Airports agency limits board’s travel funds

The agency that runs Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International airports voted Wednesday to impose travel guidelines on its board members after they sparked controversy for flying first class to places such as Hawaii and for having spouses dine on the authority’s dime. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority policy passed 12-1 and takes effect immediately. The board member who voted against it told The Examiner the guidelines don’t go far enough.

“The language was somewhat vague and allowed for more expensive travel and hotel stays than we wanted,” said David G. Speck, a former Alexandria councilman and current managing director for investments at Wachovia Securities.

He said he sought two amendments to make the guidelines “more precise and austere,” though only one passed. Among the new guidelines:

Members should fly coach or business class on board trips and can only upgrade if the executive committee approves it or members pay out-of-pocket for the cost difference.

Members must pay for traveling companions’ expenses except for meals or events members attend as a business-related activity.

Tips beyond 20 percent for meals, or 15 percent for taxis, will not be reimbursed.

Members should stay in standard rooms at the host hotel of conferences, or be reimbursed at the host hotel’s standard rates.

The authority will create quarterly reports on each member’s travel expenses.

The push for the guidelines came after The Washington Post reported in October that members of the board spent $1.2 million annually on travel expenses that included first-class airfare, meals with spouses and trips to conferences in exotic locations that extended beyond the meeting dates. The board itself had no guidelines or oversight on its travel, though authority staff members faced guidelines.

The authority manages the two airports and is now in charge of the Dulles Toll Road and the expansion of Metrorail service between the East Falls Church Metro station and Dulles airport. The airports are federally owned, but the authority is supported through landing fees and vendors’ rent, not taxpayer funds.

The 13-member board oversees the authority, with five members appointed by the Virginia governor, three by the D.C. mayor, two by the Maryland governor and three by the president. They receive no pay for their work on the board.