DoD Expands the Integrated Lodging Pilot Program (ILPP)
As I posted a few months ago, the ILPP is designed to have DTS show you all hotel choices including Government lodging and private hotels. This has always been a downfall of DTS as there was lodging on-post, but it would never display so most resorted to following instructions and booking off-post for lodging even though there were better choices.
With the new mandate that lodging will only be booked through DTS, except for a few areas such as Europe, they had to come up with something. I can’t tell you the number of times where DTS comes up with no FEMA approved hotels or gives me hotels that are an hour away. Anyone else have those issues?
The new list of pilot locations includes another half dozen posts:
- Charleston, SC – Joint Base Charleston
- Dayton, OH – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- Fort Lee/Petersburg, VA – Fort Lee (effective: January 1, 2016)
- Hampton, VA – Langley Air Force Base (effective: January 1, 2016)
- Newport News, VA – Fort Eustis (effective: January 1, 2016)
- Norfolk, VA – select area U.S. installations
- Quad City, IL – Rock Island Arsenal (effective: January 1, 2016)
- Saratoga Springs, NY – Naval Support Activity Saratoga Springs
- Seattle-Tacoma Airport area, WA
- Suffolk, VA
- Tampa, FL – MacDill Air Force Base
- Twentynine Palms, CA – Marine Air/Ground Combat Center
- York/Williamsburg, VA – Yorktown Facility (effective: January 1, 2016)
Interestingly, the system is currently mandated for Service Members but not civilians per the note below.
Not all of these locations currently have DoD lodging facilities available in DTS. DoD civilians are not required to use DoD lodging facilities when TDY to U.S. military installations until DoD lodging facilities at that location is available in DTS. Service members must check DoD lodging facilities availability. To determine if DoD lodging facilities is available at a pilot site, see the DoD Lodging Available in DTS listing.
Travelers with access to DTS are required to make lodging arrangements through the reservation module in DTS and should only contact their Commercial Travel Office to arrange commercial lodging when DTS is not available. Travelers should not contact their Commercial Travel Office for assistance booking DoD lodging facilities. If DTS is not available, travelers should book through www.dodlodging.net or contact the government lodging facility or reservation center directly.
Hopefully these notes clear up confusion, but it is obvious this is still a work in progress. I still remember when DTS had a lot of bugs in it too, but they have pretty much been worked out. I am sure that in a few years this will all be running smoothly. In the meantime, let us know how the system works. I have yet to stay TDY at any of the pilot locations, but will be interested to try it.
