personal use, will be subject to entry and should be classified, appraised, and assessed duty appropriately under the specific HTSUS Column 2 rates. Also see 19 C.F.R. 148.101 and 148.102. Any commercial importation, i.e., not for personal use, is subject to entry requirements and payment of applicable duties, fees, and taxes.

While these revised regulations may facilitate certain travel and trade with Cuba, all other laws and regulations applicable to international travel and the importation/exportation of goods remain in full effect. This means that all United States agency requirements applicable to a particular importation must be met and fully complied with, such as the regulations of the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

Alcoholic Beverages

One American liter (33.8 fl. oz.) of alcoholic beverages may be included in your returning resident personal exemption if:

• You are at least 21 years old.
• It is intended exclusively for your personal use and not for sale.
• It does not violate the laws of the state in which you arrive.

Federal and state regulations allow you to bring back one liter of an alcoholic beverage for personal use duty-free. However, states may allow you to bring back more than one liter, but you will have to pay any applicable Customs duty and IRT.

While federal regulations do not specify a limit on the amount of alcohol you may bring back beyond the personal exemption amount, unusual quantities may raise suspicions that you are importing the alcohol for other purposes, such as for resale. CBP officers enforce the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) laws, rules, and regulations and are authorized to make on-the-spot determinations that an importation is for commercial purposes. If such determination is made, it may require you to obtain a permit and file a formal entry to import the alcohol before the alcohol is released. If you intend to bring back a substantial quantity of alcohol for your personal use, you should contact the U.S. Port of Entry (POE) through which you will be re-entering and make prior arrangements for the importation.

Also, state laws might limit the amount of alcohol you can bring in without a license. If you arrive in a state that has limitations on the amount of alcohol you may bring in without a license, that state's law will be enforced by CBP, even though it may be more restrictive than federal regulations. We recommend that you check with the state government about their limitations on quantities allowed for personal importation and additional state taxes that may apply. Ideally, this information should be obtained before traveling.

In brief, for both alcohol and cigarettes, the quantities eligible for duty-free treatment may be included in your $800 or $1,600 returning resident personal exemption, just as any other purchase should be. But unlike other kinds of merchandise, amounts beyond those discussed here as being duty-free are taxed, even if you have not exceeded, or even met, your personal exemption. For example, your exemption is $800 and you bring back three liters of wine and nothing else, two of those liters will be dutiable and IR taxed. Federal law prohibits business-to-private consumer shipping of alcoholic beverages by mail within the United States.

How to Pay Customs Duty

If you owe Customs duty, you must pay it before the conclusion of your CBP processing. You may pay it in any of the following ways:

• U.S. currency only.
• Personal check in the exact amount, drawn on a U.S. bank, made payable to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. You must present identification, such as a passport or U.S. driver's license. CBP does not accept checks bearing second-party endorsement.
• Government check, money order or traveler's check if the amount does not exceed the duty owed by more than $50.

In some locations/POEs, you may pay duty with either MasterCard or VISA credit cards.

Increased Duty Rates

Items from certain countries.

Under what is known as its "301" authority, the United States may impose a much higher than normal duty rate on products from certain countries. Currently, the United States has imposed a 100 percent rate of duty on certain products of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, The Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the Ukraine. If you should bring more of any of these products back with you than fall within your exemption or flat rate of duty, (see below) you will pay as much in duty as you paid for the product or products.

While most of the products listed are not the type of goods that travelers would purchase in sufficient quantities to exceed their exemption, diamonds from the Ukraine are subject to the 100 percent duty and might easily exceed the exemption amount.

For information on countries that may become subject to a higher than normal duty rate, check the Department of Commerce Web site.

Countries With Free or Reduced Customs Duty Rates

The United States gives Customs duty preferences-that is, conditionally free or subject to reduced rates-to certain designated beneficiary developing countries under a trade program called the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). Some products that would otherwise be dutiable are not when they are wholly the growth, product, or manufacture of a beneficiary GSP country. Visit the Office of United States Trade Representative website for additional GSP information.

• Many products from Caribbean and Andean countries are exempt from duty under the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, Andean Trade Preference Act and the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act.
• Many products from certain sub-Saharan African countries are exempt from duty under the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
• Most products from Israel, Jordan, Chile and Singapore may also enter the United States either free of duty or at a reduced rate under the U.S. free trade agreements with those countries.
• The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect in 1994. If you are returning from Canada or Mexico , your goods are eligible for free or reduced duty rates if they were grown, manufactured, or produced in Canada or Mexico, as defined by the Act.

