The benchmark to be used in this non-operational case is the standard of public accommodation that would be used back at base. If the crew had to be accommodated at/close to Lyneham overnight, they sure as hell should not be sent to the Wiltshire Hotel , unless the station could not accomodate them.
So, does the service accm at Bardufoss meet the standards of the messes and barracks at Lyneham? From what I remember of the Sgts Mess, its not difficult to meet.
Next question: can the capt (or his Flt Cdr) claim that he needs to keep all of his crew co-located (same building) overnight?) Difficult to answer yes with a structured transop that everybody is briefed on. Mobile phones now obviate the need to keep the crew together.
I think it is very difficult for anyone to justify hotac when acceptable service accm close to the airfield is available.
Clearly the crews do not make the decisions at the planning stage. As was always the case when I was an Ascoteer, someone else booked the hotel, the hire cars and the imprest well within the bounds of Gp Orders, to ensure that they could not be brought to book when the crew complained of fatigue. I suggest the Ops staff (at Gp?) should review their methods. "we always do it this way, because its easy (1 phone call to hotac)" is no longer good enough. Its certainly indefensible, regardless of any reference to finances.
Regards
Ed