The White House Travel Office (WHTO) provides members of the White House Press Corps with a range of travel services when they accompany the President, Vice President, and First Lady, or when requested by the White House Press Secretary. Such services include: air and ground transportation, hotel accommodations, and a Press Filing Center (PFC).

WHTO staff accompanies the press corps on domestic and international trips to serve as a liaison between third party contractors, White House staff, host country/summit representatives, and other governmental entities. WHTO staff expedites and ensures press corps access to open press events. The level of travel services varies with each trip site and is determined by scheduled events. Specific service requirements are obtained from the travel sign-up via www.PressCorpsTravel.com.

The WHTO maintains a thorough and accurate account of all expenses incurred in support of the press corps through Air Partner LLC.

Cost allocations will be done in accordance with the policies outlined in this document using the confirmed billing manifest provided by the WHTO. Upon completion of a trip, all participating news organizations will receive a customer receipt from Air Partner. In most cases, domestic trips will be processed and billed by Air Partner within 60 days of travel. International trips will be billed upon Air Partner’s receipt of expenses incurred by the U.S. Department of State and AT&T. For any billing inquiries, please contact the WHTO main line at 202-456-1461.

After billing closes, Air Partner will provide the WHCA and WHTO with a detailed financial report summarizing trip costs, the number of travelers and costs per traveler. Air Partner will also provide WHCA/WHTO with an annual summary. The Directors of the White House Travel Office and White House Press Advance may conduct quarterly meetings with the White House Correspondents’ Association Board (WHCA) and USTV pool network representatives. All issues relevant to press corps support will be discussed.

The policies and procedures contained in this document were approved by the WHTO, WHCA and USTV pool network representatives in 2024.

Agreement

Anyone traveling on a WHTO press charter or availing themselves of other WHTO services agrees to be subject to the following rules and procedures. Exceptions to the policies and procedures described below are made at the discretion of the WHTO Director, in consultation with the President of the WHCA. Please contact the White House Travel Office with any questions or concerns.

WH Travel Office contact information: 202-456-1461, whpress@who.eop.gov

Press cooperation is a critical component of the overall success of White House Press Corps travel. The quality of support and billing accuracy depends upon accurate and timely information.

PressCorpsTravel.com

PressCorpsTravel.com is a web application designed for White House Press Corps travel registration. The website is available to members of the media who are interested in registering for White House Press Corps travel.

Requests for PressCorpsTravel.com accounts are verified by the White House Travel Office. Personal information is securely protected and only accessible to the WHTO and each individual organization. An online account request via PressCorpsTravel.com must be approved by the WHTO before first-time travelers can register for upcoming travel and related media credentials. Once approved, users must maintain an up-to-date account profile including a JPEG photo and all requested data.

PressCorpsTravel.com is a service provided by Air Partner LLC for the White House Press Corps. Air Partner provides corporate travel management and accounting solutions and is an aircraft charter broker that provides access to charter domestic and international aircraft services year-round. The website privacy policy can be obtained on the homepage of www.PressCorpsTravel.com under “privacy policy”.

Pre-Trip Preparation

For domestic Presidential trips of at least one overnight outside of the Washington metro area, the WHTO arranges, at minimum, hotel rooms to accommodate the entire travel pool, including sufficient rooms to handle any personnel swaps.

The WHTO will take care to plan for and make such arrangements as far in advance as possible to ensure satisfactory proximity to the President, combined with acceptable facilities for pool holds, in consultation with the WHCA. When appropriate, room blocs should be arranged for other members of the press corps. For extended trips, a Press Filing Center should be arranged.

For all overseas Presidential trips, the WHTO begins planning the travel process as early as possible, well before the White House officially announces the Presidential trip. All efforts should be expended to arrange ample hotel space for the press corps.

On foreign travel, preadvance or advance trip should include a visit by WHTO to the airport that is assigned to the press charter to meet with security officials and ensure aircraft parking slot and access to tarmac for buses and luggage trucks. That meeting should include AF1 and USSS airport advance team if the airport is the same for press charter and AF1. The preadvance team should also or simultaneously meet with Embassy Military Air Attaché on press charter logistics and Embassy Transportation Captain on airport motorcade/luggage truck logistics.