Additional information on these special trade programs can be found on the CBP Web site.

Household Effects & Personal Effects - Customs Duty Guidance

Household effects conditionally included are duty-free. These include such items as furniture, carpets, paintings, tableware, stereos, linens, and similar household furnishings; tools of the trade, professional books, implements, and instruments.

You may import household effects you acquired abroad duty-free if:

• You used them abroad for no less than one year.
• They are not intended for any other person or for sale.

For Customs purposes, clothing, jewelry, photography equipment, portable radios, and vehicles are considered personal effects and cannot be brought in duty-free as household effects. However, duty is usually waived on personal effects more than one year of age. All vehicles are dutiable.

Mailing and Shipping Goods - Customs Duty Guidance

Unaccompanied purchases are goods you bought on a trip that are being mailed or shipped to you in the United States. In other words, you are not carrying the goods with you when you return. If your unaccompanied purchases are from an insular possession (IP) or a Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) country and are being imported within 30 days and sent directly from those locations to the United States, you may enter them as follows:

• Up to $1,600 in goods will be duty-free under your personal exemption if the merchandise is from an IP.
• Up to $800 in goods will be duty-free if it is from a CBI or Andean country.
• Any additional amount, up to $1,000, in goods will be dutiable at a flat rate (3%).

To take advantage of the Customs duty-free exemption for unaccompanied tourist purchases (mailing/shipping) from an IP or CBI country:

Step 1. At place and time of purchase, ask your merchant to hold your item until you send him or her a copy of CBP Form 255 (Declaration of Unaccompanied Articles), which must be affixed to the package when it is shipped.

Step 2. (a) On your declaration form (CBP Form 6059B), list everything you acquired on your trip that is accompanying you. You must also complete a separate Declaration of Unaccompanied Articles form (CBP Form 255) for each package or container that will be sent to you after you arrive in the United States. This form may be available where you make your purchase. If not, you may find the form on the CBP website.

Step 3. When you return to the United States, the CBP officer will: (a) collect Customs duty and any tax due on the dutiable goods you have brought with you; (b) verify your list of unaccompanied articles with your sales receipts; (c) validate your CBP Form 255 to determine if your purchases are duty-free under your personal exemption ($1,600 or $800) or if the purchases are subject to a flat rate of duty.

Step 4. Two copies of the three-part CBP Form 255 will be returned to you. Send the yellow copy of the CBP Form 255 to the foreign shopkeeper or vendor holding your purchase, and keep the other copy for your records.

Step 5. When the merchant gets your CBP Form 255, he or she must place it in an envelope and attach the envelope securely to the outside wrapping of the package or container. The merchant must also mark each package "Unaccompanied Purchase." Please remember that each package or container must have its own CBP Form 255 attached , the most important step to follow in order to gain the benefits allowed under this procedure.

Step 6. If your package has been mailed, the U.S. Postal Service will deliver it after it clears Customs. If you owe duty, the Postal Service will collect the duty along with a postal handling fee. If a freight service transports your package, they will notify you of its arrival and you must go to their office holding the shipment and complete the CBP entry procedure. If you owe duty or tax, you will need to pay it at that time in order to secure the release of the goods. You could also hire a customs customhouse broker to do this for you. However, be aware that customhouse brokers are private businesses and are not CBP employees, and they charge fees for their services.

If freight or express packages from your trip landed in the U.S. before you return and you have not made arrangements to pick them up, CBP will authorize their placement into general order bonded warehouse or public storage after 15 days (days for perishable, flammable, explosives). This storage and all other related charges (transportation, demurrage, handling) will be at your risk and expense. If the goods are not claimed within six months, they will be sold at auction.

Per U.S. Postal Service regulations, packages sent by mail and not claimed within 30 days from the date of U.S. arrival will be returned to the sender unless the amount of duty is being protested.

What Does It Mean to Mortify the Sins of the Body?

“If ye by the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the flesh, ye shall live” (Rom. 8:13)

The Duty: Mortify Your Deeds

The duty itself, “Mortify the deeds of the body,” is next to be remarked upon. Three things are here to be inquired into:

(1) What is meant by the body? (2) What by the deeds of the body? (3) What by mortifying of them?

