Omega World Travel, Inc. v. United States

82 Fed. Cl. 452, 2008 WL 2693858
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJune 25, 2008
DocketNo. 08-118C
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 82 Fed. Cl. 452 (Omega World Travel, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Omega World Travel, Inc. v. United States, 82 Fed. Cl. 452, 2008 WL 2693858 (uscfc 2008).

Opinion

OPINION

FIRESTONE, Judge.

This case comes before the court on motions by the defendant, the United States [454]*454(“defendant” or “government”), and by the intervenor, CW Government Travel, Inc. (“CWGT”), to dismiss the plaintiffs complaint pursuant to Rule 12(b)(1) of the Rules of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“RCFC”) for lack of jurisdiction, or, in the alternative, for judgment upon the administrative record pursuant to RCFC 52.1, and a motion by the plaintiff, Omega World Travel, Inc. (“plaintiff’ or “Omega”), for judgment upon the administrative record pursuant to RCFC 52.1. In its complaint, the plaintiff asserts that the government improperly and in bad faith terminated two travel services contracts between the plaintiff and the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) with the intention of transferring the services provided under the contracts to CWGT through two sub task orders issued under a master task order issued under a master Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (“IDIQ”) contract held by CWGT. The plaintiff also contends that the services to be transferred to CWGT under the sub task orders materially depart from the scope of the master IDIQ contract under which the master task order was awarded to CWGT.1 Finally, the plaintiff asserts that the government released the plaintiffs proprietary and confidential competitive information to CWGT in violation of the Procurement Integrity Act, 41 U.S.C. § 423 (2000) (“PIA”).

The government and CWGT both contend that the plaintiff lacks standing to challenge the master task order or the sub task orders issued under the master task order because the plaintiff did not compete for the master IDIQ contract in 2003 and was not eligible to receive the master task order or sub task orders. The government further contends that the plaintiffs breach of contract claims are barred by the Contract Disputes Act, 41 U.S.C. §§ 601-613 (2000) (“CDA”), because the plaintiff failed to comply with the mandatory exhaustion requirements of the CDA. In the alternative, the government and CWGT contend that the contracting officer’s decision to award the master task order to CWGT is supported by the administrative record and that the master task order is within the scope of the master IDIQ contract under which it was awarded. Finally, the government asserts that the administrative record demonstrates that any communication between the government and CWGT did not violate the PIA. For the reasons set forth below, the government’s motion is GRANTED, CWGT’s motion is GRANTED, and the plaintiffs motion is DENIED.2

BACKGROUND FACTS

The following facts are not disputed unless otherwise noted. Executive branch agencies of the government obtain travel services for their employees through the General Services Administration (“GSA”) under two main multiple award IDIQ contracts: the E-Gov Travel Services (“ETS”) contract and the Travel Services Solutions (“TSS”) Schedule 599 contract. Def.’s Appendix (“DA”) 02. Task orders issued under the TSS master IDIQ contract provide for traditional, non-web-based government travel services utilizing travel-agent-assisted reservation and fulfillment services. Id. These services are often referred to as Travel Management Center (“TMC”) services and are provided by on-site offices or call centers. Id. Task orders issued under the ETS master IDIQ contract require, in addition to TMC ser[455]*455vices, the capability for booking, ticketing, and on-line authorization and vouchering services to be provided electronically through a self-service system. Id. The goal of the ETS is to provide

a common government-wide, web-based service that applies world-class travel management practices to consolidate federal travel, minimize travel costs, and produce superior customer satisfaction. In addition, ETS leverages state-of-the-art technologies to streamline travel processes and deliver a trusted, easy to use, integrated travel management service to the desktop of every government traveler.

DA 010.

When travel services are procured by an agency under the ETS master IDIQ contract, TMC services can be provided by the ETS contractor, or by a separate TMC provider, through one of two different approaches: the “accommodated” approach or the “embedded” approach.3 The “accommodated” approach is used when an existing TMC, not in privity of contract with the ETS contractor, provides TMC services, and the ETS contractor provides non-TMC services. DOJ AR 1074, 1076-77.4 The “embedded” approach is used when the ETS contractor or a contractor in privity of contract with the ETS contractor provides TMC services. Id. All executive branch agencies are currently required by the Federal Travel Regulations (“FTR”) to obtain travel services through ETS unless an agency has been granted an exception.5 DA 01. All ETS contracts are awarded through a government-wide acquisition contract (“GWAC”). Id.

In November 2003, GSA awarded three competitively-bid ETS master IDIQ contracts to CWGT, Electronic Data Systems Corp. (“EDS”), and Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (“Northrop Grumman”). DA 05. The scope of CWGT’s ETS master IDIQ contract (“master IDIQ contract”) is set forth in section C of the contract, which provides: [456]*456Id. The master IDIQ contract specifically requires that CWGT have the ability to provide traditional TMC services, or to accommodate an existing TMC provider:

[455]*455This contract is for an end-to-end travel management service that is owned, hosted, and operated by [CWGT] and is provided to the Federal Government via a web portal environment. The [ETS] is intended to permit agencies to perform all aspects of official travel management online with processes and procedures consistent with applicable travel regulations and policies.
[456]*456The [CWGT] [ETS] Solution is fully capable of accommodating and incorporating the services of existing TMCs under contract or task order to Federal Agencies for the purpose of making travel reservations as authorized under that contracVtask order. The [CWGT] [ETS] Solution will be responsible for delivering the reservation services detailed in the Statement of Work, whether provided through [ETS], Fed-TripTM and/or the TMC under contract to the Federal agency.

Id.

In 2004, DOJ awarded a task order to EDS under its ETS master IDIQ contract for the provision of end-to-end, comprehensive travel management services. DOJ AR 1053. Athough Omega did not submit a bid to GSA for an ETS master IDIQ contract, DA 03-04, under the master IDIQ contract held by EDS, Omega provided on-site TMC services to DOJ as an “embedded” TMC in privity of contract with EDS. DOJ AR 1074. In 2005, DOJ terminated its contract with EDS for convenience, but continued to receive on-site TMC services from Omega by issuing task orders to Omega under the TSS master IDIQ contract through DOJ Contract Nos. DJJ05F1183 and DJJ05G1270. Id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
82 Fed. Cl. 452, 2008 WL 2693858, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/omega-world-travel-inc-v-united-states-uscfc-2008.