Education Department picks eTravel provider

The Education Department's selection Monday of a provider for its Internet-based travel booking engine and expense management system leaves the Social Security Administration as the only government agency lacking an eTravel provider.

The eTravel Service award to the San Antonio, Texas-based government travel and expense management company CW Government Travel Inc. is worth an estimated $8.2 million through November 2006 with options for the department to extend the agreement through November 2013.

Education reportedly missed the Dec. 31, 2004, deadline for selecting an eTravel contractor because of ongoing upgrades to its financial systems.

Earlier this year, the General Services Administration required the three agencies that failed to meet the 2004 deadline to formally request an extension by March 30, 2005, and to include an explanation of why they missed the deadline. While NASA awarded an eight-and-a-half year, $20 million eTravel Service contract to Electronic Data Systems Corp. in April, the Social Security Administration has yet to fulfill the GSA mandate and did not respond to inquiries regarding the matter.

Education employees traveling on government business will use CWGT's E2 Solutions system for planning, authorizing, approving and reserving flights, checking vouchers and reporting flight details. The department's travel services are currently provided by CWGT's Travel Management Center service, using traditional booking methods.

"We are eager to get started and will work hard to ensure success," said Scott Guerrero, CWGT's chief operating officer and executive vice president. "CWGT anticipates a seamless transition to the [eTravel Service] environment for the Department of Education."

All federal agencies, except the Defense Department, were required to migrate to online travel systems provided by private contractors all approved by GSA with the goal of streamlining and automating the travel booking process. In addition to CWGT, the Plano, Texas-based company EDS and Northrop Grumman Mission Systems received the GSA stamp of approval as eTravel Service vendors. The Pentagon was excluded from the eTravel requirement because it was already developing its own online travel system, the Defense Travel System.

GSA has urged agencies to complete the migration to eTravel by June 30, 2006, in order to meet the mandated deadline of Sept. 30, 2006.

The Education Department contract adds to CWGT's assortment of agency eTravel awards, including the departments of Interior, Labor and State; GSA headquarters; the Office of Personnel Management; the Small Business Administration; the Agency for International Development and the National Business Center. CWGT has also picked up a number of smaller government entities, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

In July, the House voted to block GSA from spending money on eTravel amid concerns that small business travel agencies were being shut out of the government travel business.

But the Senate failed to follow suit, instead requiring 23 percent small business participation in the fiscal 2006 Transportation-Treasury appropriations bill (H.R. 3058), which has yet to receive full Senate approval.