(1) “The body” in the close of the verse is the same with “the flesh” in the beginning: “If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye,” but if ye “mortifie the deeds of the body”—that is, of the flesh. It is that which the apostle has all along discoursed of under the name of “the flesh,” which is evident from the prosecution 1 of the antithesis between the Spirit and the flesh, before and after. “The body,” then, here is taken for that corruption and depravity of our natures whereof the body, in a great part, is the seat and instrument, the very members of the body being made servants unto unrighteousness thereby (Rom. 6:19). It is indwelling sin, the corrupted flesh or lust, that is intended. Many reasons might be given of this metonymical expression 2 that I shall not now insist on. The “body” here is the same with παλαιὸς ἄνθρωπος and σῶμα τῆς ἁμαρτίας, the “old man” and the “body of sin” (Rom. 6:6); or it may synecdochically 3 express the whole person considered as corrupted, and the seat of lusts and distempered affections.

Sin and Temptation

John owen , kelly m. kapic , justin taylor.

Volume 15 of The Complete Works of John Owen includes 4 edited and formatted treatises on the mortification of sin, the power of temptation, indwelling sin, and God’s grace. 

(2) The deeds of the body. The word is πράξεις, 4 which, indeed, denotes the outward actions chiefly, “the works of the flesh,” as they are called, τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκὸς (Gal. 5:19); which are there said to be “manifest” and are enumerated. Now, though the outward deeds are here only expressed, yet the inward and next causes are chiefly intended; the “axe is to be laid to the root of the tree” 5 —the deeds of the flesh are to be mortified in their causes, from whence they spring. The apostle calls them deeds, as that which every lust tends unto; though they do but conceive and prove abortive, they aim to bring forth a perfect sin.

Having treated indwelling lust and sin as the fountain and principle of all sinful actions, he here mentions its destruction under the name of the effects which it does produce. Πράξεις τοῦ σώματος 6 are, as much as φρώνημα τῆς σαρκός 7 (Rom. 8:6), the “wisdom of the flesh,” by a metonymy of the same nature with the former; or as the παθήματα 8 and ἐπιθυμίαι, 9 the “passions and lusts of the flesh” (Gal. 5:24), whence the deeds and fruits of it do arise; and in this sense is “the body” used: “The body is dead because of sin” (Rom. 8:10).

(3) To mortify. Εἰ θανατοῦτε—“if ye put to death”—[is] a metaphorical expression, taken from the putting of any living thing to death. To kill a man, or any other living thing, is to take away the principle of all his strength, vigor, and power, so that he cannot act or exert or put forth any proper actings of his own; so it is in this case. Indwelling sin is compared to a person, a living person, called “the old man,” with his faculties and properties, his wisdom, craft, subtlety, strength; this, says the apostle, must be killed, put to death, mortified—that is, have its power, life, vigor, and strength to produce its effects taken away by the Spirit. It is, indeed, meritoriously, and by way of example, utterly mortified and slain by the cross of Christ; and the “old man” is thence said to be “crucified with Christ” (Rom. 6:6), and ourselves to be “dead” with him (Rom. 6:8), and really initially in regeneration (Rom. 6:3–5), when a principle contrary to it and destructive of it (Gal. 5:17) is planted in our hearts; but the whole work is by degrees to be carried on toward perfection all our days. Of this more in the process of our discourse.

The intendment 10 of the apostle in this prescription of the duty mentioned is that: the mortification of indwelling sin remaining in our mortal bodies, that it may not have life and power to bring forth the works or deeds of the flesh, is the constant duty of believers.

The Promise: You Shall Live

The promise unto this duty is life: “ye shall live.” The life promised is opposed to the death threatened in the clause foregoing, “If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”; which the same apostle expresses, “Ye shall of the flesh reap corruption” (Gal. 6:8), or destruction from God. Now, perhaps the word may not only intend eternal life, but also the spiritual life in Christ, which here we have; not as to the essence and being of it, which is already enjoyed by believers, but as to the joy, comfort, and vigor of it: as the apostle says in another case, “now I live if ye stand fast” (1 Thess. 3:8)—“Now my life will do me good; I shall have joy and comfort with my life”—“You shall live, lead a good, vigorous, comfortable, spiritual life while you are here, and obtain eternal life hereafter.”

Supposing what was said before of the connection between mortification and eternal life, as of means and end, I shall add only, as a second motive to the duty prescribed, that:

The vigor, and power, and comfort of our spiritual life depends on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh.

