Authorising and coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) 010-02100070

For:

• variations to pre-booked travel, see Table 6
• cancellations to pre-booked travel, see Table 7
• all other enquiries, go to Step 2

ABSTUDY Smart Centre Telephony Service Officers can accept and record a travel booking for the following students and their non-student travellers:

• in private board arrangements
• tertiary and secondary non-schooling
• attending Away from Base activities

ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Service Officers can accept and record travel bookings for all traveller types.

Individual travel requests are received from:

• or on behalf of a student doing tertiary or secondary non-schooling study
• or on behalf of a secondary school student who is in a private board arrangement, or
• an education/board provider on behalf of a student who is boarding at a school or hostel

Bulk and group travel requests are received from:

• boarding schools or hostels for secondary school students and non-student traveller, or
• tertiary institutions for students doing an Away from Base activity

Is the student or non-student traveller eligible for Fares Allowance (FAA)?

• Yes, for:
• Individual travel requests, go to Step 3
• Bulk and group travel requests, go to Step 4
• No, the student or non-student traveller is not eligible for FAA. See Table 8, Step 4

Unless there are unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, an individual request for fares to be authorised and booked in advance of the journey should be submitted:

• as soon as possible
• preferably no later than 10 days before the journey
• within the required timeframe

Note: compassionate travel is excluded from this requirement.

Has the FAA request been received in the allowable timeframes?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 5

Group travel booking requests for fares to be authorised and booked in advance of the journey must be submitted to Services Australia within the required timeframe. The exception is where there are unforeseen and exceptional circumstances

Timeframes vary depending on who has submitted the request and the type of travel being undertaken

• Secondary boarding schools or hostels requesting bulk/group travel for:
• school vacation, end/start of year, Special Purpose and Orientation Visit travel, for 10 or more passengers regardless of dates, at least 7 weeks before the travel date
• all other travel reasons or where there are 9 or fewer passengers for the same event, at least 10 days before the travel date
• Tertiary institutions requesting group travel for Away from Base, at least:
• 3 weeks before the travel date for 9 or fewer passengers
• 4 weeks before the travel date, for 10 or more passengers

Has the FAA request been received within these timeframes?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, for:
• secondary boarding bulk and group requests, go to Step 5
• Away from Base group requests, go to Step 7

Are there unforeseen and exceptional circumstances which prevented the FAA request from being lodged in the prescribed timeframes?

• Yes, late lodgement of a travel request can be accepted, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 6

A late booking request usually means CTM cannot guarantee that the requested travel dates can be booked in the short timeframe.

Contact the person requesting the travel to discuss the requested travel date, the required timeframes and encourage them to request a travel date within a reasonable timeframe:

• for individual requests, book travel for a date at least 10 days from the date of contact
• for bulk and group travel requests, book travel for a date at least 7 weeks from the date of contact

If not suitable and travel is:

• to be booked within the requested timeframes:
• advise the applicant that Corporate Travel Management (CTM) may not be able to facilitate a date within the short timeframe and travel may be booked for the next available date
• go to Step 9
• not to be pre-booked:
• advise the applicant that they can book and pay for the travel and claim reimbursement after the travel is completed
• advise the applicant of the decision and record details on a DOC on the record
• procedure ends here

If the group travel request is received from an education representative via:

• ABSTUDY Smart Centre Call, warm transfer the caller to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Away from Base Team using the Services Australia Workspace Transfer Options list
• If a call back is required, use the Away from Base callback required Fast Note to notify the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Away from Base Team
• use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > ABSTUDY Travel > Away from Base callback required
• Procedure ends here
• ABSTUDY Smart Centre Away from Base Team, go to Step 8

Are there unforeseen and exceptional circumstances impacting travel which prevented the FAA request from being lodged in the prescribed timeframes?

• Yes, late lodgement of a group travel request can be accepted, go to Step 9
• No, the education institution or board provider must book and pay for the travel and claim reimbursement after the travel is completed. An ABSTUDY Fares Allowance Claim (SY032) must be lodged with Services Australia by the closing date. Advise the education institution of the decision and record details on a DOC in the organisation's record. Procedure ends here

To accept a travel request, the following information is required about the student or non-student traveller:

• Reason the student or non-student traveller needs to travel
• Where the student or non-student traveller is travelling to and from
• Date(s) student or non-student traveller wishes to travel
• Mode of transport. Note: approval is based on the most practical and cost effective mode of transport for the journey which is reasonable in the circumstances
• Student or non-student traveller's name on their identification, including the title, such as. Miss, Mr, Mrs. Update the preferred name on the Customer Person Detail Summary (CPDS) screen if not already listed. Note: ensure the customers preferred name and title have been confirmed with the school/boarding provider, parent/guardian or student prior to making any updates. See Aliases and other names (legal, preferred, sex and gender diverse customers, cultural considerations etc)
• Phone number. Ensure the Telephone Summary (TDS) screen is up to date
• Email address is included to send a copy of the itinerary. To check the email address, in Customer First, go to the Email Address (EMA) screen
• Whether the student or non-student traveller has excess baggage above the applicable limits, see Additional costs associated with travel for ABSTUDY
• Whether the student or non-student traveller need accommodation or transfers during the journey. If accommodation is requested for multiple travellers, room configuration details must be obtained. For further information, see Additional costs associated with travel for ABSTUDY

Once all details have been received, go to Step 10.

If weekend or public holiday travel is requested for primary or secondary students under 18, the student must have:

• a supervisor, and
• a Safe Travel Plan (STP) for the journey

This is the responsibility of the student, parent/guardian, education/boarding provider responsible for requesting the travel.

If a supervisor is unavailable due to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, travel can be approved if the boarding school/provider:

• understands their responsibility to manage risks, and
• implements the STP

They must provide emergency contact numbers to be included in the booking with Corporate Travel Management (CTM). Add the numbers to the Notes tab of the booking if the student meets the above criteria

Does the student require a mandatory STP?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 15

Students in primary or secondary school under 18 years old must have an STP to have pre-booked travel approved.

