RFP No. 1-15-B013 Travel Agency Services for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Questions and Answers Notice: Questions may have been edited for clarity and relevance. 1. What was the total amount spent on air in FY 2013? Answer: Not relevant. 2. What is the amount spent on air for the first six months of 2014? Answer: Not relevant. 3. Is billing the only option for payment of services? Answer: Refer to Amendment 02. 4. Reference Statement of Work, Scope of Services, Section 3. Page 2 indicates a sample file is included as Appendix B, but the page included is blank. Please provide. Answer: The RFQ document at http://www.mwaa.com/7517.htm has been updated to add the Appendix B page. 5. Page 1-1 and Price Schedule indicates the Authority anticipates three (3) awards for Aviation, Rail and Dulles Toll Road. Does this mean the pricing sheet should be broken down for each area, or total for all three. Answer: Total for all three. 6. What is the number of airfare transactions per year? Answer: As of December 5, 2014, there were 650 transactions for FY 2014. Page 1 of 6
7. What is the airfare, hotel and car rental total spent per year? Answer: Not relevant. 8. What online booking system do you use now? Answer: The Authority does not use an on-line booking tool. 9. Do you have a mandated travel policy? Answer: Yes 10. What travel agency has the contract now? Answer: Globetrotter Travel 11. What are the present transaction fees now? Answer: Not relevant. Payment is made per transaction. 12. Reference Statement of Work, Scope of Services, Section 3, Page 2 indicates a sample file is included as Appendix B, but the page included is blank. Please provide. Answer: Refer to Question #4 13. Page 1-1 and Price Schedule indicates the Authority anticipates three (3) awards for Aviation, Rail and Dulles Toll Road. Does this mean the pricing sheet should be broken down for each area or a total for all three? Answer: Please refer to Question #5 14. The BPA states MWAA anticipates 3 awards with only 650 transactions per year. How will the business be distributed among the 3 TMCs? Answer: The Authority anticipates awarding three contracts to a single contractor for Aviation (1-15-B013), Rail (8-15-B001) and Toll Road (7-15-B003). Refer to revised Price Schedule Basis of Award. 15. If the intent is to select 3 TMCs can we submit pricing based on (a) based on a single award (b) based on multiple awards? Answer: The Price Schedule must be completed in order to be considered for award (Refer to revised Price Schedule). Page 2 of 6
16. Travel Policy Section 7 and 7.2 states that the traveler is not required to use the contracted TMC. What percentage of the 650 transactions is booked outside of the incumbent TMC? Answer: The Authority does not track travel agency bookings vs. non-travel agency bookings. All 650 transactions were booked through the TMC. 17. Is Globetrotter Travel the only incumbent TMC for MWAA or are there multiple TMC servicing the business today? Answer: Globetrotter is the only incumbent. 18. Statement of Work section 3, Scope of Services references payment with Airport Authority s PCard at time of issuance of airline, rail, bus tickets etc. Please confirm that all ticketed transactions and TMC transaction fees will be charged by the travel agency to the credit card or PCard at time of issuance? Answer: Airline, rail, bus tickets and agent fees will be charged to the PCard at the time of issuance. 19. Is there any other form of payment other than the PC credit card expected to be used to purchase ticket transactions and TMC fees? Answer: The Authority anticipates using the PCard as the method of payment for all business related air/train/bus fare transactions. 20. What is the percentage of domestic travel vs. international travel in regards to air sales and tickets? Answer: The Authority does not track this information. 21. What months are your peak periods of travel and what months are your slowest travel periods? Answer: The Authority does not track this information. 22. How many car and or hotel reservations do you book a year? Answer: Hotels and car rentals are booked using other methods. The Authority typically does not use the travel agency to book hotels and car rentals. If they are booked, the traveler pays those with their own credit card. The Authority does not track this information. 23. Is the car and hotel only transaction fee count included in the annual estimated quantity in the RFQ? Answer: Refer to Question #22. Page 3 of 6
24. Do you currently use an online booking tool to create profiles and make reservations and what is the name of the tool you use? Answer: Please refer to Question #5. 25. How many after hour calls are made on average monthly and annually? Answer: The Authority does not track this information. 26. Are after hour calls only in emergency situations or also includes non-emergency? Answer: These should be handled in emergency situations. 27. Do you pay for after hour calls for emergency and non-emergency today? Answer: The Authority pays a flat fee for each transaction processed by the travel agency. 28. RFQ Attachment 1, Statement of Work, page 1, Item 02, Scope of Services. The Contractor shall designate representatives who will coordinate with the Airports Authority s PCard Administrator and travel coordinator. The Contractor representatives shall manage all transactions and reporting responsibilities as requested by the Airports Authority, investigate issues, and assure individual agents are purchasing tickets in accordance with the Statement of Work and Airports Authority Travel Policy. Can the Authority provide more detail concerning the requirements and duties expected to manage all transactions and reporting responsibilities as requested by the Authority? Answer: Please refer to the Authority s Statement of Work which addresses these issues. 29. RFQ page 11 states the Authority anticipates three awards. The Price Schedule states BASIS OF AWARD: Award will be made to the lowest, responsive, responsible offeror, with the lowest offer for the total price of the base period plus the five option years. The Authority may award multiple contracts. When the Authority refers to multiple contracts, does it envision awarding a separate contract for each of the three, Aviation, Rail and Dulles Toll Road Projects or does the Authority envision issuing multiple contracts for each of the three projects? Answer: The Authority may award multiple contracts if it s in its best interest. 30. Can the Authority please provide volume estimates for each of the projects, Aviation, Rail and Dulles Toll Road? Answer: The majority of the travel is Aviation. No specific analysis is available. Page 4 of 6
