The federal government is phasing out the older E-Gov Travel Service (ETS2) in favor of a brand-new, enterprise-wide solution called GO.gov. All civilian agencies are required to transition to the new platform during fiscal year 2027, creating a uniform environment for booking trips and submitting expense claims. By retiring the fragmented legacy system, the government aims to reduce manual work, eliminate duplicated processes, and boost overall compliance across the civilian workforce.
To power the new service, the General Services Administration awarded IBM a 15-year managed-service contract. The agreement, posted on SAM.gov, tasks IBM with operating the underlying technology, delivering continuous updates, and ensuring that the platform remains secure and functional throughout its lifespan. This long-term partnership provides the expertise needed to keep the system current while federal users benefit from a stable, vendor-managed environment.
Why the federal travel system is shifting to GO.gov
ETS2 relied on two separate vendors—one for travel booking and another for expense processing—forcing each agency to maintain its own configuration. GO.gov merges those two functions into a single, cloud-based application, standardising procedures for every civilian agency. The move eliminates costly customisations, streamlines workflows, and creates a consistent user experience that aligns with federal travel regulations. In short, the platform turns a previously fragmented landscape into a cohesive, centrally managed service.
Core capabilities of the new platform
Centralized operations
The solution integrates travel reservation tools, expense-reporting modules, and a dedicated support desk into one unified interface. Users can book flights, hotels, or rental cars, then automatically capture receipt data for later reimbursement—all without switching applications. This consolidation reduces the number of steps required to complete a trip and cuts down on data-entry errors.
Compliance, standardisation and security
Every agency will follow the same set of federal travel standards, removing the need for agency-specific workarounds. The platform is built on a FedRAMP-certified software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, applying rigorous security controls to protect traveller identities and payment information. Single sign-on (SSO) lets users authenticate once with their agency credentials and gain access to all travel-related functions, simplifying the login experience while maintaining high security.
Notably, the Department of Defense, the legislative branch, and the District of Columbia are exempt from the migration requirement, allowing those entities to continue using their existing solutions.
Getting started: logging in and building your traveler profile
To begin using GO.gov, navigate to the website and click the “Log in to GO.gov” button. Enter your federal email address; if your agency has already transitioned, the system will recognise the domain and forward you to your agency’s authentication portal. After completing the agency-specific login—typically involving a PIV card or multi-factor verification—your identity is confirmed.
The first time you sign in, you will be prompted to create a traveler profile. Within the profile settings you can:
- Review and edit personal details such as name, phone number, and emergency contacts.
- Add or modify residential and mailing addresses.
- Enter a known traveler number (e.g., TSA PreCheck or Global Entry) to expedite security screening.
- Set travel preferences, including seat class, airline loyalty programs, and hotel rating thresholds.
- Save frequently used payment methods for quicker checkout.
All of these fields are optional, but completing them ahead of time streamlines the first booking and ensures the system can apply compliant travel rules automatically.
If you encounter any difficulties, the GO.gov support portal offers troubleshooting guides, contact information for live assistance, and resources for addressing security concerns. Travel managers can also access transition-planning materials on Connect.gov (login required) and may direct questions to [email protected].