Where there is no STP, the student will not qualify for FAA authorised in advance. The travel will be rejected, unless there is unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, For example, a student is travelling for orientation and is accompanied by a supervisor, but no STP is in place.

Use of the Exceptional Circumstances code is discretionary. Do not use the code to approve pre-booked travel where there is no STP or unforeseen and exceptional circumstances.

If unforeseen and exceptional circumstances apply, record details in the Notes tab of the relevant booking within the Travel Management Application (TMA). Include:

• details of the student's circumstances
• the applicable ABSTUDY Policy reference
• any other information critical to the decision

Is there a STP or do unforeseen and exceptional circumstances apply?

• Yes, go to Step 12
• No, reject the travel. An STP is required before travel can be approved:
• ABSTUDY Smart Centre telephony, record details of the discussion on a DOC. Explain the student's review and appeal rights. Procedure ends here
• ABSTUDY Travel Team, finalise the travel request in the TMA with a Booking Status of Rejected. Record decision details in the Notes tab. See Table 8, Step 4

Services Australia may determine a primary or secondary school student under 18 years old, needs mandatory supervision when assessing a pre-booked travel request.

Examples of circumstances where mandatory supervision would be required include:

• vulnerable students
• students under 12 years old at time of travel
• students travelling on a weekend or public holiday and there are no unforeseen and exceptional circumstances for not having a supervisor
• where a student has had 2 or more no shows without valid reason in the calendar year
• where it is a requirement of the travel carrier. For example, Greyhound Australia requires supervisors for children under 15 years of age
• where there are reports from the travel carrier of property damage by the student
• where an STP has previously been deemed inadequate to manage a travel disruption

See Non-student travellers for ABSTUDY to determine who can be an approved supervisor.

Note: in exceptional or unforeseen circumstances, prebooked travel may be booked without mandatory supervision, if the boarding school/provider:

• understands their responsibility to manage risks, and
• implements the STP

See the Resources page for examples.

Is a mandatory supervision required?

• Yes, and an approved supervisor has been nominated, go to Step 14. If no supervisor has been nominated, reject the travel. For:
• ABSTUDY Smart Centre telephony, record details of the discussion on a DOC. Explain the student's review and appeal rights. Procedure ends here
• ABSTUDY Travel Team, finalise the travel request in the TMA with a Booking Status of Rejected. Record details of the decision in the Notes tab. See Table 8, Step 4
• No, go to Step 13

For students between 12 and 17 years old travelling great distances, on multiple carriers or who may be at risk of a travel disruption, a supervisor is strongly recommended. Contact the person requesting the travel to discuss any risk/s identified if the student were to travel unsupervised. Record details of the discussion in a note on the students booking.

Is a supervisor to be included in the booking?

• Yes, go to Step 14
• No, go to Step 15

To accept a travel request, the following information is required for the supervisor:

• full name
• contact phone number. If they do not have a phone number establish how they can be contacted if there is a change in travel or emergency
• where they are travelling to and from
• return date for supervisor if applicable

The supervisor nominated should:

• ensure the child meets all travel arrangements shown on the travel itinerary
• supervise the child during transit periods between travel carriers
• supervise the child if they experience travel disruptions, such as transport or weather delays
• supervise the child in overnight accommodation if a travel disruption means travel arrangements need to be rebooked for the next day
• have a current contact number and provide this to the agency to contact if a disruption occurs

A 'No-Show' is where an approved ABSTUDY traveller failed to travel when it had been authorised and booked in advance.

To determine if a student or non-student traveller is eligible for fares to be authorised in advance due to a previous No Show, see No show for ABSTUDY travel.

Is the student or non-student traveller eligible for fares to be authorised in advance for the journey?

• Yes, go to Step 16
• No:
• The student or non-student traveller must book and pay for the travel and claim reimbursement after the travel is completed
• A complete ABSTUDY Fares Allowance Claim (SY032) must be lodged with the agency by the closing date
• Reject the Prebooked Travel
• ABSTUDY Smart Centre telephony, record details of the discussion on a DOC. Explain the student's review and appeal rights. Procedure ends here
• ABSTUDY Travel Team, finalise the travel request in the TMA with a Booking Status of Rejected. Record details of the decision in the Notes tab. See Table 8, Step 4

The requested travel can be booked in advance. Complete a Travel Booking Request in the TMA.

Is the booking request from an organisation via the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form?

• Yes, see Table 2
• No, for requests received by an ABSTUDY Smart Centre:
• Telephony Service Officer, see Table 4
• Travel Service Officer through the positional mailbox, see Table 4
• Travel Service Officer through Workload Management (WLM) as a Pending Approval Work Item, see Table 3

The organisation needs to complete the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form. This is sent to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team via the positional mailbox for processing. For travel requests for 2 or more travellers, the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form must be uploaded into Process Direct as a standard Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx) to create a group.

The ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form has 3 sheets, Booking Information, Travel Arrangements and Linked Travellers. These must be completed before the form is uploaded to the TMA. See the Resource page for further information about each sheet.

For bookings received via the positional mailbox for 2 or more travellers not in the form, key the travel request details into the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form to enable a group to be created.

To pre-link travellers using the Linked Travellers sheet, select Yes in the Linked Travellers Reqd column on the Booking Information sheet.

To link 2 traveller's bookings, select the first booking in the 'Traveller 1'column, and the second booking in the 'Traveller 2'column.

Multiple links may need to be entered. For example, where a supervisor is travelling with several students, each student booking will require a link to the supervisor's booking.

Search for the organisation's record via the Organisation Summary tile in Process Direct to check the booking has not already been uploaded to the TMA.