• I.e., carrying out; execution.
• I.e., figure of speech in which one term is substituted for another term closely associated with it. For example, we might say “wheels” to refer to an automobile, “Crown” to refer to a monarchy, or “Washington” to refer to the U.S. government.
• I.e., a figure of speech (in which, among other uses, the part stands for the whole or the whole stands for the part). In this case, Owen is suggesting that “body” stands for the whole person.
• Matt. 3:10.
• Gk. “works of the body.”
• Gk. “mind of the flesh.” Novum Testamentum Graece reads, φρόνημα. Novum Testamentum Graece, ed. B. Aland et al., 28th rev. ed. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012); hereafter cited as NA28.
• NA28 reads, παθήμασιν.
• NA28 reads, ἐπιθυμίαις.
• I.e., intention.

This article is adapted from Sin and Temptation (Volume 15) by John Owen.

John Owen  (1616–1683) was vice-chancellor of Oxford University and served as advisor and chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. Among the most learned and active of the Puritans in seventeenth-century England, he was accomplished both in doctrine and practical theology.

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Alongside regular preaching and teaching, John Owen produced many works, including books on toleration, his monumental multi-volume writings on the Holy Spirit, and four large folio volumes on Hebrews.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Omnimovement Training Has a Cruel Twist

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Call of duty: black ops 6 player points out mistake in the skyline map, one weapon is dominating call of duty: black ops 6's beta, key takeaways.

• The Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 beta features an Omnimovement training course, and many players are baffled by the character leading the tutorial.
• Frank Woods teaches players about the new movement system, despite being wheelchair-bound after the events of Black Ops 2.
• The early access beta for Black Ops 6 is available on all platforms until September 4.

The Omnimovement training course in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has a cruel twist, as it's led by Frank Woods, who was left handicapped after the events of Black Ops 2 . Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 players pointed out this peculiar detail shortly after entering the early access beta, which began on August 30.

Black Ops 6 continues where Black Ops 2 's flashback campaign missions and the events of Black Ops Cold War left off. Alongside the campaign set in the early 90s, Black Ops 6 includes multiplayer and round-based Zombies modes, with all three components featuring the game's all-new Omnimovement system. The improved movement system lets players sprint, dive, and strafe with a higher degree of freedom and control, as shown by Treyarch leading up to the release of the Black Ops 6 early access beta . The beta gives players access to an assortment of gear and operators, eight multiplayer maps, a limited core playlist, and the Omnimovement training course.

As the Black Ops 6 beta continues, one player makes a rather unusual and unexpected discovery regarding a mistake on one of the game's new maps.

Reddit user Latro2020 jokingly pointed out that the Omnimovement training course in Black Ops 6 's multiplayer is led by Frank Woods, who relays information about movement to players as they aim to reach four distinct objectives. Latro2020 and other players in the Reddit community were quick to realize that Woods leading Omnimovement training is somewhat cruel and ironic, considering the character was left wheelchair-bound after his encounter with Raul Menendez in Black Ops 2 . Some players jokingly remarked that Woods may potentially get out of his wheelchair in Black Ops 6 to show that he too is suddenly capable of using Omnimovement, but that appears to be unlikely.

Frank Woods Leads the Omnimovement Training Course in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Beta

Although Woods can't contribute on the field as a soldier, he sports plenty of knowledge about Black Ops 6 's Omnimovement system and teaches players how to sprint and dive in countless different directions. Since players have more movement options than ever before in the upcoming Call of Duty title, completing the Omnimovement training course before diving into the Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist is recommended.

Players can try out Omnimovement for themselves in the Black Ops 6 early access beta, which is available until September 4 on all platforms. The second portion of the beta will be held from September 4 to September 9 for all players. By participating, players may earn exclusive rewards, including a weapon blueprint and loading screen, that will be available at the launch of Black Ops 6 on October 25. Call of Duty fans can also try out the game's multiplayer right now by redeeming a free Black Ops 6 beta code from Xfinity Rewards or pre-ordering before the beta period is over.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the next entry in Activision's FPS franchise, and includes all the modes fans know and love - from an extensive campaign to 2v2 and 6v6 multiplayer, plus the popular Zombies mode.

United flight attendants vote in favor of strike: What it could mean for travel plans

By julio "gaby" acevedo • published august 29, 2024 • updated on august 29, 2024 at 2:28 pm.

Flight attendants for United Airlines voted nearly unanimously in favor of authorizing a strike, as they hope to put some pressure on management during contract negotiations.

