This website contains travel information regarding hotel, airline, and other arrangements for Steering Committee Members. As your Meeting Planner for this upcoming event, I am available to answer any travel-related questions at (202) 479-9030 ext. 306 or mwashington@nasaprs.com. Administrative questions regarding the meeting or peer review process may be directed to LaTessa Tuck at (202) 479-9030 ext. 261 or via email at ltuck@nasaprs.com.
The attached NASA Peer Reviewer Reimbursement Matrix and Federal Travel Regulation (301.11.18) will assist you in determining your eligibility for reimbursement for travel expenses before you travel. Please review this document carefully as you are responsible for identifying which “Category of Traveler” relates to you. Federal Travel Regulations restrict the types of expenses that may be reimbursed for some travelers, i.e., local travelers (see the rule pertaining to working and residing within 25 miles of the event in the first box under the “Category of Traveler” section), Federal employees (including military personnel), and Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA).
Please also see the attached NASA Travel Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). These FAQs are to be used by meeting participants eligible for reimbursement when traveling on official NASA business supported by NRESS.
Meeting Location/Date
The NASA OPAG Workshop will be held at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites, St. Louis, MO from March 29-30, 2012. Attendees will convene in Salons 5 and 6 in the Landmark Ballroom, located on the the Concourse Level of the hotel on Thursday, March 29, 2012 per the agenda provided by Dr. Curt Niebur and Dr. William McKinnon. (See driving directions and Floor Plans below.)
Please register early for this event online to ensure adequate facility and refreshment. Enter your full name and affiliation as you would like for it to appear on your name badge for the event.
Hotel Accommodations
• A list of Steering Committee Members for this event has been sent to the Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel,
located at 800 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63101. Steering Committee Members do not need to telephone the hotel to make a reservation.
• For your convenience and to ensure that your office and family can contact you, the hotel’s phone number is (314) 621-9600. The guest fax number is (314) 621-9601.
• Upon your arrival at the hotel, inform the desk clerk that you are attending the NASA OPAG Workshop.
• Check-in is on Wednesday, March 28th after 4:00pm; check-out is Friday, March 30th at 12:00 noon. It is very important that you notify me as soon as possible if you need to make any changes to these accommodations.
• Non-government Steering Committe Members: Your sleeping room charges will be billed directly to the NRESS/ SGS contract through Smart Global Solutions (SGS). However, the hotel will ask for a personal credit card to cover your incidental charges.
• Government Steering Committee Members: Upon check-in, you will need to cover the cost of your room with your credit card. The per night room rate is $99.00 (plus 17.74% room tax and surcharges).
Airline/Train Information
A new NASA policy requires that all business travel supported and paid for by NRESS/ NRESS MUST be booked through our travel agent, SAIC Travel. Please read this section carefully.
• SAIC Travel is the only travel agent allowed to book any eligible traveler’s airline and train tickets. Contact Ms. Ria Stevenson in the SAIC Travel office by email (nprs@saic.com) or call her at 1 (800) 942-6103 to make your travel arrangements. Please note that Ria’s work schedule is 8:30 am until 5:30 pm Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
• Due to the high cost of gasoline, airfares are consistently rising. If possible, NASA would appreciate you booking your flight at least 21 days in advance of your departure date as this will generate significant savings on airfare.
• Due to the high cost of changing reservations, airline reservations will not be changed within ten days of the start of the review. Emergencies and other extenuating circumstances will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
• Per NASA travel regulations, NRESS is only allowed to purchase coach tickets. SAIC Travel is not allowed to purchase premium (business or first class) tickets. If you feel you have a valid reason (medical, disability, etc.) not to fly coach class, please bring this to our attention as soon as possible.
• Inform SAIC Travel that you are an NRESS meeting participant. Give your name, the name of the meeting you are attending, and date that you will be traveling. SAIC Travel will arrange for you to receive your ticket through electronic ticketing. NRESS will be billed directly for air travel. If you prefer to select your own flights, you may do so and then contact Ria in order for SAIC travel to book your reservations. (Note: If the flights you have selected are more costly than comparable flights found by SAIC, you will be required to pay the difference.)
• Please have a picture ID and a copy of the “final receipt” upon check-in at the airport. Our travel agent will send you a copy of the “final receipt” via e-mail at the time the ticket is booked. Please attach your airline ticket receipt to your expense report (provided to you by SAIC Travel).
