Commuting expenses are not tax free to your domicile. If the company gives your 2k to commute from home to your primary domicile you will owe taxes on that money. If it’s to commute to a temporary assignment the money would be tax free. Every airline I know provides transportation to temporary assignments so that should not come into play.
“Just to clarify, commuting expenses are not deductible. The time you spend traveling back and forth between your home and your business is considered commuting, and the expenses associated with commuting (standard mileage or actual expenses) are not deductible as
a business expense.
You cannot deduct commuting expenses no matter how far your home is from your place of work. Consider it like this: Everyone needs to get to work, employees and business owners alike, so this expense is not part of your specific business.”
“Can I deduct commuting expenses to and from work?
Unfortunately, commuting costs are not tax deductible. Commuting expenses incurred between your home and your main place of work, no matter how far are not an allowable deduction.
Costs of driving a car from home to work and back again are personal commuting expenses. This is also true for fares you pay to ride any of the following to and from work:
Bus
Trolley
Subway
Taxi
You can deduct daily transport expenses when you travel between your home and a temporary work location. A temporary work location is one that’s expected to (and does) last for one year or less. Usually this must be outside the metropolitan area where you live and normally work.
You can deduct the expenses for going between your home and a temporary work location if:
You have one or more regular work locations away from your home.
The work is in the same trade or business as your permanent work, regardless of the distance.
If your home is your main place of business, you can deduct transportation expenses you incur. The expenses must be for going from your home to another work location in the same trade or business”