This page contains information on the Travel Management Application (TMA). Fares Allowance (FAA) updates are completed using the TMA.
For information on how to complete the required action, select the option from the drop down box below.
TMA overview
Accessing and navigating the TMA
Portions of this process can be completed by the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams only.
Step
Action
1
ABSTUDY Smart Centre Service Officer TMA access+ Read more ...
To access the TMA, Service Officers must be assigned the relevant role in ESSentials.
ABSTUDY Smart Centre Telephony Service Officers must request and have the following security roles only:
PROCESS DIRECT ABSTUDY TRAVEL (CALL CENTRE STAFF)
CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER
Note: if a Telephony Service Officer has requested access to the incorrect security role, this must be removed to ensure they can use the Pending Approval Booking Status.
ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Service Officers must request and have the following security roles:
PROCESS DIRECT ABSTUDY TRAVEL (SMART CENTRE STAFF)
CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICER
Restrictions apply to the level of updates for ABSTUDY Service Officers. Within the TMA, Smart Centre Telephony Service Officers can:
view all bookings, reimbursements and penalties
create travel requests for individuals (for assessment by the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams)
link relevant associated travellers, such as students and their supervisors
create notes
make variations to and request cancellation of bookings (for assessment by the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams)
There are no TMA access restrictions for Service Officers in the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams. Actions that can be completed include:
view all bookings
create and edit travel requests
create and edit attachments, including itineraries
create notes
process travel bookings (both individual and group), variations and cancellations
Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Service Officers are allocated Work Items to be actioned in the TMA automatically via Workload Management (WLM). Work Items are allocated based on a staff member's capability and availability, and the priority of the Work Item.
The TMA can be accessed in Process Direct through:
a customer record via the Customer Summary tile
an Organisation record via the Organisation Summary tile, or
selecting the Travel Management tile from the Process Direct landing page
To access the TMA within Process Direct to manage travel for students or non-student travellers:
In the customer’s record, select the Fares icon. If there is previous travel history, it will display a summary of bookings for the customer. The default display is chronological date order for Forward Travel Date, sorted by most recent at the top
TMA can be accessed by selecting an existing booking to view/edit, or by selecting Create New Booking
To access the TMA within Process Direct to manage an Organisation's travel:
Select the Organisation Summary tile from the Process Direct landing page
The Search Organisation/Personnel screen will display
Search the Organisation via:
Entering Organisation name in Name field (a partial name can be used)
Select CEP in the Stakeholder code drop down box, or
ID type and select Organisation CRN, enter Organisation CRN in blank field
Select Go
In the Organisation record, select the Fares icon. If there is previous travel history, it will display a summary of bookings. The default display is chronological date order for Forward Travel Date, sorted by most recent at the top
The TMA can be accessed by selecting an existing booking to view/edit
To access the TMA directly to upload group bookings:
The TMA consists of 10 icons, each with differing functionality:
Overview - this is the default tab displayed when the TMA is accessed. It displays customer information to assist in determining FAA eligibility. For example, study details, whether a customer requires mandatory supervision, or has been approved for interstate travel. The Overview tab for organisations with group booking/s will reflect the provider Contact Information as per the upload spreadsheet, see Authorising and coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)
Bookings - where journey specific information for a customer is coded, such as travel dates and locations. Displays details of the booking in context, and a list of all historical travel bookings for the customer or organisation
Groups - all group bookings relevant to the organisation or customer in context, along with other individuals that are part of the same group booking. This tab is view only, but allows users to navigate between individuals and related bookings
Parties - once a booking is selected, individuals associated with that booking (such as associated travellers or students in a group booking) can be linked/unlinked from the Parties tab. Individual bookings can also be added into a group booking using this tab
Reimbursement - details of reimbursements for the booking in context
Penalties - details of no show penalties for the booking in context
Documents – shows all attachments, such as travel itineraries, for the booking in context
Notes - all notes relating to the booking in context
Change Log - shows all coding for the booking in context
Maintenance - used to manage the upload of group bookings and to export travel requests to be emailed to Corporate Travel Management (CTM)
To update the Travel Contact Information manually (if required):
select the Organisation Summary Application tile from the Process Direct landing page
select Organisation from Search For
search for the Organisation by entering a valid CRN or organisation name in Name field (a partial name can be used)
once in the record, select the Fares icon
select the Travel Contact Information twisty, and select Edit
make any updates to the contact information as necessary
select Save
The contact details stored for an organisation will be used to populate the Institution Contact Information section of the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form export spreadsheet. This occurs automatically when bookings are exported with:
an organisation record in context, or
a student booking in context, based on the Education Institution CRN recorded on the Overview tab of the student's booking
On finalisation of a travel booking, Corporate Travel Management (CTM) sends an email with the itinerary attached to:
Services Australia, and
the traveller. Where the traveller is a secondary boarding student, the itinerary is sent to the third party responsible for arranging the travel, for example, the boarding school or hostel
On receipt of all itineraries from CTM, the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team must:
check the itinerary for accuracy against the booking request
If a traveller requests their itinerary details, check the booking status of the requested travel.