To complete a travel booking:

• Save the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form to the desktop
• Access the TMA by selecting the Travel Management tile from the Process Direct landing page
• The TMA will open with no record or booking in context, and will auto-navigate to the Maintenance tab
• The Upload Bookings function will be selected by default. Select Browse to locate the relevant ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form Excel spreadsheet file on the desktop
• Select the Excel file. The information from the Booking Form will populate onto the Maintenance tab. Select Create Bookings
• Message Upload Successful will display, however the TMA may still be processing individual bookings within the group. Once all individual bookings have been generated, the TMA will then complete any required linking between bookings. The time required to complete the upload process can be affected by a several factors, such as the size of the group. Updates to individual bookings can commence within the group prior to the upload completing however avoid linking travellers or altering data on the Organisation record. Return to the Maintenance tab and select the Check Status button to confirm if the upload is complete
• The TMA will validate all CRNs, and check for potential duplicate bookings. Bookings passing validation will be auto-created and linked to any associated travellers as per the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation- Booking Form
• The TMA will create the booking on the organisation record for the school/hostel
• Go to the Documents tab. A Booking Upload Log message will display in the Documents tab along with documents containing summarised copies of the bookings and any links within the group. A copy of the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form Excel spreadsheet file will auto-save to the Documents tab
• Check the Booking Upload Log for any errors, such as CRNs failing validation or duplicate bookings:
• The TMA will identify any existing bookings for the traveller that are within 7 days of the travel date/s on the new booking. Where the new booking includes both a forward and return date, existing travel falling between these dates will also be identified. If an existing booking is identified as a potential duplicate, the upload will error and not create a booking. If it is determined the booking is not a duplicate a new individual booking can be created
• For invalid CRN errors, locate the correct CRN for the customer. Determine with consideration on the number of errors, to either create individual bookings for these travellers, or use the spreadsheet template to create another group upload for the failed CRNs. This method will create a second group booking
• The TMA will display the successful bookings on the Groups tab. All individual traveller details display in the Individual Travellers section of this tab with a Booking Status of New
• Where any errors are addressed by creating individual bookings for the travellers, add them back into the original group booking. See Table 5 for coding assistance. Once errors are addressed, return to this step.
• An individual booking added to a group booking incorrectly cannot be removed from the group. It can only be cancelled:
• Select the individual from the Groups tab
• Go to the Bookings tab
• Adjust the Booking Status to Cancelled
• Select the appropriate cancellation reason, and
• Select Save. If necessary, travel arrangements for this individual can be re-booked outside the group

Go to Step 3.

When the group booking has been successfully uploaded:

• Access each individual booking to make the required updates. Select an individual booking from the Groups tab to bring the booking into context
• Ensure all information recorded on the individual booking is correct and booking notes added. See Table 4 for assistance. Once bookings are checked for correctness, return to this step.
• Return to the relevant group booking from the Groups tab or by selecting the Group booking hyperlink at the top of the TMA

When all individual bookings have been updated, see Table 8, Step 1.

Is the travel request for travel within 2 business days of the request being sent to Corporate Travel Management (CTM)?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

Where an urgent request for travel within 2 business days of the request is being sent to CTM, contact CTM prior to sending the request to:

• check flight availability/charter options, and
• notify CTM that an urgent travel request is being sent

For requests received through Workload Management (WLM) as a Pending Approval Work Item, review the request and confirm FAA eligibility.

For eligibility assessment, see Assessing eligibility for Fares Allowance (FAA) for ABSTUDY.

Is the traveller eligible for this travel request?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, see Table 8, Step 4

In the relevant Booking ID#:

• go to the Bookings tab. Select Edit
• ensure Booking Status is set to the applicable status
• select Save
• check the Parties tab. Ensure the Booking Status is also updated for any linked travellers

Send the booking request/s to CTM, see Table 8.

All customers, both students and non-student travellers, must have a valid Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN).

If a customer does not have a valid CRN, a conduct a search to ensure no record exists before adding a new record for a customer. See Searching for a customer on the system.

For dependent traveller types under 16 years of age who only have a child (CHI) record, do not convert the CHI record into a person (PER) record to create a booking in the Travel Management Application (TMA).

When the commencement or destination location is different for the forward or return trips, record separate bookings in the TMA to reflect the journey.

Note: the Overview tab draws upon information on the customer's record from the Income Security Integrated System (ISIS). Update the customer record before exporting the travel request to Corporate Travel Management (CTM) if core customer data:

• has been provided, and
• is either not coded or incorrect in the Personal section of the Overview tab

To record a travel booking:

• locate the correct customer's record by accessing the TMA, and
• select Create New Booking, which navigates to the Overview tab

The Overview tab contains the following sub headings:

• Personal, includes information such as:
• customer's Preferred Name
• date of birth and age
• address, email and contact number
• Travel Requirements, includes:
• Student's benefit status
• Safe Travel Plan (STP) - must confirm whether an STP is in place (or exceptional circumstances apply), and key the relevant outcome when creating bookings for primary or secondary students under 18 years of age.
• For all other travellers (such as tertiary, secondary non-school students or associated non-student travellers) select No as STPs do not apply
• Away from home reason
• Mandatory supervision requirements
• Education Details:
• The student's course information. If there are multiple courses, select the course applicable to the journey or reimbursement being created. For bookings using the End/Start of Year Travel reason, select the course applicable to the forward trip of the journey. Code the trips in the same booking
• Masters and Doctorate Student:
• Pre-populated from ISIS, this will advise if the student has ever previously accessed Relocation Allowance
• Emergency Contact Details:
• Names and contact numbers for emergency contacts in case of a travel disruption. This is a mandatory field for all students under 18 years of age
• Travel Critical Information:
• A free text field, limited to 255 characters, which can be used to store important information about an individual that can be carried over to new bookings. For example, 'Student has a fear of flying, do not book air travel'. This field must only be used for ongoing information relevant to travel, not for information relevant only to the booking in context
• Interstate Travel Assessments, displays the outcome of any interstate travel assessment. When coding group bookings, code the following fields:
• Assessment Reason: select the applicable reason for the assessment
• Assessment Outcome: Approved or Rejected
• Intrastate Education Institution: is visible when the Cost Effective To Travel Interstate Assessment Reason is used
• Intrastate Education Institution Location: is visible when the Cost Effective To Travel Interstate Assessment Reason is used
• Interstate Education Institution: key the name of the interstate education institution the student is attending or requesting to attend
• Interstate Education Institution Location: key the location of the interstate education institution the student is attending or requesting to attend
• Assessment Start Date: key the date from which the assessment applies. This may be a past or future date. For example, the assessment is being coded in October but will not apply until 1 January of the following year
• Assessment End Date: complete when the student loses entitlement to interstate travel. For example, completion of their course, change of secondary school, or scholarship entitlement has ceased

Once the above fields are completed, select Save. A message will appear advising of a successfully created booking and the Booking ID#.

