Cobo Center (Wayne Hall)

March 11, 2011 to March 14, 2011

Officials Info

Officials Hotel: Doubletree Guest Suites
Headquarters Hotel: Holiday Inn Express

Please visit the Travel, Lodging & Venue tab for THS hotel booking.

Updated information will be posted here as it becomes available. Please check back regularly.

UNITED OLYMPIC DESK AIRLINE RESERVATIONS: 800‐841‐0460

New Airline Ticketing Form for Tournament Officials for domestic tournaments (non-United flights)

USA Fencing Officials’ Domestic Travel Booking Procedure

  • USA Fencing will book domestic airline tickets in house this season beginning; no other travel agency will be used for domestic ticketing.
  • Hired Officials will receive the USA Fencing Airline Ticket Form from the Tournament Assigner (the form is also available on the Officials Info section for each event on the website), which should be filled out and submitted to Karen Kuhlman (k.kuhlman@usfencing.org) no later than 30 days prior to the tournament/meeting.
    • If an official is hired as a last-minute replacement for another official who is unable to attend the event, Karen Kuhlman will contact him or her directly as soon as a decision on the replacement is made.

Itineraries

  • Each referee should do his or her own research and select a reasonable itinerary and email that information to k.kuhlman@usfencing.org.  A National Events staff member will confirm the itinerary or will work with the referee to find an acceptable alternate itinerary if the original is out of established parameters.
  • Once the National Office has compared the price of the preferred itinerary with others having similar parameters, a decision on booking will be made.
    • If the fare is within $50 of the price of the least expensive ticket for the preferred travel times, USA Fencing will book the ticket.
    • If the fare is more than $50 higher than the least expensive flight with the same travel parameters, the official will have the choice of:
      • USA Fencing booking and covering the full cost of the least expensive ticket or a ticket that is within $50 of the least expensive fare, or
      • Booking the preferred, more expensive ticket and paying the price difference that is above the $50 price cushion in advance (amount could also be taken out of honorarium).  For example, if an Official would like to book a flight that costs $475, but the least expensive flight for the given travel times costs $400, the Official would be responsible for $25 of the cost of the ticket given the price cushion.
      • The amount of this difference that the Official owes can be paid ahead of time or deducted from the funds the Official will receive at the end of the tournament, starting with honorarium, per diem and then out-of-pocket expenses.

* USA Fencing will work with Officials to come up with itineraries that have as few stops as possible and are financially reasonable.

United Olympic Desk

  • Officials are welcome to continue booking their own flights through the United Olympic Desk - (800) 841-0460.
    • Officials should still fill out the Airline Ticket form and send it back to USA Fencing with the Olympic Desk self-booking field checked.
    • Officials should request that the Olympic Desk send itineraries to Karen Kuhlman to be approved.

Self-Booking

  • USA Fencing prefers that officials book through the National Office or directly through the Olympic Desk.  However, if an official would like to book their own non-United flight, intended itineraries should be sent to k.kuhlman@usfencing.org for approval prior to booking.
    • Once approval is given, the official may purchase his/her ticket and add the fare to his/her expense report for the event.
    • If the proposed itinerary is not within $50 of the most reasonable fare for the given travel parameters, USA Fencing will only reimburse the amount that is $50 more than the most reasonable reservation.
    • If an Official fails to send his or her itinerary to Karen Kuhlman for approval and books the flight, USA Fencing will not reimburse the Official the amount of the fare; the Official will be responsible for the entire cost of the ticket.

Cancelling a Reservation

  • Reservation booked through USA Fencing
    • Contact k.kuhlman@usfencing.org with relevant cancellation information.
    • Refunds or reusable fares vary with each reservation that is booked.
  • United Olympic Desk Reservations
    • Email k.kuhlman@usfencing.org with relevant cancellation information.  Karen will take care of ALL Olympic Desk cancellations.

Driving

  • If an official would rather drive to an event than fly, approval must be received from the National Office.  Please contact k.kuhlman@usfencing.org with all inquiries.