But what impacts could it have on service for anyone with travel plans, particularly for the busy Labor Day weekend?

At Newark Liberty International Airport, flight attendants were seen outside the airport carrying signs, prepared to walk off the job. The union voted resoundingly — 99.99% — in favor of the strike after working under a temporary contract for nearly the past three years.

24/7 New York news stream: Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are

"We are here fighting for an industry-leading contract, industry-leading pay that we were promised years ago," said flight attendant Melissa Chipchak. "Lot of folks don’t know that flight attendants do not get paid for all the time they are on-duty. They only get paid for the flight time when door closes."

The demands the union has made from United Airlines include:

• Double-digit base pay increase
• Increased pay for time at work including on the ground
• Retroactive pay
• Schedule flexibility
• Work rule improvements
• Job security
• Retirement plan

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Flight attendants said they are looking to send a strong message to company executives as Labor Day travel gets underway, in an effort to remind them of what is at stake. But will there be any impacts on travel over the holiday weekend, or in the near future?

Multiple people shot near West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn: Police

Radar issue triggers flight delays at Newark Liberty as Labor Day travelers return

The immediate answer is no.

In a statement to NBC New York, United Airlines said "to be clear, there is no work stoppage or labor disruption. Off-duty flight attendants are exercising their right to conduct an informational picket. Federal law bars a strike until after a lengthy process that includes a release from mediation, which can only be granted by the National Mediation Board."

However, in the longer term, any strike could have a big ripple effect — especially at Newark Airport, where United is the dominant carrier.

For now, the United Airlines flight attendants union could request a release from negotiations, but only after a 30-day grace period and a formal strike deadline.

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How Will the Nationwide Hotel Strike Affect My Labor Day Plans?

Though hotel chains say they’ll continue to operate normally, travelers could see disruptions as employees walked off the job in cities from Boston to Honolulu. Here’s what to know.

By Derek M. Norman

Over the busy Labor Day weekend, at least 10,000 unionized front-desk workers, housekeepers and other employees at 24 hotel properties across the country walked off the job on Sunday after failing to come to an agreement in contract negotiations.

The strikes — which as of Sunday afternoon were affecting some Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott hotels, and one Fairmont property, in Boston; San Francisco; Seattle; San Jose, Calif.; Honolulu; Kauai, Hawaii; San Diego; and Greenwich, Conn. — were scheduled to last two to three days in each city, just as many travelers’ holiday weekend plans were in full swing. More hotel workers in other cities could also soon announce strikes.

The strike comes as members of the UNITE HERE union at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Omni properties across the country have been engaged in contentious talks since at least May.

The affected hotels say they plan to stay open, perhaps with modified services, but they may not always notify travelers that a strike is happening. So inquire ahead of time, or you may be surprised to find a spirited picket line in front of your hotel when you arrive.

Here’s what else you need to know.

There’s a strike at the hotel where I have a reservation. What should I do?

First, call the hotel and ask to speak to a manager to confirm that a strike is taking place at that property. UNITE HERE has also created a website, FairHotel.org , that offers an updated map of which properties are experiencing labor disputes. Ask the manager which services are being affected by the strike, and ask about the hotel’s cancellation policy.

Then decide if you still want to stay at the hotel.

Besides weighing the effect on services, consider your feelings about the dispute itself, said Bjorn Hanson, an adjunct professor at the New York University Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. Some travelers like to support the business and keep their reservation at the property, Dr. Hanson said. Others prefer to support the striking workers by not crossing a picket line.

If you choose not to stay at the affected hotel, he said, you should first book new accommodations and then call your original hotel as soon as possible to cancel.

In the case of past strikes, Dr. Hanson said, “Individual hotels have some discretion, but the hotel company policy was: Whatever our cancellation policy is, is the policy we will maintain during the strike. So at the very least, that is what the regular, average traveler should keep in mind and plan around,” he said.

The cancellation policy at Hilton , Hyatt , Marriott and Omni hotels generally depends on your specific rate and dates of your stay, so you’ll need to look up your reservation on their app or website.

Will my hotel stay open during the strike?

In general, hotels say they are prepared to operate without disruption.

Representatives for Hyatt, Hilton and Omni all said that they had contingency plans to minimize any strikes’ impact on hotel operations. Marriott did not respond to request for comment.

While the chains would not reveal details of those plans, it is likely that they would use nonunion employees, Dr. Hanson said. They might also, for example, substitute a grab-and-go buffet for table service. And outside contractors may be hired to perform services that hotel staff would typically perform.

