The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, strictly governs air travel reimbursements under the Central Civil Services (Leave Travel Concession) Rules, 1988. Central Government employees and their eligible family members undertaking Home Town LTC or All India LTC (Anywhere in India) by air must strictly adhere to statutory flight booking rules, authorized travel agent channels, slot-based airfare benchmark ceilings, and Special Dispensation guidelines to avoid complete claim disallowance.
1. Mandatory Booking Through 3 Authorized Travel Agents (ATAs)
Under DoPT Office Memorandum No. 31011/12/2022-Estt.A-IV dated 16th June 2022 and Ministry of Finance guidelines, all air tickets for official travel and LTC must be procured exclusively through the following three authorized agencies:
- M/s Balmer Lawrie & Company Limited (BLCL)
- M/s Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT)
- Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC)
Mandatory Rule Warning – Private Web Portals Strictly Prohibited:
Booking air tickets through private Online Travel Portals (such as MakeMyTrip, Yatra, EaseMyTrip, Goibibo, or Cleartrip) or through unauthorized local private travel agencies will result in 100% disallowance and rejection of the entire LTC airfare claim. Claims booked through unauthorized channels can only be relaxed with the personal concurrence of the Financial Adviser or Secretary of the administrative Ministry under exceptional emergency circumstances.
2. Timing of Booking and 3-Hour Time Band Rule
To eliminate speculative travel cost inflation, DoPT guidelines mandate that employees must book their flights at least 21 days in advance of the travel date to secure the most economical competitive fares. When searching for flights through Balmer Lawrie, ATT, or IRCTC:
- Employees must choose the flight offering the cheapest available fare in the 3-hour time slot (from 1.5 hours before to 1.5 hours after the desired departure time).
- A screenshot or search printout showing all available flights and fares within that 3-hour band at the time of booking must be printed and retained. This search printout is a mandatory attachment to the final LTC reimbursement bill submitted to the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO).
3. Entitlement by Pay Level & Special Dispensation Scheme
Under standard LTC regulations, air travel entitlement is determined strictly by the employee's 7th CPC Pay Matrix Level:
| 7th CPC Pay Level | Standard All India LTC Entitlement | Special Dispensation Scheme Entitlement |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 to Level 5 | Train Only (First Class / 2nd AC / 3rd AC) | Permitted by Economy Air from Designated Gateways |
| Level 6 to Level 8 | Economy Class Air by any airline | Economy Class Air (Direct from Headquarters) |
| Level 9 to Level 13A | Economy Class Air by any airline | Economy Class Air (Direct from Headquarters) |
| Level 14 and Above | Business / Club Class Air | Business / Club Class Air |
Under the Special Dispensation Scheme (regularly extended by DoPT for two-year blocks), non-entitled employees (Levels 1 to 5) are allowed to travel by air to the following specific regions from identified hub gateways:
- North Eastern Region (NER): Travel by rail up to Kolkata or Guwahati; economy air travel from Kolkata/Guwahati to any airport in the North East.
- Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh: Travel by rail up to Delhi or Amritsar; economy air travel from Delhi/Amritsar to Srinagar, Jammu, or Leh.
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands: Travel by rail up to Kolkata, Chennai, or Visakhapatnam; economy air travel from those gateway cities to Port Blair.
4. Reimbursable vs. Non-Reimbursable Air Travel Charges
To avoid audit recovery, drawing officers must bifurcate airfare invoice components into permissible and inadmissible categories:
- 100% Admissible for Reimbursement: Base airfare (up to the notified economy benchmark or cheapest 3-hour fare), Passenger Service Fee (PSF), User Development Fee (UDF), and statutory Goods and Services Tax (GST).
- Strictly Disallowed & Recoverable: Agent convenience charges, credit card payment processing fees, voluntary travel insurance premiums, seat selection charges (preferential window/aisle fees), excess baggage charges beyond the standard free 15 kg baggage limit, and in-flight pre-ordered meals or beverages.
5. Worked Claim Calculation Example
An officer in Pay Level 7 books an economy flight from Delhi to Kochi for self and spouse through IRCTC on LTC:
- Total Invoice Amount Paid: ₹18,200
- Breakup: Base Airfare: ₹14,000 | Taxes (UDF/PSF/GST): ₹2,600 | Convenience Fee: ₹400 | Preferred Seat Allocation: ₹1,200
- Route Benchmark Fare Cap: ₹15,000
- Admissible Base Fare: ₹14,000 (Within benchmark cap)
- Admissible Taxes: ₹2,600 (Reimbursed in full)
- Disallowed Add-ons: -₹1,600 (₹400 convenience fee + ₹1,200 seat selection)
- Net Reimbursable LTC Amount Passed by DDO: ₹16,600
6. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Can I claim LTC if I fly on private airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet, or Akasa Air?
A: Yes. Following the privatization of Air India, central government employees are permitted to fly by any private scheduled commercial airline, provided the ticket is booked through one of the 3 ATAs (Balmer Lawrie, ATT, or IRCTC) and satisfies the 3-hour slot economy rule.
Q2: What is the time limit for submitting the LTC airfare reimbursement claim?
A: If an LTC advance was drawn, the final claim must be submitted within 30 days of completing the return journey. If no advance was drawn, the claim must be submitted within 60 days; otherwise, the claim forfeits unless an official condonation of delay is sanctioned by the Head of Department.