BR is correct in his post. I worked for Dept of Defense for 12 years and was on the road (ok, in the air) via commercial carrier several times per year. The JTR was amended in the late 80's to address upgrades to try to rein in an almost unenforceable situation. I am no longer with Uncle, but always kept spreadsheets showing which miles were mine and which were theirs. The miles do belong to the government unless you can prove otherwise. So, I always upgraded on official business trips.

I usually insisted upon making my own arrangements because the travel people don't give a **** about your wishes. And since the travel came out of my budget, I always looked for the best fare! I once drove to Phoenix in order to fly SW to San Antonio, saving me (you) a couple hundred bucks, even after paying me 31 cents a mile to drive rt to PHX.

My fondest travel memory is going from Tucson to Kansas City in 1996 for the National Recreation and Park Assn. convention. I was on a deeply discounted fare on HP and upgraded to F, where I sat up front while a Colonel sat in coach. Then, when getting to Missori in the worst blizzard they had in recent memory, I went to Hertz where I had booked a double upgrade from mid-size. How disappointed was I when the only car they had to give me was a Lincoln Towncar! Well, later in the week I gave two Colonels a ride to the airport. I didn't say a word about the upgrades or the only car business, but apparently I was the talk of the town at the Pentagon because as soon as I returned home my commander was smoking at the ears because he had to answer about this "little GS-11 driving a @$%*&^@! Towncar on government orders! Still laugh about that one four years later.