Press Charter / Voting Process

The WHTO will arrange a bidding process so that the WHCA Board and USTV pool networks may jointly determine whether there is sufficient interest in a particular trip to warrant a chartered aircraft. To determine that interest, the WHTO will contact Air Partner to solicit competitive bids for aircrafts. Bids will be evaluated by the WHCA and USTV pool networks on the basis of cost, quality of associated services, safety, and expediency. Once the WHTO receives the bids, the Travel Manager forwards them to the President of the WHCA and the USTV pool network producer assigned for the trip to begin the voting process.

Each of the five USTV pool networks (ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC) shall be entitled to one vote. The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) shall be entitled to two votes, for a total of seven votes. If any single charter option receives four votes or more, that option is selected for the Press Charter. If no option receives at least four votes, the WHTO will not book a press charter.

Trip Sign-Up

WHTO support will only be provided to those news organizations that have signed up online through the WHTO via PressCorpsTravel.com.

Domestic Travel & International Travel

Following a public announcement of a trip by the White House Press Office, a “White House Travel Office Sign-Up” advisory will be sent via email to an established representative press list. All travelers must sign up for trips via PressCorpsTravel.com. No email or phone submissions will be honored for domestic or international trips.

When an individual registers for a trip they are receiving and agreeing to the following things:

• Access to the White House press filing center, and any in-person briefings there.
• Consideration for a credential issued by an outside accrediting body (i.e., the organizers of an international summit). Accreditation to summits and events cannot be guaranteed, but the WHTO will strive to accommodate as many members of the press corps as possible.
• By signing up for a trip, each individual agrees to pay a pro-rata portion of all ground costs which may include telecommunications, catering, transportation, electric power, and workspace at the given site. Unilateral (non-charter) travelers not air services will only be billed for ground expenses. Individuals will be responsible for their pro-rata share of services even if they are not accommodated with access to an external event site.
• Signing up for a trip does not permit access for non-network TV members of the press corps to the network TV workspace.

The act of signing up for a trip, regardless of whether the registrant is the actual individual traveling, constitutes a commitment on behalf of the represented media outlet to comply with the policies and procedures contained in this document.

When registering for travel on PressCorpsTravel.com, members of the press corps must ensure that their personal profiles are accurate and complete. In addition, travelers are responsible for selecting the services they require while traveling.

Sign-Up Deadline

The sign-up deadline date and time will be clearly posted on each trip sign-up. After the deadline, all requests are considered confirmed and constitute a binding agreement to pay for the services ordered (see No Shows // Cancellations and Trip Cancellations).

No Shows // Cancellations (Overall Trip)

Written cancellations will be accepted before the sign-up deadline without incurring cost to the traveler. Where possible, and when it will not impose significant costs on the other travelers, WHTO will accommodate cancellations after the sign-up deadline. Written cancellation requests after the sign-up deadline can only be approved by the WHTO Director, in consultation with the President of the WHCA. News organizations are liable for all air, phone, ground, and hotel expenses as requested on the trip sign-up. Expenses will be billed on a pro-rata basis. Press failing to show up will be charged as a late cancellation for the full cost.

Trip Cancellations

Air Partner and the WHTO will work to avoid incurring non-refundable costs (except for site-surveys) before a trip sign-up has gone out, unless it is absolutely necessary to ensure the press corps has adequate access for a trip. [Ex. Committing to a certain number of hotel rooms at an international summit site.]

Such non-refundable costs will not be incurred before the trip sign-up without the approval of the WHCA President, in consultation with the board and TV pool producer.

A priority should be placed on hotels within a reasonable distance of the president’s location, as well as on workspace with flexible cancellation policies to accommodate possible changes in presidential schedule.

Once a contract for non-refundable costs (such as a block of hotel rooms) is signed, the WHTO will release a trip sign-up as quickly as possible, ideally no later than 5 business days from when the contract is signed.

In the rare circumstance that a trip is canceled before a trip sign-up, all efforts will be made by WHTO to release the press corps from any liability. Any non-refundable costs, provided the WHCA had consented to those agreements, will be divided among travelers on the next two subsequent trips of similar nature (e.g., domestic or foreign).

In the event the White House cancels a trip after the sign-up deadline, non-refundable costs incurred on behalf of the press corps will be paid by individuals who had registered for that trip. The WHTO will make every effort to reduce cancellation costs.