The Booking tab will display, complete the relevant booking information for the travel:

• Date of Receipt, will default to today's date
• Booking Status, bookings created should display:
• Pending Approval for ABSTUDY Telephony Service Officers, and
• New for ABSTUDY Travel Service Officers
• Manual update to the Booking Status may be required. Save bookings with a New or Pending Approval status so any further status changes can occur. For example, if the request is to be exported and sent to CTM, the status would be initially saved as New or Pending Approval, before being updated to Requested. Booking status changes can only be performed by ABSTUDY Travel Service Officers. See the Resources page for Booking Status definitions
• Traveller Type:
• Companions
• Dependents: used for approved student and non-student dependents
• Education Representative: also used for drivers or pilots of chartered transport. See Non-student beneficiaries for ABSTUDY Away from Base assistance
• Family or Community Members
• Notional Student Traveller: used when the student is not travelling, however a non-student traveller (such as a parent or education representative) is travelling independently under the student's FAA entitlement. The non-student traveller's booking must be linked to the Notional Student Traveller booking
• Student
• Supervisor
• Status Reason, where a Booking Status is Cancelled or Rejected, select the applicable cancellation or rejection reason. This field is not required for bookings made via Smart Centre Telephony
• Travel Reason: select the appropriate travel type

Note: travel reasons relevant to the applicable study level will display where the Traveller Type selected is Student or Notional Student Traveller. For example, School Vacation will not be displayed for tertiary students. This does not apply for other traveller types, or when the Booking Status selected is Rejected. Where travel is being coded for a non-student dependent, ensure the travel reason selected matched the supervisor.

Continue completing the relevant booking information for the travel

• Forward Travel Date
• Return Travel Date (if required)
• Note: where accommodation is required prior to pre-booked travel:
• record the date of travel in the Forward Travel Date field, and
• make note of accommodation requirements in the Comments, including room configuration details. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards
• Issue letter, select Yes or No. This field only displays when a Booking Status of Rejected is selected
• Travel From State/Territory, key the approved State/Territory abbreviation as below:
• ACT
• NSW
• NT
• QLD
• SA
• TAS
• VIC
• WA
• O/SEAS
• Travel From
• Travel To State/Territory, key the approved State/Territory abbreviation as above
• Travel To
• Note: code the Travel From and Travel To fields with the location of the accommodation if:
• coding additional costs for accommodation and meals only, and
• pre-booked travel is not required
• Travel Mode, see Determining the appropriate mode of transport for ABSTUDY Fares Allowance (FAA)
• Alternative Route, see Determining the appropriate travel destination for ABSTUDY Fares Allowance (FAA):
• Alternative Commencement Location: when travel is commencing at a point along the usual route
• Alternative Termination Location: when travel is terminating at a point along the usual route
• Exceptional Circumstances: when travel is to/from a point not along the usual route due to unforeseen/exceptional circumstances
• Booking Reference: completed after an itinerary is received. This is not required for bookings made through Smart Centre Call
• Semi-Flexible Fare: completed after an itinerary is received. This is not required for bookings made through Smart Centre Call
• Comments:
• include requests for accommodation, meals, transfers and any special instructions in field. Room configuration details must also be included. See the Resources page for ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards
• add the following keywords to field, if travel is requested for:
  an expelled or excluded student CPT/EXC
  Special Purpose travel approved that does not contribute to the 3 event limits EXESPV
• if additional costs for accommodation and meals have been approved and pre-booked travel is not required, include the following: NO TRAVEL - ACM/MEA only required
• if the booking is for a non-student dependent, include the following 'Additional Assistance (paid as Fares Allowance) granted as per APM Chapter: 99'
• include INFANT for travel for a passenger aged under 2 years

For data export and letter purposes, ensure:

• relevant documentation must be added as an attachment to a travel booking prior to exporting the request. This may include travel requests submitted by the Education Institution and/or evidence submitted to support a travel eligibility decision (e.g. compassionate travel)
• details keyed in the Travel To and Travel From fields are recorded in the correct format and spelling. Use the town/community location name, not the school/hostel name. Do not use acronyms, shorten the destination names or use lower case font. For example, TI or Thurs Is instead of THURSDAY ISLAND
• private address details are recorded under the Comments field, not in the Travel To and Travel From fields, as this impacts travel reports

Information recorded in the Comments field is included in the export spreadsheet to CTM

Once the above fields are completed, select Save.

Has a warning message appeared due to current travel date/s within 7 days of the new travel date/s?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

The TMA will identify any existing bookings for the traveller that are within 7 days of the travel date/s on the new booking. Where the new booking includes both a forward and return date, existing travel that is between these travel dates will also be identified.

If an existing booking is identified as a potential duplicate, a warning message will display. Determine whether to proceed with creating the new booking, or to vary the details on the existing booking.

Is a variation required?

• Yes, see Table 6
• No, go to Step 7

To include any detailed information with the booking, go to the Notes tab. To add notes to a booking, see Travel Management Application (TMA).