During the most recent major hotel strike, last summer in Los Angeles, thousands of hotel workers walked off the job just as travelers were gearing up for the Fourth of July. That first strike was resolved after three days . Sporadic walkouts at other properties throughout the summer affected housekeeping services for some guests and caused disruptions after event organizers canceled events .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

An earlier version of this article misstated the number of hotel properties that were on strike as of Sunday afternoon. It was 24, not more than 25.

How we handle corrections

Derek M. Norman is a senior news assistant for the International section of The Times. More about Derek M. Norman

Money blog: Oasis resale U-turn as official reseller lowers fee amid criticism

The Money blog is your place for consumer and personal finance news and tips. Today's posts include Twickets lowering fees for Oasis tickets, the extension of the Household Support Fund and O2 Priority axing free Greggs. Listen to a Daily podcast on the Oasis ticket troubles as you scroll.

Monday 2 September 2024 20:11, UK

• Oasis resale U-turn as Twickets lowers fee after criticism
• Millions to get cost of living payments this winter as scheme extended
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Twickets has announced it is lowering its charges after some Oasis fans had to pay more than £100 in extra fees to buy official resale tickets.

The site is where the band themselves is directing people to buy second-hand tickets for face value - having warned people against unofficial third party sellers like StubHub and Viagogo.

One person branded the extra fees "ridiculous" (see more in 10.10 post), after many people had already been left disappointed at the weekend when Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing pushed tickets up by three times the original advertised fee.

Twickets said earlier that it typically charged a fee of 10-15% of the face value of the tickets.

But it has since said it will lower the charge due to "exceptional demand" from Oasis fans - taking ownership of an issue in a way fans will hope others follow. 

Richard Davies, Twickets founder, told the Money blog: "Due to the exceptional demand for the Oasis tour in 2025, Twickets have taken the decision to lower our booking fee to 10% and a 1% transactional fee (to cover bank charges) for all buyers of their tickets on our platform. In addition we have introduced a fee cap of £25 per ticket for these shows. Sellers of tickets already sell free of any Twickets charge.

"This ensures that Twickets remains hugely competitive against the secondary market, including sites such as Viagogo, Gigsberg and StubHub.

"Not only do these platforms inflate ticket prices way beyond their original face value but they also charge excessive booking fees, usually in the region of 30-40%. Twickets by comparison charges an average fee of around 12.5%"

The fee cap, which the Money blog understands is being implemented today, will apply to anyone who has already bought resale tickets through the site.

Mr Davies said Twickets was a "fan first" resale site and a "safe and affordable place" for people to trade unwanted tickets.

"The face value of a ticket is the total amount it was first purchased for, including any booking fee. Twickets does not set the face value price, that is determined by the event and the original ticketing company. The price listed on our platform is set by the seller, however no one is permitted to sell above the face-value on Twickets, and every ticket is checked before listing that it complies with this policy," he said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people have complained to the regulator about how Oasis tickets were advertised ahead of going on sale. 

The Advertising Standards Authority said it had received 450 complaints about Ticketmaster adverts for the gigs.

Some  expressed their anger on social media , as tickets worth £148 were being sold for £355 on the site within hours of release, due to the "dynamic pricing" systems.

A spokesperson from ASA said the complainants argue that the adverts made "misleading claims about availability and pricing".

They added: "We're carefully assessing these complaints and, as such, can't comment any further at this time.

"To emphasise, we are not currently investigating these ads."

Ticketmaster said it does not set prices and its website says this is down to the "event organiser" who "has priced these tickets according to their market value".

Despite traditionally being an affordable staple of British cuisine, the average price for a portion of fish and chips has risen by more than 50% in the past five years to nearly £10, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Sonny and Shane "the codfather" Lee told Sky News of the challenges that owning J-Henry's Fish and Chip Shop brings and why prices have skyrocketed. 

"Potatoes, fish, utilities, cooking oil - so many things [are going up]," he said. 

Shane also said that he is used to one thing at a time increasing in price, but the outlook today sees multiple costs going up all at once.  

"Potatoes [were] priced right up to about £25 a bag - the previous year it was about £10 a bag," Sonny said, noting a bad harvest last year. 

He said the business had tried hake as a cheaper fish option, but that consumers continued to prefer the more traditional, but expensive, cod and haddock. 

"It's hard and we can we can absorb the cost to a certain extent, but some of it has to be passed on," Shane added. 

