Request For Information - 3rd Party Airline Travel Information

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the DHS/USSS 3rd Party Airline Travel Information RFI (70US0926ES0001). It clarifies requirements for a new commercial database to replace an existing one used for law enforcement travel data queries.

• Data Access: Vendors must already possess established data-sharing agreements with airlines and online travel agencies and maintain a database for law enforcement purposes. Direct access is required.
• Compliance: Access must comply with the Privacy Act of 1974, applicable DHS/USSS law enforcement authorities, and relevant federal regulations. Vendors must demonstrate compliance, provide SORNs, and have an established PIA.
• Access Type: Near-real-time access is acceptable, provided timely delivery for operational needs.
• System Features: The solution must support fuzzy matching and alias searching. It must include data from both domestic and international carriers.
• Integration: The system will not integrate with existing USSS investigative systems. Hosting will not be required within a DHS enclave.
• Solution Type: A vendor-hosted solution with an existing database is sought. Secure API-driven or portal-based solutions are preferred over encrypted email delivery.
• Data Residency: All delivered data and investigative results must reside within Government-controlled infrastructure for chain-of-custody and retention.
• Encryption: USSS requires FIPS 140-2/140-3 encryption standards.

This Q&A document clarifies key technical, compliance, and operational requirements for vendors responding to the RFI. It emphasizes the need for existing infrastructure and data-sharing agreements, and specifies preferred delivery methods (API/portal) and data residency requirements.

Request for Information (RFI)

This RFI is issued by the United States Secret Service (USSS) for planning purposes to gather information on existing capabilities or the feasibility of developing an online investigative searching tool/application. This tool would act as an intermediary between airlines and travel agencies (e.g., Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity).

The USSS is interested in understanding the potential for a tool that can provide specific search results, including but not limited to:

• Date of issue
• Ticket number
• Passenger name and record number
• Ticket segment number
• Dates and names of departure/lifting/plating carriers
• Flight number
• Origination and Destination Airports
• Form of payment
• Travel agency number
• Indication of voided ticket

The tool should also meet operational requirements such as secure/encrypted email delivery of results, inclusion of search date and criteria description within 5 working days, and a maximum 8-hour response time for exigent law enforcement requests (24/7).

• Company Name
• GSA Schedule Contract Number (if applicable)
• Company Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)
• Point of Contact (Name, Title, Email, Phone)
• Company Business Size Standard
• NAICS & Categories

Submissions should be emailed to Matthew Sutton (matthew.sutton@usss.dhs.gov) and Elizabeth Stephen (elizabeth.stephen@usss.dhs.gov).

• Questions Due: March 2, 2026, 0900 EST

• Submissions Due: March 5, 2026, 4pm EST

• This is an RFI only, not a Request for Quotation (RFQ) or Proposal (RFP).

• No price or technical quotes are requested.

• Responses are not offers and will not be accepted to form a contract.

• The government will not pay for any response expenses.

• All information received becomes government property.

• Responses to vendor questions may be published via amendment; vendor names will not be identified.