Information required for all travel:

• details of any:
• discretionary decisions made (such as, why the number of nights of accommodation has been approved)
• conversations had with the traveller or education/board provider regarding security deposits and incidental charges incurred during the travellers stay
• for weekend/public holiday travel, that supervisor and the Safe Travel Plan (STP) requirements are met where applicable and that relevant conversations have been had with the traveller or education/board provider regarding travel disruptions
• the relevant chapter of the ABSTUDY Policy to support the decision

Information required for compassionate travel:

• Compassionate travel is granted to attend a funeral? Yes/No. If yes, has the funeral been verified/requested? Yes/No. The Resources page contains a link to Indigenous Funeral Notices
• If evidence is required? If so, was it provided prior to travelling or will it be supplied after the travel has occurred?

Information required for Special Purpose Visit travel:

• Reason parent, family or community member is attending the education institution
• See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards

Does the student need to be linked to another students/s and/or non-student traveller/s?

• Yes, see Table 5
• No, see Table 8

The TMA provides staff with a variety of options to manage individual travellers and group bookings.

Note: where required, students can also be linked to another student booking, for example, where siblings are travelling together. Use the same process as linking students and non-student travellers.

To:

• link students and non-student travellers, go to Step 2
• unlink linked travellers, go to Step 3
• add individual travellers to group bookings, go to Step 4
• link students and non-student travellers within a group booking, go to Step 5

Linking students to non-student travellers is done using the Parties tab. Where 2 or more non-student traveller bookings require linking to a student booking, commence the linking process with the non-student traveller's booking in context each time.

Create the individual booking for the student via the process outlined in Table 4. Take note of the CRN and Booking ID:

• locate the CRN for the relevant non-student traveller. If no CRN, add the customer to the system. Note: in the case of dependent travellers, a child CRN can be accessed in Process Direct and used to create a dependent traveller booking in TMA. There is no requirement to index the child record first
• create an individual booking for the non-student traveller using the same process. Once saved, go to the Parties tab with the non-student traveller's booking in context
• the non-student traveller's booking will display in the Booking Parties section of the tab. Select Edit, then select Link Travellers
• key the student's CRN in the Traveller 2 CRN field, press [Enter]
• select
• locate and select the Booking ID# created for the student's booking and select OK
• select Save. TMA will link the 2 bookings together on both records, referring to each other
• repeat the process to link any other relevant bookings. For example, where a supervisor is accompanying several students
• move between the linked bookings via the Parties tab to bring each booking into context as needed

To finalise the travel booking, see Table 8.

Unlinking of bookings is actioned on the Parties tab as follows:

• with the student or non-student traveller's record in context in Process Direct, select the relevant Booking ID# from the Bookings tab
• go to the Parties tab of TMA and select Edit
• select Unlink beside the booking which needs to be unlinked
• select Save
• TMA will unlink the 2 bookings

If required, another Booking ID# can then be located and linked. Procedure ends here.

To add an individual booking to an existing group booking:

• create the individual bookings for each student, taking note of the CRNs and Booking ID#s. See Table 4. Once new bookings are created, return to this step.
• access the organisation record in Process Direct and select the relevant Booking ID# from Fares to open TMA with the group booking in context
• go to the Parties tab
• select Edit
• select Add Booking to Group, key the CRN of the first student to be added and press [Enter]
• select . All individual bookings for this student will be displayed. Select the relevant Booking ID# to be added to the group booking, select Ok, then Save
• repeat the process as necessary for any other students
• TMA will add the booking/s into the group

To finalise the travel booking, see Table 8, Step 1.

If a student needs to be added to an existing group booking and the student has a non-student traveller, such as a supervisor:

• create the individual bookings for both the student and non-student traveller, taking note of the CRNs and Booking ID#s. See Table 4. Once new bookings are created, return to this step
• access the organisation record in Process Direct and select the relevant Booking ID# from Fares to open TMA with the group booking in context
• go to the Parties tab
• select Edit
• select Add Booking to Group, key the student's CRN and press [Enter]
• select
• all individual bookings for the student will be displayed. Select the relevant Booking ID# to be added to the group booking
• repeat the process for the non-student traveller
• TMA will add the booking/s into the group. Take note of the Booking ID# for the student and non-student traveller
• link the student and non-student traveller as per Step 2 above

To finalise the travel booking, see Table 8, Step 1.

A travel variation involves changing the details (for example, dates or destination) of a travel booking with a status of Requested or Booked in the Travel Management Application (TMA).

In some cases, the new travel date is unknown. For example, when a student attends a funeral in the community and the community/family cannot confirm the date the funeral will end. The existing travel is cancelled and re-booked with the new travel date when known.

Requests to vary booked travel must meet any of the following allowable exceptions:

• unforeseen and exceptional circumstances
• to reunite with their immediate family who have temporarily moved
• to attend a funeral and the parents have left their permanent home to commence arrangements early, and:
• there is no family to supervise the student, or
• to arrange transport for the student to the temporary location of the parents
• the student cannot return to or travel from their permanent home temporarily due to adverse weather events outside of their control
• in circumstances where it is deemed more convenient or appropriate for an non-student traveller, who requires travel along their usual route, and needs to:
• terminate at a point prior to reaching the study location or permanent home, or
• commence their travel from a location along their usual route that is not their normal starting point

The Process and Resources pages of Determining the appropriate travel destination for ABSTUDY Fares Allowance (FAA) provides further information and scenarios for assessing travel.

Does the variation meet any of the above allowable exceptions?

• Yes and the travel variation request been received by a Telephony Service Officer. Go to Step 3
• Yes and the travel variation request been received by the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel or Away from Base Teams. if the travel variation was:
• initiated by CTM, go to Step 2
• not initiated by CTM, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 11

Where a travel variation is received from CTM the booking alteration will be finalised. The TMA is updated with the new travel details and the new itinerary is uploaded when received.

If CTM verbally advise that a variation is required for 5 or more travellers, the new travel details must be sent via email from CTM to the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox.

