Originally Posted by
itsme
It was the case the government employees traveling on tickets purchased by their employer could not use the miles they earned. (No way for others to use them, but that didn't matter, it was all about what was perceived to be proper and improper in government service.) That went out the window years ago, though, so government employees can earn miles/points and use them for their own personal purposes.
Was looking up the gov't rule and found an even better one:
Through savings earned by using frequent flyer miles and economical lodgings, employees can receive payments for up to 50 percent of the travel savings they earn for their agency.
http://www.opm.gov/perform/articles/112.asp
That's an incentive to give back miles to your employer!