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HA Miles earned for ASG paid travel to go to gov’t

The American Samoa Government has finalized with Hawaiian Airlines the governor’s Hawaiian Airlines Miles Initiative Program, in which frequent flyer miles earned by ASG employees — whose travel on Hawaiian is paid for by the government — will be deposited in an ASG Corporate Account, according to a Dec. 17 memo by Treasurer Dr. Falema’o ‘Phil’ Pili.

 

Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga first announced the initiative in late May of last year, saying that miles earned by ASG workers will be put into a special account to assist with funding travel for LBJ Medical Center patients and students traveling off-island.

 

“We have a moral responsibility to help out those of our people who, not by any fault of theirs, find themselves in situations where outside assistance is needed,” Lolo said at the time. “The added benefit provided by the frequent flyer miles award should be shared with those of our community who are truly impoverished and destitute.”

 

NEW MEMO ON MILEAGE PROGRAM

 

in his Dec. 17 memo to all ASG entities, the Treasurer reminded directors this initiative by the governor is “to improve the quality of life of our people” and noted that after “arduous negotiations” between ASG and Hawaiian’s corporate office,  “we have finalized the new process and policy.”

 

Effective Jan. 1, 2014 and in accordance with the governor’s memo in May last year, all government funded travel and subsequent frequent flyer travel miles earned by all ASG employees will be transferred and deposited into the ASG Government Corporate account, said Pili in his memo.

 

He also outlined procedures employees shall adhere to in moving forward for travel authorization, and these procedures will be incorporated as part of each respective ASG Travel Authorization (TA). “We have met with all local travel agencies so they are aware of this new policy,” he said.

 

Among the procedures to follow:

 

•            All ASG employee's traveling on Government TA's will sign a waiver, to waive all rights to mileage points earned on Government Travel. All waiver forms will be submitted, signed and attached to the Travel Authorization (TA) Request form.

 

•            All ASG employees must have a personal Hawaiian miles account so that when tickets are purchased the travel agent can credit the individual account. At month end, the travel agent will submit to ASG their reconciliation of all government travel. ASG will reconcile that against their records and submit to Hawaiian Airlines for their review and approval. Once approved by Hawaiian Air, miles earned and credited to individual accounts for government travel will then be taken out of the individual’s account and placed into the ASG Miles Account.

 

•            Employee's traveling, who do not have a Hawaiian Miles account, can go online to: www.Hawaiianair.com, and click "Join Hawaiian Miles". If registration is successful, the individual will be given a Hawaiian Miles Number instantaneously.

 

Pili informed departments that the Treasury Department Travel Section will not honor TA without the completion of all proper forms, including the Treasury’s "30 day" Waiver.

 

“Procedures and Policies governing the distribution and allocation of the earned miles shall be regulated by the Governor and/or his appointed representative,” Pili said in the memo, with copies to the governor and lieutenant governor.

 

He also urged all ASG employees to comply with the governor’s initiative.