Access the Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, then:

• select the applicable travel request Booking ID#
• go to the Bookings tab and select Edit
• update the Date of Receipt field (if the variation was received on a day that differs to when the update is being made, for example, variation advice was sent on a weekend and the update is being actioned the next working day)
• update Status to Rescheduled
• update the booking fields as required to reflect any changes from the original booking details, such as travel date. Add the text 'CTM variation - see notes' to the Comments field
• select Save
• select the Notes tab and select Edit
• add detailed notes explaining the reason for the reschedule, select Save
• select the Documents tab and select Edit
• add the new itinerary to the travel booking, if received. See Travel Management Application (TMA)
• select Save

The Bookings tab summary will display the rescheduled booking and the booked new travel arrangements.

An amendment request is not required to be sent to CTM, as they were the originator of the amendment advice. Contact the student/parent/educational provider by phone and advise of the revised travel details (they will also receive a revised itinerary).

For any change in itinerary details that will or have disrupted the travel and the student may be considered at risk, see ABSTUDY students experiencing disrupted travel.

Procedure ends here.

Has the request been received by a Telephony Service Officer and travel is for today or the next business day?

• Yes:
• use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > ABSTUDY Travel > ABSTUDY Travel Variation
• warm transfer the call immediately to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel or Away from Base Teams using the Services Australia Workspace Transfer Options list or the transfer numbers in Office Locator. See Processing Services details for: ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES
• Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 4

Is the new travel date known?

• Yes, for ABSTUDY Smart Centre:
• Telephony Service Officers, go to Step 7
• Travel and Away from Base Service Officers, go to Step 8
• No, for ABSTUDY Smart Centre:
• Telephony Service Officers, go to Step 5
• Travel and Away from Base Service Officers, go to Step 6

As the new travel date is not known, the revised travel date must be requested at a later date. The current travel request must be cancelled.

For a student or non-student traveller requesting a variation and the travel date is 2 or more days in the future, access the Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable Booking ID#, then:

• select the applicable travel request
• with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Notes tab and select Edit
• update the travel booking by adding detailed notes, explain the reason for cancelling the original request. See Travel Management Application (TMA)
• go back to the Bookings tab
• add the text 'travel variation - see notes' in the Comments field
• save the changes and ensure the Booking Status has changed to Pending Approval. This creates a Work Item that will then allocate via Workload Management (WLM) to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel or Away from Base Teams for action

Procedure ends here.

As the new travel date is not known, the revised travel date will need to be requested at a later date. The current travel request will need to be cancelled.

For a student or non-student traveller requesting a variation and the travel date is 2 or more days in the future, access the Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable Booking ID#, then:

• select the applicable travel request
• with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Bookings tab and select Edit
• update Status to Cancelled
• insert a relevant Status Reason
• include details of the cancellation in the Comments field. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards. Where accommodation has been requested, include any change to the number of rooms and/or beds where applicable
• select Save and go to the Notes tab
• detailed notes must be recorded:
• Who contacted
• Contact date and time
• Details of request
• Details of unforeseen or exceptional circumstances
• the following text must also be recorded under the Notes tab:
• 'the journey/leg(s) can be rebooked once new travel date is confirmed as the criteria for 'unforeseen/exceptional circumstances 'has been met'

CTM is required to be notified of the cancellation requirement. See Table 8, Step 5.

To key a variation to travel, access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, then:

• select the applicable travel request Booking ID#
• go to the Notes tab and select Edit
• add detailed notes explaining the reason for rescheduled
• go to the Bookings tab and select Edit
• update the booking fields, such as travel date and destination, as required. Add the text 'travel variation - see notes' to the Comments field
• select Save
• after saving, ensure Booking Status has changed to Pending Approval. This will then allocate via Workload Management (WLM) to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel or Away from Base Teams for action

Advise the student or non-student traveller the variation request will be assessed and they will be contacted to confirm the outcome of their request.

Procedure ends here.

Note: where an urgent request for travel within 2 business days of the request is being sent to CTM, contact CTM prior to sending the request to:

• check flight availability/charter options, and
• notify CTM that an urgent travel request is being sent

Is the request to change the forward or return trip only?

• Yes,
• to change the destination on the forward or return trip only, go to Step 9
• if the forward trip has been undertaken, go to Step 9
• if the forward trip has not been undertaken, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 10

To key the variation in the TMA for a destination, or if the forward trip has been undertaken:

• select the applicable travel request
• with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Bookings tab and select Edit
• delete all travel details that are to be varied (such as return date and destination)
• leave all other travel details that have already been undertaken unaltered
• select Save

A new booking will now need to be created for the trip that is to be varied. Whilst still in the relevant customer's record:

• Create New Booking. See Table 4 for coding assistance. Once new booking created, return to this step
• after updating the Overview tab, go to the Bookings tab and insert all travel details that require variation (such as travel date and destination)
• update the Booking Status to Rescheduled
• include details of the amended travel in the Comments field. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards. Where accommodation has been booked, include any change to the number of rooms and/or beds where applicable
• select Save
• go to the Notes tab and select Edit
• detailed notes must be recorded:
• Who contacted
• Contact date and time
• Details of request
• Details of unforeseen or exceptional circumstances, including any quarantine or self-isolation orders
• Travel amended from date to date
• Original booking number
• select Save

CTM is required to be notified of the variation requirement. See Table 8, Step 5.

Access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, then:

• select the applicable travel request Booking ID#
• go to the Bookings tab and select Edit
• update the booking fields as required to reflect any changes from the original booking details, such as travel date and destination
• update Booking Status to Rescheduled
• include details of the amended travel in the Comments field. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards. Where accommodation has been booked, include any change to the number of rooms and/or beds where applicable
• select Save
• select the Notes tab and select Edit
• detailed notes must be recorded:
• Who contacted
• Contact date and time
• Details of request
• Details of unforeseen or exceptional circumstances, including any quarantine or self-isolation orders
• Travel amended from date to date
• Original booking number
• select Save

CTM is required to be notified of the variation requirement. See Table 8, Step 5.

