This page contains information on how to manage and code all aspects of Fares Allowance (FAA) for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).
For information on ABSTUDY FAA eligibility, Service Officers must first refer to:
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 thorough search must be conducted to ensure no record exists before adding a new record for a customer. See Searching for a customer on the system.
When creating bookings for dependent traveller types under 16 years of age who only have a child (CHI) record, the CHI record does not need to be converted into a person (PER) record to create a booking in the TMA.
When the commencement or destination location differs for the forward or return trips, separate bookings must be recorded in TMA to accurately reflect the journey.
Note: the Overview tab draws upon information coded on the customer's record from Income Security Integrated System (ISIS). Update the customer record before exporting the travel request to the Travel Management Company if core customer data:
has been provided, and
is either not coded or incorrect in the Personal section of the Overview tab
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. See Fares Allowance (FAA) authorised in advance of travel for ABSTUDY
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, ensure these fields are coded:
Assessment Reason - select the applicable reason for the assessment
Assessment Outcome - Approved or Rejected
Intrastate Education Institution - field is visible only when the Cost Effective To Travel Interstate Assessment Reason is used
Intrastate Education Institution Location - field is visible only when the Cost Effective To Travel Interstate Assessment Reason is used
Interstate Education Institution - key the name of the interstate education provider the student is attending or requesting to attend
Interstate Education Institution Location - key the location of the interstate education provider 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 - completed only 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#.
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Travel booking for an individual (student or non-student traveller)+ Read more ...
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 by Service Officers 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. Bookings with a New or Pending Approval booking status must be saved before any further status changes can occur. For example, if the request is to be exported and sent to the Travel Management Company (TMC), 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
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:
Away From Base
Compassionate
Compulsory Residential
End of Study
End/Start of Year - used where travel for End of Study and Start of Study are requested in a single return journey. Code the trips in the same booking
Examination
Graduation
Master/Doctorate Relocation Travel
Mid-year
Orientation/Interview
School Vacation
Special Purpose
Start of Study
Testing and Assessment
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.
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
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 below:
ACT
NSW
NT
QLD
SA
TAS
VIC
WA
O/SEAS
Travel To
Note: code the Travel From and Travel To fields with the location of the accommodation if:
approving additional costs for accommodation and meals only, and
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. The information is required to be in the export spreadsheet to the TMC. 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 - Quarantine or self-isolation costs COVID-19 - 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 provider 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 the TMC
Once the above fields are completed, select Save.
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 falls between these travel dates will also be identified. If an existing booking is identified as a potential duplicate, a warning message will display to alert the Service Officer. The Service Officer must determine whether to proceed with creating the new booking, or to vary the details on the existing booking, see Variations to pre-booked travel table.
If no potential duplicate bookings are located, or the Service Officer proceeds past the warning, a message will appear advising of the successfully created booking and the Booking ID#.
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 that may be applicable:
details of any decisions made regarding the booking
for weekend travel, a supervisor and updated STP are in place
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 travel:
Reason parent, family or community member is attending the education provider
See the Resources page for the ABSTUDY Travel Minimum DOC Standards.
ABSTUDY Smart Centre Telephony Service Officer must warm transfer to the ABSTUDY Travel Team.
ABSTUDY Travel Service Officers must not send next day or next business day travel requests after 3pm (Sydney Time) through to the TMC 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, Service Officers must make verbal contact with the TMC to confirm travel can be booked. If the TMC confirm travel can be booked, go to Step 8.
If the TMC confirm travel cannot be booked Service Officers must:
reject the request
make verbal contact with the education provider, 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
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.
Note: where an urgent request for travel within 2 business days of the request is being sent to the TMC, contact TMC prior to sending the request to:
check flight availability/charter options, and
notify the TMC that an urgent travel request is being sent
For requests received through WLM as a Pending Approval Work Item, ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Service Officers must review the request and confirm FAA eligibility.
Is the travel request to be approved?
Yes:
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
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
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
New bulk/group travel booking
Recording a bulk/group travel booking
For the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams only.
