Travel is back on many people’s agenda, with elevated levels of activity compared to the past two years – but many planes are not yet back in the air, so capacity is low, prices are high and many flight routes are affected by changes, delays or cancellations.
Due to such difficulties, Flinders University is working closely with its contracted travel management companies to ensure service levels are sufficient to support all University staff’s work-related travel requirements.
The pandemic highlighted the need for Flinders to be able to contact and provide support 24/7 to its staff travelling for business or research, to ensure their security, safety and good health.
It is therefore crucial that all staff who need to travel must consult Flinders University’s Travel Policy and adhere to the requirements placed on both travelling staff and approvers.
Travellers and travel approvers should consider business continuity and costs for any change in travel bookings, especially with the current high risk of becoming ill while travelling.
As part of the University’s Travel Policy, all domestic and international travel must be booked through one of the following travel management companies:
| Phil Hoffmann Travel Phone: 08 8179 9666 Email: flindersuni@pht.com.au |
CTM (formerly TravelEdge) Phone: 1300 385 875 Email: TravelEdgeService@traveledge.com.au |
Travellers must choose the “best available fare” when booking travel, considering cost, scheduling and (only if necessary) ticket flexibility options. Qantas and Virgin are currently preferred airlines for domestic travel, but Rex and Jetstar are available if required.
Travel costs have significantly increased from 2019, so we advise that you don’t rely on pre-COVID experiences when budgeting for travel. Ticket prices can also fluctuate greatly within a few days due to changing demand, so consider building in a contingency plan into your request.
Current procedures
Under the Travel Policy, approval to undertake travel must be received in writing before making any bookings.
Domestic travel approval can only be granted by people listed as an authorised travel approver, as opposed to supervisors. The online Domestic Travel Approval Request form is available to help you obtain travel approval. Once approved, Domestic travel can be booked via the Serko online booking tool (credit card required) or direct with the University travel management companies. If you require access to Serko, please submit a Service One request.
International travel procedures are managed via Flinders Pro, with international travel requiring a higher level of approval within the University. Once international travel is approved in Flinders Pro, the University’s travel management companies are notified, allowing you to contact them to make your booking.
Next steps
Having assessed the University’s processes for travel applications and approvals, we will be delivering changes during the second half of 2022 that make the process easier and less convoluted.