Travel loyalty points (FOI)

​Request

My FOI request relates to loyalty travel points accrued by States employees.

The States Financial Direction on Travel and Accommodation Expenditure, says: The collection of loyalty points must not be to the detriment of the organisation, ie points must always accrue to the States of Jersey first. Departments must ensure that procedures (appropriate to the extent of travel undertaken) are in place for capturing any benefits accrued to staff from States travel.

A

Please could you provide a breakdown of all loyalty points related to air travel for all States departments accrued over the last three years?

B

Please could you show, without naming individuals, how points were earned, ie 500 Avios points earned on a BA flight from Jersey to X on 23 June 2015 booked by the Economic Development Department.

C

If possible, please could you include whether those points went on to be returned to the States as per the financial directions policy?

Response

On 10 June 2016, the States of Jersey published a review of travel policy and recommendations for improvement. 

Appendices G to J of the report contain departmental totals and breakdowns of flights and accommodation booked and expenses for civil servants and States members during 2014 and 2015.

Review of travel policy and recommendations for improvement

A and B

The States of Jersey collect loyalty points from British Airways (BA) flights via a scheme called BA On Business. 

For every BA flight booked by the States Travel Management Company, air miles loyalty points are accrued. 

This is a scheme for corporate entities only. 

The balance of these points was included in the published report referred to above. 

It is estimated that supplying a breakdown of the accrual of these points by year would exceed the time cost limit specified under the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

The States does not hold information about loyalty points which have been earned on a personal basis by individuals (Avios points).

C

As outlined above, BA on Business points accrue to the States and are available for use by the States.

For personal points, Financial Direction 5.7 states:

Officers must not seek to travel with a specific carrier in order to receive benefits or select more expensive flights or hotel accommodation in order to earn more loyalty points, and the collection of loyalty points must not be to the detriment of the organisation, ie points must always accrue to the States of Jersey first. Departments must ensure that procedures (appropriate to the extent of travel undertaken) are in place for capturing any benefits accrued to staff from States travel.

The States has no ability to ascertain the number of personal (Avios) points which may have accrued to individuals. Revised rules, to be included in an updated financial direction, will reflect this.