After a long Saturday for millions of Oasis fans in online queues, the culture secretary says surge pricing - which pushed the price of some tickets up by three times their original advertised value to nearly £400 - will be part of the government's review of the ticket market. 

On today's episode of the Daily podcast, host Niall Paterson speaks to secondary ticketing site Viagogo. While it wasn’t part of dynamic pricing, it has offered resale tickets for thousands of pounds since Saturday. 

Matt Drew from the company accepts the industry needs a full review, while Adam Webb, from the campaign group FanFair Alliance, explains the changes it would like to see.

We've covered the fallout of the Oasis sale extensively in the Money blog today - see the culture secretary's comments on the "utterly depressing" inflated pricing in our post at 6.37am, and Twickets, the official Oasis resale site, slammed by angry fans for its "ridiculous" added fees at 10.10am.

The growing backlash culminated in action from Twickets - the company said it would lower its charges after some fans had to pay more than £100 in extra fees for resale tickets (see post at 15.47).

Tap here to follow the Daily podcast - 20 minutes on the biggest stories every day

Last week we reported that employers will have to offer flexible working hours - including a four-day week - to all workers under new government plans.

To receive their full pay, employees would still have to work their full hours but compressed into a shorter working week - something some workplaces already do.

Currently, employees can request flexible hours as soon as they start at a company but employers are not legally obliged to agree.

The Labour government now wants to make it so employers have to offer flexible hours from day one, except where it is "not reasonably feasible".

You can read more of the details in this report by our politics team:

But what does the public think about this? We asked our followers on LinkedIn to give their thoughts in an unofficial poll.

It revealed that the overwhelming majority of people support the idea to compress the normal week's hours into fewer days - some 83% of followers said they'd choose this option over a standard five-day week.

But despite the poll showing a clear preference for a compressed week, our followers appeared divided in the comments.

"There's going to be a huge brain-drain as people move away from companies who refuse to adapt with the times and implement a 4 working week. This will be a HUGE carrot for many orgs," said Paul Burrows, principal software solutions manager at Reality Capture.

Louise McCudden, head of external affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices, said she wasn't surprised at the amount of people choosing longer hours over fewer days as "a lot of people" are working extra hours on a regular basis anyway.

But illustrator and administrative professional Leslie McGregor noted the plan wouldn't be possible in "quite a few industries and quite a few roles, especially jobs that are customer centric and require 'round the clock service' and are heavily reliant upon people in trades, maintenance, supply and transport". 

"Very wishful thinking," she said.

Paul Williamson had a similar view. He said: "I'd love to know how any customer first service business is going to manage this."

We reported earlier that anyone with O2 Priority will have their free weekly Greggs treats replaced by £1 monthly Greggs treats - see 6.21am post.

But did you know there are loads of other ways to get food from the nation's most popular takeaway for free or at a discount?

Downloading the Greggs app is a good place to start - as the bakery lists freebies, discounts and special offers there regularly. 

New users also get rewards just for signing up, so it's worth checking out. 

And there's a digital loyalty card which you can add virtual "stamps" to with each purchase to unlock discounts or other freebies.  

Vodafone rewards

Seriously begrudged Virgin Media O2 customers may want to consider switching providers. 

The Vodafone Rewards app, VeryMe, sometimes gives away free Greggs coffees, sausage rolls, sweet treats and more to customers.

Monzo bank account holders can grab a sausage roll (regular or vegan), regular sized hot drink, doughnut or muffin every week. 

Birthday cake

Again, you'll need the Greggs award app for this one - which will allow you to claim one free cupcake, cream cake or doughnut for your birthday each year.

Octopus customers

Octopus Energy customers with smart meters can claim one free drink each week, in-store from Greggs (or Caffè Nero).

The Greggs freebie must be a regular size hot drink.

Make new friends

If you're outgoing (and hungry), it may be worth befriending a Greggs staff member.

The staff discount at Greggs is 50% on own-produced goods and 25% off branded products. 

If you aren't already aware, Iceland offers four Greggs sausage rolls in a multi-pack for £3. 

That means, if you're happy to bake it yourself, you'll only be paying 74p per sausage roll. 

Millions of Britons could receive extra cash to help with the cost of living this winter after the government extended the Household Support Fund.

A £421m pot will be given to local councils in England to distribute, while £79m will go to the devolved administrations.

The fund will now be available until April 2025 having been due to run out this autumn.