Local Airports (Please Note: All cab estimates below are for one-way travel.)
• Lambert St. Louis International Airport (STL): Located about 14.7 miles from the hotel and generally costs $20-$38.00 by metered taxi. Travel time is about 20 minutes by car in low-congestion traffic.
Ground Transportation (Shuttle Service, Rental Cars, Taxis, Etc.)
Shuttle services and taxis are allowable modes of transportation. However, limos and sedan services require prior approval. Please send the justification for limo and sedan services to your Meeting Planner for approval prior to traveling. If you find that only limos and sedan services are available while traveling, please attach the justification to your expense report after your trip is completed. If you use limos and/or sedan services without prior approval or an acceptable justification, you may be subject to partial reimbursement.
Rental Cars:
Budget Rent-A-Car is the official company used on the NRESS/ NRESS contract to provide ALL NASA-related car rentals. NASA requests that you use prudence when deciding to rent a car for NASA supported meetings. Renting a car should be your last resort, especially in metropolitan areas. Therefore, if you need to rent a car, we strongly advise you to use Budget. NRESS has negotiated a corporate rate with Budget that includes all of the necessary insurance. To book your car, please follow the steps below.
- Email or call Ria Stevenson of SAIC Travel at nprs@saic.com or 1-800 942-6103.
- Ria must book your reservation to ensure we get the corporate rate and that the cost of the rental is billed to NRESS/SGS.
- A Budget confirmation number will be emailed to you along with your travel itinerary.
- At the Budget counter, you will only need to give the agent the Budget confirmation number and your driver’s license. You do not need to provide a credit card.
- Please note that the agent may appear to waive all insurance on the rental contract at the Budget counter. However, the insurance coverage is built into our corporate rate.
- NRESS/ SGS will cover the cost of car and insurance for dates that you are in official travel status (up to one day before the panel and the dates the panel occurs).
- You must attach a copy of the receipt to your expense report at the completion of your trip.
Amtrak
• Amtrak also services the downtown St. Louis, Missouri Metropolitan Area with a stop point at the convention center, located 2 city blocks from the Renaissance Grand Suites Hotel. For specific station hours, rates and information please explore the Amtrak website under the “browse by region” section at
http://www.amtrak.com
• Metro Transit System - The St. Louis Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is highly regarded by local residents as clean, safe and user friendly to visitors. From the “Lambert International Airport Terminal # 1 or #2 Metro Stations” take the Metrolink train to the “Convention Center Metro Station” located 1 mile from the hotel.
To obtain exact fare information, maps, and door-to-door directions to other points of interest, access the Trip Planning Tool at:
http://www.metrostlouis.org/Default.aspx
Transit Information representatives can help you plan your route including schedule times, transfers, and walking directions. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 4:30pm
Missouri Phone: 314-231-2345
Illinois Phone: 618-271-2345
Missouri TTY: 314-982-1555
Illinois TTY: 618-875-1200
Meal Arrangements and Refreshments
• A Day Meeting package for meals will be provided daily, which includes a morning refreshment break and an afternoon refreshment break. All refreshments will be served in the Washington Room.
• Refreshments will be provided on workshop to all participants; government participants please do not seek reimbursement from your agency or institution.
• Lunch and Dinner will not be served. However, a list of local restaurant establishments is attached.
• To ensure a hospitable experience and adequate accommodation, please provide information on any special dietary or medical requirements via email no later than 1 week prior to the event at mwashington@nasaprs.com.
Parking
• The Renaissance St. Louis Grand & Suites Hotel offers Valet and self-parking rates. Please note that these per car rates are subject to change without notice.
• Valet parking is available at a rate of $28.00 daily maximum with in and out privileges. The current rate for self-parking is $14.00 with in and out privileges.
Sleeping Room Internet Rates
• Internet is available to all NASA OPAG Workshop overnight guests complimentary as part of the sleeping room rate.
• Complimentary wireless internet access is also available in the lobby.
Driving Directions
From Lambert St. Louis International Airport follow Interstate 70 East for approximately 15 miles to downtown St Louis and exit at Broadway (one way street). Continue on Broadway to Washington Avenue and turn right. The hotel is two blocks up on the left side of street across from the America's Center Complex at 8th Street and Washington Avenue.
