In case an employee, for his or her convenience, travels by an indirect route or interrupts travel by direct route, the expenses shall be based on such charges as would have been incurred by a usually traveled route. The date and hour of leaving travel status and the date and hour of return to travel status (with respective odometer readings, if applicable) shall be shown. Return to duty status must be at the point which traveler left duty status or at some point equidistant near the point of flight. When weather or plane conditions cause interrupted flight and the expenses are absorbed by the airlines, no payment for meals or lodging will be made. Expenses for the first twenty-four hours are absorbed by the airlines.