Backups, Substitutions & Additions

News organizations may register backup travelers online at PressCorpsTravel.com. The Backup List is used to make a potential promotion to the Traveler List more efficient, in the event of a last minute emergency or personnel change. Anyone registered as a backup, if promoted, would be eligible to use their organization’s dedicated workspace, participate in briefings, and will be among the group considered for credentials to external events. Backups do not incur any costs, other than non-refundable visa costs incurred, if applicable, unless they are promoted to active status.

Substitutions or additions in the number of personnel traveling for news organizations that have signed up prior to the deadline may be accepted at any point during a trip. This acceptance is based on the charter seating availability, hotel availability, and other considerations (i.e., credentials or visa and passport requirements).

Emergency Cancellations

Cancellations due to personal emergencies such as death in the family, serious illness, hospitalization, etc. may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Travelers who become ill – including testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before or during travel - will still be responsible for any non-refundable travel expenses. If a cancellation is accepted but non-refundable charges have been incurred (i.e. dedicated phone line) the news outlet is still responsible for these charges.

To receive consideration in case of emergency, the applicable news organization must notify the WHTO in writing as soon as possible, but no later than the end of the trip.

Outlets are encouraged to register a backup traveler in case of illness or emergency.

Charter Aircraft

Air Partner provides the WHTO with competitively priced charter service for the White House Press Corps. Passenger safety and reliability will never be compromised.

Passenger Safety

Passenger safety is the highest priority. In accordance with Federal Aviation Regulations, all passengers must be seated with seat belts fastened for all takeoffs and landings and when instructed by the pilot and/or flight crew.

In-Flight Service

The WHTO will ensure the same level of service is provided to all passengers regardless of their seat assignment. Charter companies selected to transport the White House Press Corps are committed to providing first class in-flight services for all passengers.

No Shows // Cancellations (Aircraft)

Written cancellations will be accepted before the sign-up deadline without incurring cost to the traveler. Cancellations after the deadline are subject to approval by the WHTO Director, in coordination with the President of the WHCA. No Shows will be charged for all registered legs of travel.

Check-In and Departure

All passengers must comply with scheduled baggage and equipment check-in times in order to ensure on-time departure. All baggage must be stowed.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted on the White House press charter aircraft. For safety reasons, smoking and vaping are prohibited on or around the aircraft during ground servicing operations.

Seating Assignments (Domestic & International)

The WHTO, in coordination with the President of the WHCA and the USTV pool producer for each trip, will assign seats by news organization. News organizations are responsible for individual seat assignments within their allocation.

Priority for business-class or forward seat assignments will go to news organizations that routinely travel on White House press charters and are current in payments.

The following organizations will always be assigned one business-class or forward seat: ABC, AFP, AP, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC, Bloomberg, and Reuters. In addition, seats will be assigned proportionally among radio correspondents, newspaper correspondents, and still photographers who participate in organized pool arrangements.

A seating chart will be sent to the WHCA and USTV pool networks prior to departure on international trips.

Boarding

The WHTO shall maintain its own manifest of all passengers on each leg of the trip. Sign-up information and WHTO manifests are prepared and confirmed before billing to ensure that individuals and news organizations are billed accurately.

Air Partner and the WHTO will provide travelers with documentation showing their seat, which will be verified on boarding to prevent unauthorized travel.

Lost or Damaged Baggage // Equipment

The White House Travel Office, White House Military Office, Air Partner, and participating Charter airline operators are not responsible for lost or damaged luggage or equipment.

In-Trip Schedule Changes

Travelers are responsible for monitoring the status of schedules in the event that a change in the President's schedule requires a change to the press travel schedule. Travelers must ensure that they receive the press schedule from the White House Press Office prior to departure and to check frequently with the White House Travel Office for schedule changes during a trip.

Billing

White House Press Corps travel is funded solely through direct reimbursement from the news organizations traveling as part of the White House Press Corps. Air Partner disburses funds to vendors under direction from the WHTO. The WHTO, working in close partnership with the WHCA, is the only entity with the authority to approve expenses on behalf of the press corps.

Timely billing and reimbursement are critical in ensuring future support for the White House Press Corps. The White House Travel Office and White House Press Advance work together to submit accurate invoices within 20 days of travel.