TMA Booking Status of 'Requested' - Itinerary has not been issued
CTM aim to issue itineraries 2 business days prior to the requested travel date, if a traveller has contacted to advise this has not happened:
ABSTUDY Smart Centre staff must contact the ABSTUDY Travel Team to follow up the outstanding itinerary. See the Resources page for a link to Office Locator for National Transfer listing details
ABSTUDY Travel staff must contact CTM to issue the itinerary
TMA Booking Status of 'Booked' - Itinerary issued
Once CTM have issued the itinerary, ABSTUDY Smart Centre staff will need to check the student’s circumstances for options on how the itinerary can be re-issued.
To re-issue the itinerary for a:
Secondary student boarding at a school or hostel:
The traveller must contact the education/boarding provider to request the itinerary
If the education/boarding provider has not received the itinerary, ABSTUDY Travel Officers must email a copy of the travel itinerary from the ABSTUDY Travel mailbox directly to the education/boarding provider
For bulk or group bookings of 10 or more travellers requiring itineraries, ABSTUDY Travel Officers must email CTM to have a copy of the itineraries sent to the travellers or education/boarding provider
Tertiary student or secondary private boarder, ABSTUDY Smart Centre staff must:
email a copy of the itinerary to the traveller from the ABSTUDY Secondary mailbox. See the ABSTUDY Travel Quickstep Guide on the Resources page for the Reissuing an itinerary email template
tell the traveller the itinerary can be printed at a Services Australia Service Centre if required
All itineraries received from CTM must be checked against the booking request to ensure locations, dates, times, transfers and accommodation meet the required booking specifications.
The following must be checked:
Customer Reference Number (CRN) must match travellers (recorded against the Movement Requisition field)
Traveller name and title on the itinerary matches the name on the Overview tab
When finalising traveller itineraries, CTM is unable to include apostrophes or upper case and lower case letters in passenger names
If 2 travellers have the same name, respective itineraries will display SNR or JNR
Itineraries must not be returned to CTM for correction for the 2 reasons above
Only use the title Master (or MSTR) where travel is booked via chartered transport (air or land service). For any other travel booked, use the title MR
Mandatory Supervisor, check the Travel Requirements field on the Overview tab and whether travel dates fall on a weekend or public holiday. Determine if there is a supervisor booked for the traveller by viewing linked travellers on the Parties tab. Check the Notes tab if a supervisor has not been booked
Parties tab, if traveller/s are linked, Service Officers must complete checks and upload all itineraries. If all itineraries have not been issued, Service Officers must upload the issued itineraries and:
insert a note in the TMA booking record - itinerary received xx/xx/xx at xx:xxam/pm AEST/ACT/WST - linked traveller itinerary still outstanding
edit the subject heading of CTM email stating - 'awaiting linked traveller itinerary'
file the email in the Completed Itineraries folder in the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox
where a Notional Student Traveller booking is linked to a non-student traveller booking and a correct itinerary has been received, change the Booking status of the Notional Student Traveller to Booked. No other fields need to be completed
School Name, for:
secondary students and their associated non-student travellers boarding at a school or privately and tertiary students, check the Education Details field on the Overview tab
secondary students boarding at a hostel, check the Notes tab for the name of the board provider who requested the travel
Travel dates, check the dates are as requested or match any CTM initiated variations
Travel locations, check the from/to locations and that all legs on the itinerary connect
Additional Requirements, check any additional requirements have been booked, for example, transfers or accommodation
Travellers sharing accommodation, check they are listed in the notes of the accommodation component of supervisor/Family members itinerary when multiple travellers are booked in same room
Email recipients, check the email from CTM to confirm the itinerary has been sent to all required email address/es as per the booking note on the Notes tab
traveller has been given reasonable time to move from one terminal to another. For example, reasonable time to travel from domestic terminal to charter is 60 minutes
If the itinerary is incorrect, staff must follow up with CTM for the itinerary to be re-issued.
