You may be permitted to combine personal leave with TDY, provided the arrangement adds no cost to the government and follows the applicable travel rules. Obtain leave approval through your unit and resolve the itinerary with the approving official and travel office before changing reservations. Approval to take leave does not automatically approve every transportation cost. JTR 033301-A/B
This guide covers a service member planning personal time around an ordinary TDY. Emergency recall, separately authorized leave travel and other special cases need their own review.
Draw the official trip first
Write down the itinerary the mission would require without personal travel: duty locations, reporting dates and authorized travel. Then describe the personal change separately, such as an earlier departure, a later return or a different destination.
That comparison gives the travel office the information needed to evaluate the request. The JTR limits reimbursement for actual transportation and en route per diem to the government's constructed cost between official duty locations, using the specified policy-constructed airfare approach when applicable. It also requires an authorization identifying personal or leave locations to state that excess costs are the traveler's responsibility. JTR 033301-B
Do not substitute the cheapest fare found on a public website for the official cost comparison. Ask which comparison and records your travel office requires.
Keep the booking responsibilities clear
Under paragraph 033301-A, official transportation is arranged through the contracted TMC, while personal travel is arranged at personal expense. City Pair Program fares and other contracted travel rates are limited to official business, not personal travel. JTR 033301-A and 020206-M
Contact the TMC before changing an official ticket yourself. Explain which part is official and which part you want to change for personal reasons. Ask about the approved booking sequence, payment responsibility, cancellation terms and what happens if the duty schedule changes.
Avoid a blanket assumption that “the fare is cheaper, so the whole plan is approved.” Cost is one condition; proper authorization and booking procedures still matter.
Leave days are not extra per diem days
For a service member, per diem is not authorized for days classified as leave or administrative absence, or days outside travel status. The travel document must accurately distinguish the personal period from the official portion. JTR 033301-C1
As a planning example, suppose official duty ends Friday and you request personal time through Sunday. Do not simply extend the official lodging and meal estimate through Sunday. Have the travel office determine the authorized return-travel treatment and the personal period based on the approved itinerary and leave status.
Long-term leased lodging can require allocating the periodic cost over eligible days under a separate rule. Do not apply a nightly-hotel shortcut to that situation. JTR 033302
Prepare a request that can be evaluated
| Item | What to provide privately |
|---|---|
| Official requirement | Duty location, report time, completion date and ordinary travel plan |
| Proposed personal change | Different dates or locations and the approved or requested leave status |
| Cost comparison | The official comparison and supporting records your unit requires |
| Reservations | Existing ticket and lodging status, without posting account data publicly |
| Cost responsibility | Personal charges, excess costs and any change or cancellation exposure |
A concise request could say:
I would like to add personal leave after this TDY. Here is the official itinerary and the proposed personal change. Please confirm the authorized travel dates, required cost comparison, booking process and which expenses remain my responsibility before I change the reservation.
Review the authorization and voucher against actual dates
Before departure, check that the approved document reflects the intended official and personal portions. If the plan changes, contact your travel office about the necessary update. Keep the approval and supporting comparison with your trip records.
After return, review the voucher's dates and expenses instead of accepting the authorization's estimates unchanged. The DTS voucher guide explains that those estimates carry forward; the voucher should reflect the actual trip. DTS Guide 3, Chapter 1
Separate personal hotel nights, transportation and other personal costs so they do not accidentally enter the official claim. Ask about an uncertain mixed charge before submitting it.
Coordinate class logistics without confusing permissions
TDY Spy is being built to connect members attending the same class before arrival. Discussing course start and finish logistics can help you prepare a realistic request. Classmates cannot grant leave or approve your itinerary, and another member's approved arrangement may involve different facts.