I called a travel agency today to check on a U.S. Flag Carrier route =
after a P.I. told me that the U.S. Carrier was completely booked so he =
would have to use a non-U.S. Flag Carrier. I found it hard to believe =
that there was no other American airline serving the route and earlier =
in the day he had told me that his family was making the same trip via =
Luftansa so he didn't see the point of flying in another plane beside =
them, etc.

The travel agent told me that Delta & Luftansa had an agreement and she =
could just book the tickets as Delta and that it is done all the time. I =
reiterated that this was under Federal funds with the U.S. Flag Carrier =
restrictions. I was told that, in some cases, even when there wasn't an =
agreement, they just ticketed under the originating U.S. carrier. I =
called a second travel agent and they are doing the same thing.

Is this allowable?

Val Seaquist
The University of Alabama in Huntsville
Office of Research Administration