Contact the CTM by phone if travel is within 2 business days or there is a discrepancy with travel dates and complete the following:
add notes to the TMA booking record see the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards
edit subject heading of the CTM email stating 'awaiting corrected itinerary'
file the email in the Completed Itineraries folder in the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox
Note: where CTM confirm that the travel date discrepancy on the issued itinerary is correct, the ABSTUDY Travel Officer must add these notes in the TMA record and update the booking to reflect the confirmed changes.
For all other discrepancies:
email CTM and Cc the ABSTUDY Travel team, and add notes to the TMA booking record
See the Resources page for the Quicksteps Guide and ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards
edit subject heading of the CTM email stating 'awaiting corrected itinerary'
file in the Completed Itineraries folder in the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox
6
Incorrect itinerary ABSTUDY Smart Centre Officers+ Read more ...
When an incorrect itinerary is issued, non-travel staff must complete these follow up actions with the ABSTUDY Travel team and CTM for the itinerary to be re-issued.
For all other itinerary discrepancies where travel is within 2 business days:
forward the itinerary to the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox for follow up, include in the subject header - 'CRITICAL - ITINERARY REQUIRES CORRECTION'
add notes to the TMA booking record outlining what is incorrect, see the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards for the Itinerary Error template. Ensure relevant emails or documents are uploaded to the Documents tab, see Adding attachments in the TMA table
edit subject heading of the CTM email stating 'awaiting corrected itinerary'
once actioned, file the email in the Completed Itineraries folder in the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox
itinerary errors identified after 2pm (AEST) with travel booked for the next day must be escalated to an ABSTUDY Travel Officer via the ABSTUDY Travel Microsoft Teams chat. To escalate the itinerary:
tag ‘@Travel Staff’ CRITICAL itinerary hand off, and
date of travel
For all other itinerary discrepancies where travel is outside of 2 business days:
email CTM and Cc the ABSTUDY Travel team, and add notes to the TMA booking record outlining what is incorrect
See the Resources page for the Quicksteps Guide which includes the Itineraries Incorrect template and ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards for the Itinerary Error template
edit subject heading of the CTM email stating 'awaiting corrected itinerary'
file the email in the Completed Itineraries folder in the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox
Note: all outbound emails are to be sent from the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox, with the correct email signature and must be sent using the OFFICIAL security classification.
Procedure ends here.
7
Attach an itinerary to a varied or cancelled travel booking+ Read more ...
Itineraries received for travel bookings that have been cancelled or where dates, times, transfers, accommodation and destinations have been varied that are received before the request to cancel or vary is sent to CTM must be uploaded to the booking for reference purposes.
The Booking Status and Booking Reference is not updated when uploading itineraries for varied bookings.
To add notes to an existing travel booking, access the TMA (see the TMA overview table) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable booking, then:
select the applicable travel request
with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Notes icon and select Edit
select New
add the note ensuring the details entered meet the Getting it Right (GIR) DOC Minimum Standards, see:
To delete a note from an existing travel booking, access the TMA (see the TMA overview table) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable booking, then:
select the applicable travel request
with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Notes icon and select Edit
select Delete next to the document to remove
select Yes when prompted
Once completed, select Save.