The WHTO, in cooperation with Air Partner, the WHCA, and network representatives have developed the following policies to ensure timely payments to vendors and reduce rebilling of extraneous expenses received after a trip has been invoiced.

Expense Categories

At the conclusion of each trip, the WHTO collects the final invoices on the ground from Press Advance representatives. The WHTO organizes and forwards them to Air Partner for payment. Generally, these invoices cover ground and workspace related charges. Other invoices for telecommunications items such as dedicated phone lines are billed directly to the news organizations by AT&T. Air Partner strives to pay each vendor within the 30-day billing cycle.

Expenses are allocated on a pro-rata basis in accordance with the following categories:

Air Transportation

1. Air Force One airfare
2. Air Force One In-flight Service
3. Press charter airfare
4. Press Charter In-flight Service
5. Helicopter airfare
6. Additional fees and tariffs associated with operating the press charter

Site Survey

Press travelers on overseas site survey trips (known also as “pre-advance” trips) benefit the White House Press Corps. Therefore, their expenses are covered in full, and will be reimbursed after the actual Presidential trip is taken and the manifest is confirmed, or sooner at the discretion of Air Partner.

The WHTO will bill shares of the overseas site survey trip expenses on a pro-rata, per-capita basis for each individual registered for a trip.

The aircraft expenses for the AT&T representation on the site survey are charged pro rata as a Telco charge.

In the event an overseas Presidential trip is canceled after the site survey, Air Partner will reimburse the press travelers on that site survey right away. Those costs will be rolled into costs for the next overseas Presidential trip.

On the infrequent occasions when a site survey requires commercial air travel, those costs are also reimbursed. Such travel arrangements are subject to pre-approval by the WHCA.

Shared Costs

1. All ground transportation (i.e. buses, motorcade press vans, luggage trucks, etc.)
2. Press Filing Center space rental
3. Press Filing Center equipment and electrical support, including pipe & drape needed to create filing area and access ways for press use
4. Catering
5. Site survey expenses incurred by press organizations selected to represent the press corps on the site survey
6. Porterage fees
7. Miscellaneous expenses (i.e. bottled water, visas, excursion fees, security, etc.)

All registered media at a trip site will be charged an equal pro-rata share of all ground expenses mentioned above. Registration constitutes an agreement to pay for ground expenses.

Catered food in the Press Filing Center is available only to members of the White House Press Corps who have registered for the trip.

Phones & Internet

Wireless internet is provided in the PFC. A hard-line Ethernet cord may be requested at an additional cost, provided it is offered by AT&T. Press travelers may also have the option to order a phone line in the PFC.

News organizations choosing to share a phone in the filing center must indicate that they are doing so on PressCorpsTravel.com. These organizations will be billed their pro-rata share based on the number of organizations sharing that phone.

AT&T will bill USTV pool network organizations directly for services in the transmission pool space.

1. Installation charges for “dedicated” filing center phones and hard-line Ethernet, as specifically requested on the Press Sign-Up are billed only to those requesting said service by AT&T
2. Installation charges for shared phones at sites are charged on a pro-rata basis

Non-Press Billable Expenses

Only expenses incurred in direct support of the White House Press Corps will be allocated to the press corps. Such expenses will be allocated on a pro-rata basis.

Site expenses such as lighting, press risers, flags, and pipe & drape used behind the lectern are not billable to the press corps. If an item is ordered separately by a news organization, the specific organization (i.e., TV Pool) will be billed.

Air Transport

Each leg of the itinerary will be assigned a proportionate cost which is divided equally among all press passengers. The following formula will be used to compute the cost for each leg of the Press Charter: (Overall Charter Cost / Total Number of Flight Segments)

Each flight segment of the charter is charged equally regardless of the distance between each leg. Travelers only pay for the legs that they travel. The charter legs will be divided equally even if the number of charter legs exceeds the number of Air Force One legs.

Members of the Press traveling on government aircraft in use by or in support of the President or Vice President travel on a reimbursable basis and will reimburse at the lowest available fare that is unrestricted, fully refundable, and available for purchase by the general public (i.e., typically a Y-class fare). For administrative convenience and consistency for all parties, reimbursement will be established on the basis of fares available between 7 to 14 days in advance of travel.

When there is a charter, the cost of the 13 members of the Travel Pool on Air Force One will be added to the cost of the charter before charges are divided pro-rata across the press corps.

