BEFORE YOU PURCHASE YOUR TICKET: the
Fly American Act requires our visitors to use United States or European Union
certified airlines ("U.S. or E.U. flag carriers"). Flag carriers are
defined by the country where an airline is headquartered. Based on the list
below, here are examples of allowable and unallowable airlines.
- ALLOWABLE EXAMPLE: Lufthansa is headquartered in Germany. A Lufthansa ticket originating anywhere in the world to MSRI is allowable.
- UNALLOWABLE EXAMPLE: Porter Airlines is headquartered in Canada. A Porter Airline ticket originating anywhere in the world to MSRI is unallowable.
This rule means that U.S. or E.U. flag carriers must be used for foreign travel for all flights including connections, regardless of the cost. Very few exceptions can be made.
CODESHARING CAUTION: this is a mechanism by which an U.S. or E.U. certified carrier leases space on an aircraft of a foreign air carrier, and vice versa. You must buy the ticket through an U.S. or E.U. certified carrier in order for it to be reimbursed. Based on the list below, here are examples of allowable and unallowable codesharing.
- ALLOWABLE EXAMPLE: Ticket purchased through Delta Airlines (headquartered in U.S.) and the flight is operated by Aeroflot (headquartered in Russia).
- UNALLOWABLE EXAMPLE: Ticket purchased through CopeAirlines (headquartered in Panama) and the flight is operated by United Airlines (headquartered in U.S.).
If you are in doubt, please send your preliminary itinerary for a review before you purchase your tickets; otherwise, MSRI may not be able to reimburse you.
Australian, Japanese, and Swiss airlines may be used only if there is no city-pair contract flight between the origin and destination.