Advise Services Australia cannot make a variation to the travel. The student or non-student traveller must travel as per the pre-arranged itinerary or cancel the travel arrangements with the agency.

Where a secondary student discontinues study before the end of the school term they no longer qualify for ABSTUDY entitlements from the date they discontinued studies at school.

Does the student or non-student traveller wish to cancel their pre-booked travel arrangements?

• Yes, see Table 7
• No, record a DOC on the student or non-student traveller's record with the decision:
• If a secondary student discontinues study before the end of term, send a Fast Note to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing Service Team. Include the date the secondary student discontinued studies
• use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Boarder ACTION request
• Procedure ends here

A travel booking can be cancelled prior to the 24 hours cut off period if the traveller/s no longer require the FAA for that journey. This does not include travel cancelled for a variation due to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances impacting travel. See Fares Allowance authorised in advance.

If a request to cancel travel is within 24 hours of the journey, a No Show - Penalty or No Show - No Penalty will be recorded depending on the reason the journey needs cancelling.

Cancellation of a pre-booked/authorised travel journey means travel for that same journey may not be re-booked. That is, the student or non-student traveller no longer needs the travel. Students and non-student travellers must consider this when requesting a cancellation.

If travel is cancelled, the same travel (journey/trip/leg) may not be re-booked later.

Ask all student or non-student travellers who want to cancel a booked journey if:

• the journey is no longer required, or
• they want a variation to the original booking for the journey

Does the student or non-student traveller wish to proceed with the cancellation?

• Yes and the cancellation request is at least 24 hours before the departure, for
• Telephony Service Officers, go to Step 2
• Travel and Away from Base Service Officers, go to Step 3
• Yes and the cancellation request received within 24 hours of the departure. See No Show for ABSTUDY travel, procedure ends here
• No, record a DOC on the student or non-student traveller's record with the decision. Procedure ends here

Is the travel today or the next business day?

• Yes:
• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > ABSTUDY Travel > ABSTUDY Travel Cancellation
• Immediately warm transfer the call to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel or Away from Base Teams using the Services Australia Workspace Transfer Options list.
• No, access the Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable Booking ID#, then:
• select the applicable travel request
• with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Notes tab and select Edit
• update the travel booking by adding detailed notes within the Notes tab to explain the reason for cancelling the original request
• go back to the Bookings tab
• add the text 'travel cancellation - see notes in the Comments field
• save the changes and ensure the Booking Status has changed to Pending Approval. This will then allocate via Workload Management to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team for action. Procedure ends here

Is the cancellation for the entire journey?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 5

To record a cancellation of a travel booking for a student or non-student traveller, access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record and all linked travellers and locate the applicable Booking ID #, then:

• select the applicable travel request
• with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Bookings tab and select Edit
• update Status to Cancelled
• insert a relevant Status Reason
• include details of the cancellation in the Comments field. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards. Where accommodation has been booked, include any change to the number of rooms and/or beds where applicable
• select Save and go to the Notes tab
• detailed notes must be recorded on the relevant booking:
• Who contacted
• Contact date and time
• Why the journey was cancelled
• Is an assessment required to cancel the student's ABSTUDY? Yes/No. If yes, arrange for ABSTUDY to be reassessed

When cancelling travel for a family member traveller that is linked to a notional student traveller booking, Service Officers must ensure the notional student traveller booking status is also changed to 'cancelled'.

The cancelled travel booking must be sent to Corporate Travel Management (CTM) for finalisation. See Table 8, Step 5.

To record a cancellation for a trip within a journey for a student or non-student traveller, access Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable Booking ID#, then:

• select the applicable travel request
• with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Bookings tab and select Edit
• delete the travel date that is to be cancelled. Note: if removing the forward travel date, the remaining return date will need to be moved into the Forward Travel Date field. Ensure the correct locations are reflected in the Travel From and Travel To fields
• select Save
• a new booking will now need to be created for the trip that is to be cancelled. Whilst still in the relevant customer's record, select Create New Booking. See Table 1
• insert the travel date for the cancelled travel and complete/change any other details as required
• insert the booking reference number from the original Booking ID#
• include details of the cancellation in the Comments field. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards. Where accommodation has been booked, include any change to the number of rooms and/or beds where applicable
• update the Booking Status to Cancelled
• go to the Notes tab
• detailed notes must be recorded:
• Who contacted
• Contact date and time
• Details of request
• Details of unforeseen or exceptional circumstances
• Is an assessment required to cancel the student's ABSTUDY? Yes/No. If yes, arrange for ABSTUDY to be reassessed
• select Save

Note: a new booking is not required where a request is made to cancel additional costs, such as terminal transfers or accommodation. Include what is to be cancelled in the TMA comments (including any change to the number of rooms and/or beds where applicable) and send the request to CTM.

CTM is required to be notified of the cancellation requirement. See Table 8, Step 5.

Is this an urgent request?

• Yes, for ABSTUDY Smart Centre:
• Telephony Service Officers, warm transfer to the ABSTUDY Travel or Away from Base Teams using the Services Australia Workspace Transfer Options. Procedure ends here
• Travel and Away from Base Service Officers, go to Step 2
• No, for ABSTUDY Smart Centre:
• Telephony Service Officers, pending travel request will be allocated to the ABSTUDY Travel Team. Procedure ends here
• Travel and Away from Base Service Officers, go to Step 3

ABSTUDY Travel and Away from Base Service Officers must not send next day or next business day travel requests after 3pm (Melbourne/Sydney time) through to Corporate Travel Management (CTM) unless:

• Unforeseen and exceptional circumstances apply
• All other options for the traveller have been exhausted
• Team Leader approval is obtained

If all above criteria is met, make verbal contact with CTM to confirm travel can be booked.