Helicopter charges are billed to individual members of the Travel Pool when appropriate. Helicopter charges are combined with AF1 costs when there is no charter.

On domestic Presidential trips, the cost of the Print seat is divided amongst a set number of pre-determined organizations in the Domestic Print Pool. On overseas Presidential trips, there is no pooling of costs among the Print travelers. Outlets in the other Air Force One seats are responsible for their own costs.

Federal Excise Tax

• For Domestic Trips: FET is equal to 7.5% of the total cost of the press charter. In addition to FET, there are segment fees/taxes equal to $5.00 per person, per flight leg and passenger facility charges/taxes equal to $5.00 per person, per airport.
• For International Trips: There is a FET departure tax of $22.20 and a FET arrival tax of $22.20 per traveler. In addition to these charges, there are miscellaneous country taxes which are included in the overall press charter bid.
• FET is included in the charter broker bid and is paid by the charter broker on behalf of travelers.

Staff Seating Allocation

The following seat allocation is agreed to for U.S. government employees in a press supporting role. The press corps will share the charter costs for the employees listed below, who are not billed for ground expenses.

On international travel, there will be a maximum of 2 business class seats assigned to senior White House staff, to be determined by the WHTO and WHCA president.

Organization	Domestic Total Staff	International Total Staff
White House Travel Office/Advance	2	3
White House Press Office	3	4
White House Stenographers	1	2
U.S. Customs and Border Protection	0	2
U.S. Secret Service	1	2
National Security Council	0	2

Additional government employees traveling in an official capacity, but not in the direct support of the press may travel on the charter if:

• There is available seating that does not disrupt regular travelers.
• The traveler(s) reimburse government fare for the leg of the trip which is applied towards the charter cost.

Billing Terms and Cycle

Manifest Confirmation

Domestic Trips

The WHTO will strive to provide accurate billing within 30 business days of the return of a domestic trip. Additional billing may be required when AT&T, late, or adjusted bills are received after the trip has been billed.

International Trips

Within seven business days of the conclusion of an international trip, the WHTO will send the Verify Manifest, on which billings will be based, to the WHCA President and TV Pool chair. They will then have five business days to respond in writing with any additions, deletions, or corrections. No response is considered an agreement.

Invoicing

Air Invoicing

After confirmation of the manifest, accurate final air bills will be distributed following the guidelines and deadlines outlined elsewhere in this document (30 business days of the return of the trip).

Ground & AT&T Invoicing

Ground arrangements and AT&T services are billed within 15 business days of receipt of the final invoices from vendors. For international trips, ground expenses will be billed within 15 days of receipt of the final expense spreadsheet from the U.S. Department of State.

Payments by Credit Card

The WHTO requires a chosen payment method to be identified during the creation of an account. The appropriate cost of each charter flight will be automatically charged by Air Partner to this method. In most cases, these charges will be billed within 30 business days of a domestic trip and 60 business days of an international trip.

There is a service fee for processing a credit card. Fees vary depending on the rates used by major crediting institutions. At this time, the rates are 2.5% on Visa and MC transactions, and 3.3% American Express.

Failure to Pay

Failure to pay constitutes grounds for denial of access to further WHTO charters or other services arranged under the terms of this document.

Failure to pay AT&T for phone services within 90 days also constitutes grounds for denial of access to further WHTO charters and support.

Billing Rights

Due to the accounting system provided by Air Partner, all bills are due five days after billing. If there is a dispute, the WHTO will make every effort to research the disputed charges. If errors are found, payment will be promptly refunded.

Some reporters and outlets without an established history of on-time bill payment may, at the discretion of Air Partner, be asked to pay a deposit against their final bill in order to register for international travel.

Customer Payments & Receipts

Amounts are due and payable upon billing. A valid credit card is required for all payments.

Trip expenses are provided on an Air Partner receipt and sent to each news organization via hard copy or email. On-file credit cards will not be charged until the invoice is sent to the news organization.

There is a service fee from Air Partner on all invoices; this fee is for the total expenses before the credit card fee.

Fees Without Charter: 6.25% if paying within 5 days or 6.75% within 6 to 30 days when paying by wire transfer or check.

Charter Fees: 2.25% if paying within 5 days or 2.75% if paying within 6 to 30 days when paying by wire transfer or check.

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