DTS mileage to the airport: driving, drop-offs, and parking

Match the mileage claim to the journey

JTR 020213 and Table 2-13 cover ground transportation to and from terminals. They also direct travelers to use government or courtesy transportation when available. Your route, mode, and circumstances determine what can be claimed.

A trip between a TDY-area airport and your hotel is not automatically the same as a home-to-airport trip. Confirm the correct category and authorization for that local transportation. Rental car fuel and taxi fares are different expense types from POV mileage.

If you drove yourself and parked at the airport

Record the actual outbound and return dates and the mileage for each leg. Under Table 2-13, a traveler using a POV between home or place of duty and a terminal may receive one-way mileage for each way.

If someone dropped you off or picked you up

Table 2-13 allows round-trip mileage for an eligible POV drop-off or pickup between home or the place of duty and a terminal. If someone other than a family member drives, the traveler must certify that the traveler incurred operating expenses.

Do not automatically select round trip just because the TDY has an outbound and return flight. For mixed transportation, describe the actual combination: perhaps a family drop-off outbound and a taxi home. Never claim the same leg as both POV mileage and a taxi expense.

Airport parking has a separate reimbursement limit

Table 2-13 generally limits reimbursable terminal parking to the cost of two one-way taxi or transportation network company (TNC) fares. The AO may waive this limit for Service members when the TDY lasts longer than initially planned. A long trip does not automatically remove the limit.

Keep the parking receipt and any comparison or exception documentation your AO requires. A single parking payment of $75 or more requires a receipt, even if the daily parking rate was below $75.

Enter mileage without duplicating the cost

1. Record the origin, destination, dates, and eligible distance for each trip.
2. Choose the expense type that matches the journey.
3. Use DTS's applicable TDY mileage rate for the date; do not substitute a PCS or general tax mileage rate.
4. Explain drop-off or pickup round trips clearly, including any required operating-expense certification.
5. Enter eligible tolls and parking separately with their supporting records.
6. Check that the outbound and return legs are both accounted for and neither is duplicated.

POV mileage covers the vehicle's operating costs; buying gas for your own car does not create an additional rental-car-fuel claim. Different rules can apply to local travel, commuting, or choosing POV travel instead of an authorized mode. Use the DTMO mileage guidance and ask your AO about those cases.