Councils decide how to dish out their share of the fund but it's often via cash grants or vouchers.

Many councils also use the cash to work with local charities and community groups to provide residents with key appliances, school uniforms, cookery classes and items to improve energy efficiency in the home.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "The £22bn blackhole inherited from the previous governments means we have to take tough decisions to fix the foundations of our economy.

"But extending the Household Support Fund is the right thing to do - provide targeted support for those who need it most as we head into the winter months."

The government has been criticised for withdrawing universal winter fuel payments for pensioners of up to £300 this winter - with people now needing to be in receipt of certain means-tested benefits to qualify.

People should contact their local council for details on how to apply for the Household Support Fund - they can find their council  here .

Lloyds Bank app appears to have gone down for many, with users unable to see their transactions. 

Down Detector, which monitors site outages, has seen more than 600 reports this morning.

It appears to be affecting online banking as well as the app.

There have been some suggestions the apparent issue could be due to an update.

Another disgruntled user said: "Absolutely disgusting!! I have an important payment to make and my banking is down. There was no warning given prior to this? Is it a regular maintenance? Impossible to get hold of someone to find out."

A Lloyds Bank spokesperson told Sky News: "We know some of our customers are having issues viewing their recent transactions and our app may be running slower than usual.

"We're sorry about this and we're working to have everything back to normal soon."

We had anger of unofficial resale prices, then Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing - and now fees on the official resale website are causing consternation among Oasis fans.

The band has encouraged anyone wanting resale tickets to buy them at face value from Ticketmaster or Twickets - after some appeared for £6,000 or more on other sites.

"Tickets appearing on other secondary ticketing sites are either counterfeit or will be cancelled by the promoters," Oasis said.

With that in mind, fans flocked to buy resale tickets from the sites mentioned above - only to find further fees are being added on. 

Mainly Oasis, a fan page, shared one image showing a Twickets fee for two tickets as high as £138.74. 

"Selling the in demand tickets completely goes against the whole point of their company too… never mind adding a ridiculous fee on top of that," the page shared. 

Fan Brad Mains shared a photo showing two tickets priced at £337.50 each (face value of around £150, but increased due to dynamic pricing on Saturday) - supplemented by a £101.24 Twickets fee. 

That left him with a grand total of £776.24 to pay for two tickets.

"Actually ridiculous this," he  said on X .

"Ticketmaster inflated price then sold for 'face value' on Twickets with a £100 fee. 2 x £150 face value tickets for £776, [this] should be illegal," he added. 

Twickets typically charges between 10-15% of the ticket value as its own fee. 

We have approached the company for comment.

Separately, the government is now looking at the practice of dynamic pricing - and we've had a response to that from the Competition and Markets Authority this morning.

It said: "We want fans to get a fair deal when they go to buy tickets on the secondary market and have already taken action against major resale websites to ensure consumer law is being followed properly. 

"But we think more protections are needed for consumers here, so it is positive that the government wants to address this. We now look forward to working with them to get the best outcomes for fans and fair-playing businesses."

Consumer protection law does not ban dynamic pricing and it is a widely used practice. However, the law also states that businesses should not mislead consumers about the price they must pay for a product, either by providing false or deceptive information or by leaving out important information or providing it too late.

By James Sillars , business reporter

It's a false start to the end of the summer holidays in the City.

While London is mostly back at work, trading is fairly subdued due to the US Labor (that's labour, as in work) Day holiday.

US markets will not open again until Tuesday.

There's little direction across Europe with the FTSE 100 trading nine points down at 8,365.

Leading the gainers was Rightmove - up 24%. The property search website is the subject of a possible cash and shares takeover offer by Australian rival REA.

The company is a division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

One other point to note is the continuing fluctuation in oil prices.

Brent crude is 0.7% down at the start of the week at $76.

Dragging the cost lower is further evidence of weaker demand in China.

Australia's REA Group is considering a takeover of Rightmove, in a deal which could be worth about £4.36bn.

REA Group said in a statement this morning there are "clear similarities" between the companies, which have "highly aligned cultural values".

Rightmove is the UK's largest online property portal, while REA is Australia's largest property website. 

It employs more than 2,800 people and is majority-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp,.

REA Group said: "REA sees a transformational opportunity to apply its globally leading capabilities and expertise to enhance customer and consumer value across the combined portfolio, and to create a global and diversified digital property company, with number one positions in Australia and the UK.

"There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which any offer may be made."

Rightmove has been approached for comment.

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