Can I Include Excess Baggage Fees in My LTA Claim? Seeking Clarity on GOI Guidelines

Can excess baggage charges on a flight (substantiated with proof) be included as part of my LTA claim? If not, why not? Is there any GOI ruling or guideline stating that it cannot be claimed? My logic is: my baggage cannot travel alone; it has to travel with me. As it is a part of my legitimate expenses, why can't it be claimed as part of LTA?

Hi,

LTA can only be claimed based on your eligibility criteria, such as the cadre you are in, the basic amount of your salary that you are currently withdrawing from the organization, etc. (depends on the amount declared by your organization). LTA includes all expenses but not excess luggage charges, etc.

Regards, Katyayani

While I'm aware of the basis on which the LTA amount is fixed by the company, such as rank, cadre, and CT, my specific contention was: if a passenger (LTA claimant) and his luggage can travel on the same flight, why can't that be grounds for claiming LTA (ticket cost plus excess baggage charges)? You have mentioned that excess luggage charges do not form a part of LTA. On what basis are you saying this? Is there any GOI ruling, notification, or guideline that supports this? Can it be part of a company's policy to allow employees to claim excess baggage charges as part of LTA? I am aware that companies like SBI Capital Markets supposedly have this as part of their policy.

Hi!

This is actually a valid query. Unfortunately, I am unable to shed light on it from the government of India (GOI) rules and regulations. However, it can definitely be a core company policy that can be enacted for any specific gain for its employees. I would be enlightened if one of us could provide some valid information on the same.

Regards,
Mandar Jagannath