Upload travel requests for 2 or more travellers to TMA as a group.
To create a group booking, an organisation will need to complete the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form, which is a standardised Excel spreadsheet (for all institutional education levels). This is sent to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team via the positional mailbox for processing. The ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form is then uploaded into Process Direct as a standard Microsoft Excel file (.xlsx).
For bookings received via the positional mailbox that are not in the accepted Excel spreadsheet format, staff must key the travel request details into the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form before an upload can occur.
The spreadsheet is made up of 3 sections, Booking Information, Travel Arrangements and Linked Travellers.
The Booking Information sheet contains key information about the education or boarding provider:
Travel Management Company (TMC) Booking Information, consisting of:
Action - schools select either Booking, Amendment, Cancellation or Reimbursement
Travel Reason - allows selection of the various travel reasons, for example, Start of Study
Restricted Booking - pre-filled with Yes for Secondary Institutions, and No for Tertiary Institutions
Student Authorised to Call - pre-filled with No for Secondary Institutions, and Yes for Tertiary Institutions
Unrestricted Booking - pre-filled with No for Secondary Institutions, and Yes for Tertiary Institutions
Institution Contact Information - this is completed by the institution, and consists of:
Education provider Name
Education provider Customer Reference Number (CRN)
Business Hours (B/H) Contact Name
B/H Contact Ph
After Hours (A/H) Contact Name #1
A/H Contact Ph #1
A/H Contact Name #2
A/H Contact Ph #2
Email address/addresses - The TMC can issue itineraries to up to 5 email addresses. Where there is more than one, separate each email address with a comma
ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team Contact Information, pre-filled with the following:
Contact Number - 131 158 (option 6 for ABSTUDY)
Fax Number - 132 115
Email - ABSTUDY.TRAVEL@servicesaustralia.gov.au
The Travel Arrangements sheet contains all travel information for individual travellers and must be completed for each student and any associated travellers.
Title
Surname
First Name
DOB - must be entered in DD/MM/YYYY format
Traveller CRN - must be provided for all travellers including non-student travellers
Traveller Type - allows selection of the applicable traveller type, such as student, supervisor, education representative. Approved non-student dependents require their traveller type to be coded as supervisor
Emergency Name #1
Emergency Phone #1
Emergency Name #2
Emergency Phone #2
Travel Date - must be entered in DD/MM/YYYY format
Return Date - must be entered in DD/MM/YYYY format
From State/Territory - prefilled drop down options
Travel From - prefilled drop down options based on the State/Territory selected
To State/Territory - prefilled drop down options
Travel To - prefilled drop down options based on the State/Territory selected
Safe Travel Plan (STP) - a Yes or No option
Linked Travellers Reqd - a Yes or No option. Selecting Yes will allow the booking to be linked on the Linked Travellers sheet
Travel Mode - Air, Bus, Charter, Motor Vehicle, Rail or Sea
Comments - any requirements for the travel, for example, accommodation or transfer requirements or address details for private boarders
The Linked Travellers sheet is used to advise of travellers who will be travelling together.
Traveller 1 and Traveller 2 - drop down options, containing a summary of the booking information entered on the Travel Arrangements sheet. Booking information will only be displayed for bookings that have Yes selected in the Linked Travellers Reqd column.
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.
The ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form User Guide is supplied to organisations (boarding schools and hostels) to assist them to complete the ABSTUDY Travel Authorisation - Booking Form spreadsheet. The User Guide is available on the Resources page.
Before uploading a new travel booking, it is advisable to conduct a search of the organisation's record, via the Organisation Summary Application in Process Direct, to ensure the booking has not already been uploaded into TMA. See Travel Management Application (TMA).
