Report for House Committee February 26, 1998 Meeting

Insert Report title (same title as on page 1)

Recommendation:
That the attached report be received for information.

Report Summary

This report provides a response to a request for information regarding usage of air miles points by other levels of government and municipalities.

Report

The Office of the City Clerk has conducted a survey of other government levels and other municipalities to determine what their policies and/or procedures are with regards to frequent flyer air miles bonus points for elected officials and employees.

Background Information Attached

Air Miles Survey – February 1998

(Page 1 of 2)

Attachment 1

AIR MILES SURVEY – FEBRUARY 1998

OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK – CITY OF EDMONTON

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
(LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY) / PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT / FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT / CITY
OF
VANCOUVER / CITY
OF
WINNIPEG / CITY
OF
CALGARY / CITY
OF
GRANDE PRAIRIE / CITY
OF
REGINA / CITY
OF
SASKATOON
DO YOU HAVE A POLICY REGARDING AIR MILES USE? / Yes.
Points must be used for business travel only. / Yes
Points must be used for business travel only. / Yes.
Employees not allowed to collect
frequent flyer points. / Yes.
Points must be used for business
travel only (elected officials & staff). / Yes.
Points must be
used for business
travel only. / Not for Aldermen.
Have a corporate policy. / No. Mayor collects points from business travel which he uses for personal trips. / Yes.
Employees not to collect Air Miles. / No policy for Aldermen, rarely travel by air. Don’t think there’s an employee policy .
DO YOU COLLECT AIR MILES WITH A CORPORATE TRAVEL AGENT? / No.
Each person makes their own arrangements. / Yes.
Aeroplan (Air Canada), Canadian Plus (Canadian Airlines) / N/A / Yes.
This goes to tender every few years. / No. / Yes. Air Miles for flights booked through travel agent are retained by agent & applied to corp. discount. / No. / No.
HOW IS THIS ADMINISTERED? / Honor system / Staff forward copy of airline points statement to employer. / N/A / Thinks points accrued back to city. / Honor system / Agent books flights, except any taken at short notice and paid for by employee who is then reimbursed. / N/A / Most flights booked with corporate credit card.
WHAT WORKS,
WHAT DOESN’T? / Assumes system works. / N/A / They don’t know-
never been measured. / City receives discounted rates. When staff buy tickets-city doesn’t get credit for points. Employees not audited at this time as most flights booked by agent. / N/A
ARE POINTS TRANSFERABLE
WITHIN CORP.? / No. Airlines won’t allow. / No. Airlines won’t allow. When staff terminate-take points with them. / N/A / Thinks points accrue back to city for use of all employees. / No. Airlines won’t allow / N/A
WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE? / Problems can occur obtaining desired flights. / Generally good.
Problems can occur obtaining desired flights. / N/A / don’t know / N/A
DO YOU DONATE POINTS TO CHARITY? / No. / No. / N/A / No. / No. / N/A

NOTE: AIRLINES WILL NOT SUPPLY A CORPORATE SUMMARY NOR A COPY OF AN INDIVIDUALS STATEMENT OF FREQUENT FLYER POINTS

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