The Bush administration is currently considering legislation that would allow federal employees to keep frequent-flier miles accrued on business travel for personal use. The legislation would reverse rules established in the 1980’s that barred federal employees from keeping frequent-flier miles on the basis that air miles earned by employees belong to the government. Proponents of the legislation under consideration claim that the added perk would boost worker morale and make work for the government more attractive while skeptics say that it does not solve the real underlying problem of inadequate pay for senior managers.
See "Federal Frequent Fliers May Be Freed to Keep Miles", Ellen Nakashima, The Washington Post, July 11, 2001