31. RFP Attachment 1, SOW, page 2, Item 05 DELIVERABLES states that the Contractors representative shall submit a monthly report of purchases reconciled to the Airports Authority s VISA bank card statement for the travel agents account. This monthly report must be provided no later than two business days prior to the end of the current month. We are not clear on the timing of the report in regard to the language about it be being provided no later than two business days prior to the end of the current month. Generally, we receive from most credit card vendors a file containing purchases for the prior month which we reconcile with the purchases we have in our system and provide that to the customer. So is the language in question mean that the Contractor should provide the credit card reconciliation report no later than two business days prior to the end of the month in which the file is received? Answer: The credit card billing cycle is the 26 th of one month to the 25 th of the next. The bank file will be available on the 26 th of each month (one day after the billing cycle closes). The reconciliation from the contractor is due at least 2 business days from the end of that month (for example if the last business day of the month is the 31 st the report is received on the 26 th and is due, to the Authority no later than the 29 th ). 32. Is the Authority interested in an online booking tool provided by the Contractor? Answer: Yes. The Authority is open to an online booking tool. 33. RFQ Attachment 1, Statement of Work, page 1, Item 03, Scope of Services states that hotel accommodation reservations shall be made only if the requesting activity has provided personal profile information to the Contractor for such reservations. A later paragraph states the Contractor shall maintain a personal profile for those employees who elect to have the Contractor make hotel reservations using their personal credit card information. The profile should also include email address and frequent flyer information for use in facilitating advance electronic boarding passes and preferred seating assignments. Each Airports Authority employee is responsible for updating their individual personal profile. Hotel accommodations and local ground transportation such as shuttle bus service, taxi service, etc. will be paid with traveler s personal credit card and not the Airports Authority s purchasing card program. Please clarify this requirement. We do not understand why the personal profile information is required if the traveler requests us to make a hotel reservation using his/her personal card? Answer: The personal profile is required because the types of charges mentioned are NOT to be paid on the Authority s P-Card account which will be issued for air/rail/bus fare. Personal credit card information (and other personal information such as seat assignment preferences, frequent flier numbers, etc.) can be maintained for future use in the personal profile. 34. MWAA Travel Policy document does not mention per diem rates or use of the GSA city pair program. Does MWAA Qualify for these rates?. Answer: Not relevant to the solicitation. Page 5 of 6
35. The MWAA Travel Policy document, Item 7.2. Using the Internet or Contacting Carriers Directly, states that travelers may use the Internet or contact carriers directly in an effort to obtain better prices. The Traveler is expected to use/obtain discount fares to the extent possible and purchase only economy class tickets. Is it MWAA s expectation that use of the TMC will be optional for travelers rather than mandatory? Answer: Use of the TMC is optional. 36. RFQ Section V4, page 16, Section 09, WORKING HOURS states normal working hours for Authority employees are Monday through Friday, 730 A.M. to 400 P.M., except for Federal Holidays. Overtime working hours are Monday through Friday, Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal Holidays, 400 P.M. to 730 A.M. RFQ Attachment 1, Statement of Work, page 1, Item 03, Scope of Services states Travel services shall be provided, seven days a week, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Please clarify required hours of operation. Answer: The Authority requires 24/7 availability. The successful contractor shall be provided with a main number for normal business hours and an after-hours business number. 37. I am inquiring about the MBE participation in the contract. We currently contract with various certified MBE sub-contractors for purchase and maintenance of our computer equipment which house the airline reservation system that provides services to our customers. In addition, other MBE contractors service, create, and maintain our online booking tools, client websites. We desire to use these MBE sub-contractors as part of the federal requirement for MBE participation in the contract, similar to what we do for other state and federal contracts. Can you tell us if this is permissible as part of our RFQ response and identify the appropriate section of the RFQ for this information? Answer: Although it is the policy of the Airports Authority to seek minority participation in all contracting opportunities, RFQ 1-15-B013 has no such requirement. Exhibit D1 (Section X) is used to include subcontractor participation. Page 6 of 6