Access TMA by selecting Travel Management from the Process Direct Landing page
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
A message will immediately appear advising 'Upload Successful;’ 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 number of factors, such as the size of the group. Service Officers can commence updates to individual bookings within the group prior to the upload fully completing but must avoid linking travellers or altering data on the Organisation record. Service Officers must return to the Maintenance tab and select the Check Status button to confirm if the upload is fully complete
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
TMA will create the booking on the organisation record for the school/hostel, and bring this into context automatically
Go to the Documents tab. A Booking Upload Log will display in the Documents tab along with documents containing summarised copies of the bookings and any links within the group. A full 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:
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, Service Officers can create a new individual booking
For invalid CRN errors, correct CRNs must be located for these customers. The Service Officer can decide, based 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
TMA will display the successful bookings on the Groups tab. All individual traveller details display in the Individual Travellers section of this tab, and each will have a Booking Status of New
Where any errors are addressed by creating individual bookings for the travellers, these can then be added back into the original group booking. See Linking and unlinking travellers table
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
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.
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 New individual travel booking table. 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 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 New individual travel booking table
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
Procedure ends here.
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Linking a student and non-student traveller in a group booking+ Read more ...
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 New individual travel booking table
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
Variations to pre-booked travel
Recording variations to pre-booked travel
Portions of this process can be completed by the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel and Away from Base Teams only.
This process only relates to approved travel variations. Some variations may be initiated by the Travel Management Company (TMC) directly (such as a change in flight times).
Where a travel variation is received from the TMC the booking alteration will be finalised. TMA is updated with the new travel details and the new itinerary is uploaded when received.
If the TMC verbally advise that a variation is required for 5 or more travellers, the new travel details must be sent via email from the TMC to the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox.
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
select Save
select the Notes tab and select Edit
add detailed notes explaining the reason for the reschedule, 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 the TMC, 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 should also have a revised itinerary).
Has the request been received by a Telephony Service Officer and travel is for today or the next business day?
Yes, complete the ABSTUDY Travel Variation Fast Note and warm transfer the call immediately to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team. See Processing Services details for: ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES. Procedure ends here
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. If the variation is due to quarantine or self-isolation costs, ensure COVID-19 is recorded
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 Team for action
Procedure ends here.
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New travel date unable to be confirmed by ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team+ Read more ...
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.
Has the request been received by a Telephony Service Officer and travel is for today or the next business day?
Yes, complete the ABSTUDY Travel Variation Fast Note and warm transfer the call immediately to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team. See Processing Services details for: ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES. Procedure ends here
update the booking fields, such as travel date and destination, as required. Add the text 'travel variation - see notes' to the Comments field. If the variation is due to quarantine or self-isolation costs, ensure COVID-19 is recorded
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 Team for action
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. See No Show for ABSTUDY travel.
If travel is cancelled, the same travel (journey/trip/leg) may not be re-booked later.
complete the ABSTUDY Travel Cancellation Fast Note and warm transfer the call immediately to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team. Processing Services details for: ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES. Procedure ends here
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
with the correct Booking ID# in context, select the Bookings tab and select Edit
update Status to Cancelled
include details of the cancellation in the Comments field (this information is included in the export to the TMC)
insert a relevant Status Reason
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'.
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 New individual travel booking table
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 (this information is included in the export to the TMC). See Minimum Doc Standards on the Resources page for templates
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 and send the request to the TMC.
Travel bookings recorded in the Travel Management Application (TMA) are exported into a spreadsheet, which is sent to the Travel Management Company (TMC) 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.
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#, then:
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: 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 provider
Manually insert any other required information on the Booking Information sheet, including the relevant TMC 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
Where travel is requested for a dependant male traveller, Service Officers must ensure the title is listed as MR.
Where 2 travellers have the same name, Service Officers must include SNR (senior) or JNR (junior) 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
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
See the Resources page for approved codes and a description.
Note: do not include any other text in the email subject line. For example, AMD - xx/xx/xxxx - 25 PAX – School Vacation – education/board provide. Where a request requires the attention of a specific TMC consultant or is in relation to an urgent travel request verbally approved by the TMC, include 'ATTN (Consultant Name)' at the start of the subject line.
Cc the ABSTUDY Travel team
send the email to the TMC
the travel booking request, variation or cancellation has now been referred to the TMC 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
Note: all outbound emails sent from the ABSTUDY Travel positional mailbox must be sent using the OFFICIAL security classification.
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