Adding attachments in the TMA
Viewing, adding and removing attachments in the TMA
Portions of this process can be completed by the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams only.
Relevant documentation must be added as an attachment to a travel booking or a reimbursement.
This may include evidence to support a travel eligibility decision (for example, compassionate travel) or can include the documentation required for payment of a reimbursement (for example, a copy of a ticket or receipts for accommodation).
To add attachments to a travel booking, access the TMA (see the TMA overview table) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable booking, then:
select the applicable travel request
with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Documents icon and select Edit
select Upload Document
under the Upload Document dialogue box:
select Browse in the Select File to Upload field
once the correct file is located, select Open
enter a name for the document under the Description field (ensure users can clearly identify what the document is)
select Create to attach the document
the document will then appear on the Documents tab
select Save
delete all the customer information from desktop and local drives when all required action is taken
To remove an attachment in an existing travel booking, access the TMA (see the TMA overview table) in the relevant customer's record and locate the applicable booking, then:
select the applicable travel request
with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Documents icon
select Edit
select Delete next to the document to remove
select OK
select Save
Letters
Viewing, reissuing or cancelling letters in the TMA
For the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams only.
Pre-booked Fares Allowance letters in the TMA are auto-created and sent to customers in the following circumstances:
Rejection of pre-booked travel
Rebooking Penalties
Travel Cost penalty of less than $50. The Issue Letter toggle will present for all travellers irrespective of their education level; however, it should only be used to advise tertiary or secondary non-school students and their associated non-student travellers of a rebooking penalty
Fares Allowance reimbursement and Away from Base letters in the TMA are auto-created and sent to the payee/s upon completion of:
Reimbursement activities including reassessments
Away from Base activities including reassessments and acquittals
When an assessment is finalised in the TMA, separate letters will auto-generate for each payee recorded. The letter only shows the outcome of the components relevant to the respective payees. For example, within a reimbursement claim, customer claims fares and a third party claims for accommodation and meals. The customer will only see the fares component outcome, whereas the third party will see both the accommodation and meals components.
If a Service Officer determines a letter to the customer is not required (for example, they have notified the claimant by phone call), they can prevent the letter from sending by selecting No in the Issue Letter toggle.
To view, reissue or cancel an auto-generated letter, go to Step 2
For tertiary or secondary non-school students and their associated non-student travellers who have incurred a Travel Costs penalty less than $50, go to Step 3
2
Viewing, reissuing or cancelling an auto-generated letter+ Read more ...
To view or reissue a letter auto-generated within the TMA, Service Officers can use either the History Summary (HS) screen in Process Direct or Search Outbound Correspondence tool in Customer First. See Viewing or reissuing a letter or electronic message.
Where tertiary or secondary non-school students and their non-student travellers incur a Rebooking Penalty only, a letter is auto-generated by the TMA after coding the Penalties tab, see No show for ABSTUDY travel.
For tertiary or secondary non-school students and their non-student travellers, who are subject to both a Financial Penalty and a Rebooking Penalty, the Account Payable advice generated by the Raise a Debt guided procedure includes details of both penalty types.
However, where the Financial Penalty is less than $50, the debt will be auto-waived by the system and no Account Payable advice will be generated to advise these travellers of the rebooking penalty. In these cases, the Rebooking Penalty letter must be sent to advise travellers who miss pre-booked travel without a valid reason, see No show for ABSTUDY travel.
Note: the Issue Letter toggle will present for all travellers irrespective of their education level, however it should only be used to advise tertiary or secondary non-school students and their associated non-student travellers of a rebooking penalty.
ABSTUDY Operational Information (OI) reports
Accessing ABSTUDY OI reports
For the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Team only.
A specific role is required to enable access to the ABSTUDY OI suite of reports.
The ABSTUDY OI reports - access and User Guide provides information on how to request access and generate the reports. The Resources page contains a link to the ABSTUDY Operational Information (OI) reports - access and User Guide.