Note: if Team leaders have any concerns over the assessment of the urgent travel, enquiries can be sent to Smart Centres Service Delivery Support Team for ABSTUDY and AIC.

Did CTM confirm travel can be booked?

• Yes, if the request is being processed on a:
• weekend or outside of business hours (8am-6pm Melbourne/Sydney time), Service Officers must ask the CTM after hours consultant to complete the booking over the phone, then go to Step 5
• weekday, during business hours (8am-6pm Melbourne/Sydney time), go to Step 5
• No:
• reject the request
• make verbal contact with the education institution, boarding provider or parent/guardian who made the request to tell them the request is not able to be met
• discuss the expectations for future travel requests, and
• discuss other travel options for the customer
• go to Step 4

Has the travel request been approved?

• Yes, send the booking request to CTM. Go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

Access the Travel Management Application (TMA) in the relevant customer's record, then:

• locate the relevant Booking ID# and bring into context
• ensure any relevant notes are added to the Notes tab, and/or documents uploaded to the Documents tab, prior to updating the Booking Status
• go to the Bookings tab. Select Edit
• ensure Booking Status is set to Rejected
• update the Status Reason field to reflect the rejection reason
• ensure the Issue Letter toggle displays the appropriate response:
• Secondary students at boarding schools/hostels - No
• All other travellers - Yes
• select Save. Where the Issue Letter toggle is set to Yes, this will generate the rejection letter. See Travel Management Application (TMA) for further information
• delete all the customer information from desktop and local drives when all required action is taken

Relevant parties must be advised of the outcome.

Private boarders and tertiary students

Make 2 genuine outbound call attempts to the customer or parent/guardian. See Advising verbally of an unfavourable decision.

Secondary students at boarding schools/hostels

• Make 2 genuine outbound call attempts to the school/hostel to advise outcome. See Advising verbally of an unfavourable decision
• Notify the boarding school/hostel via email of the decision including reasons. As the boarding school/hostel is notified by email, the Fares Allowance rejection letter must be inhibited

Procedure ends here.

Travel bookings recorded in the TMA are exported into a spreadsheet, which is sent to CTM to finalise a booking, amendment or cancellation.

Only the following booking statuses can be exported:

• Rejected
• Booked
• Requested
• Rescheduled
• Cancelled
• No Show - Penalty
• No Show - No Penalty

The correct record must be in context when exporting bookings. Bookings exported from a Student or Organisation record will auto-populate the Institution Contact Information section of the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form Excel spreadsheet. Whereas bookings exported from a non-student traveller's record require a manual update to the Institution Contact Information section of the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form Excel spreadsheet.

To create a travel export, access the TMA in the relevant record as follows:

• individual students with or without linked non-student travellers - export from the student's record
• non-student travellers with multiple linked students - export from the non-student traveller's record
• notional student travellers with linked non-student travellers - export from the non-student traveller's record and de-select the notional student traveller
• group bookings - export form the organisation record

Once in the relevant record, locate the applicable Booking ID#:

• select the Maintenance tab
• select Export Bookings, this will display all applicable travellers associated with the Booking ID# in context
• select the travellers for export. Note: the TMA will default to auto select all travellers. De-select any bookings where travel is not required or approved
• select Export Selected Travel Arrangements
• an ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx) will be generated
• ensure the Institution Contact Information on the Booking Information sheet reflects the correct Education Institution
• Manually insert any other required information on the Booking Information sheet, including the relevant CTM Profile Number:
• Secondary Students 3575145
• Tertiary Students 2846035
• Check the booking data on the Travel Information sheet is correct by cross referencing it against the original request
• Manually format travel bookings on the Travel Arrangements sheet as follows:
• group students and their respective non-student travellers together (such as supervisors), the students booking row should be above the non-student travellers
• where non-student travellers are travelling with students, fill the non-student traveller's rows with another colour
• group bookings for travellers going to/from the same community/town/city/region together. For example, all travellers going to/from the Torres Strait Islands should be grouped together as well as travellers going to/from the same Island
• Where travel is requested for a dependant male traveller, the title must be listed as Mr
• Where 2 travellers have the same name, Snr (senior) or Jnr (junior) must be added after the traveller's surname, for example John Smith Snr and John Smith Jnr
• Save the travel export spreadsheet to the desktop

If the request is to cancel a non-student traveller booking and a new traveller is required, service officers completing the cancellation must:

• send through previous and new non-student traveller details on the same booking authorisation form
• manually update the spreadsheet outlining the change in traveller details. See the Resources page for an example

To create and send a travel request to CTM:

• create a draft email
• update the email header fields:
• From ABSTUDY Travel team
• To CTM business hours team
• if the request is for urgent or next business day travel processed on a weekend or outside of business hours, send the email to the CTM after hours team and Cc the CTM business hours team
• Cc ABSTUDY Travel team
• attach the previously saved ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form export Excel spreadsheet from Step 1
• edit subject heading to include the below details, in the following order:
• approved code
• earliest travel date
• total number of passengers
• travel reason
• education provider

Note: do not include any other text in the email subject line. For example, AMD – xx/xx/xxxx - 25 PAX – School Vacation- education/board provider. Where a request requires the attention of a specific CTM consultant or is in relation to an urgent travel request verbally approved by CTM, include 'ATTN (Consultant Name)'at the start of the subject line.

• Use the Travel Request template for the email body. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Quickstep Guide
• Send the email from the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox using the OFFICIAL security classification
• the travel booking request, variation or cancellation has now been referred to CTM for action
• if actioning a request from an education/board provider, notify them of the outcome via reply email:
• remove any text added to the subject line when the email was categorised and any notes added to the body of the original email
• use the appropriate email template. See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Quickstep Guide
• for secondary school bulk travel requests, complete the required information in the National Bulk Travel checklist, located in the Files tab of the ABSTUDY Travel Microsoft Teams chat
• delete all customer information from desktop and local drives when all required action is taken
• file all emails in the relevant folder in the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox

Procedure ends here.