Booking travel

Travel management company

In accordance with the University’s Travel Policy, all travel must be booked via the University’s preferred Travel Management Company (TMC) via the Online Booking Tool or the Travel Consultants.

By booking through the TMC you will have access to a broad range of suppliers and discounts. More importantly, it ensures the University’s duty of care requirements are met and your safety is managed.

Online Booking Tool Access

To gain access to the Online Booking Tool, log a One Help Ticket by clicking New Service Request and search Travel Management. The ticket will be submitted to your Supervisor for approval.

Please refer to the Resources page for the User Guide and Frequently Asked Questions document.

Each Faculty/Office has dedicated Travel Arrangers to assist you with your travel requirements.  Please contact your Travel Arranger in the first instance who will be able to set up new travel profiles, amend profiles and book travel on your behalf.

Fare Monitoring and Airfare Price Match Guarantee*

The TMC provides an airfare price match guarantee*, when the Traveller can provide written evidence of a cheaper airfare with the same terms and conditions such as cancellation, changes, dates and class of travel where possible the TMC will book or match the lower fare.

Transaction Fees

Transaction Fees apply when booking travel. To minimise the Transaction Fees, you should ensure that all your travel requirements (air, accommodation, car hire, etc.) are booked via a single request, so that one Transaction Fee will be charged by the TMC for all travel arrangements.

Class of travel

All flights must be booked on the most direct practical route in economy class.

Subject to the availability of funds as confirmed by an Executive Group Member, a higher class of airfare may be requested under the following circumstances:

1. where a Traveller's employment contract expressly specifies this possibility,
2. funding provision for a higher-class airfare is specified in the terms of a grant,
3. a Traveller's health-related condition/s is assessed by the University Health Management Advisor as requiring a higher-class airfare,
4. other circumstances warranting a higher-class airfare, which must be approved by an Executive Group Member.

Domestic and trans-Tasman airfares

To book a domestic and trans-Tasman airfare the Online Booking Tool or Mobile Application must be used.

If the Traveller/Travel Arranger is unable to access the Online Booking Tool or the destination is not available via the Online Booking Tool, the Traveller/Travel Arranger should contact the Travel Consultants.

International airfares

Point to point or simple international airfares (e.g. Sydney to Singapore, Sydney to Manila, Sydney to Los Angeles) should, whenever possible, be booked via the Online Booking Tool to minimise transaction fees.

If the planned itinerary is complicated or includes multiple destinations the Traveller/Travel Arrangers should contact the Travel Consultants.

Group bookings

Group bookings of up to 9 Travellers with simple itineraries should be booked using the Online Booking Tool.  For group bookings of 10 or more Travellers, contact the Travel Consultants.

Except in exceptional circumstances, no more than two (2) members of the University Executive Group are to travel together.

Student travel

Students participating in travel funded by the University must:

1. utilise the University’s preferred TMC (where practicable)
2. utilise the University’s Risk Management Assessment Tool
3. register their travel with International SOS (iSOS)
4. ensure they have the required visas, vaccinations, and additional insurance (if required)
5. comply with host institution policies and procedures (where applicable)

Accommodation

Accommodation must be booked via the Online Booking Tool, using a choice of Preferred Accommodation, TMC content, hotel aggregators (Expedia, Booking.com) or via Macquarie University AirBnB for work account.

If the Online Booking Tool is not available or does not provide the required accommodation, bookings may be made via a Travel Consultant.

Booking accommodation via channels other than the TMC or the Macquarie University AirBnB for work account is permitted only in the following circumstances:

1. when attending a conference, workshop or event and using event-specific negotiated rates,
2. where a specific hotel is required for a conference, workshop or event, but is not readily available via the Online Booking Tool or Travel Consultant,
3. when performing business activities or field work in a remote location and no appropriate accommodation alternative can be offered through Online Booking Tool or Travel Consultant,
4. when making a group booking with special requirements or booking that involves other services eg venue hire.

In all cases, the standard of accommodation should:

1. provide a safe, secure and comfortable environment,
2. be located near your place of business,
3. represent value for money,
4. be priced at a reasonable level considering the general hotel pricing in the city/region you are visiting and within the range of rates set out in the table below.

One-nights accommodation may be booked prior to the first scheduled Business Day in the following circumstances:

1. domestic locations - the meeting or conference commencement time is 10am or earlier;
2. international locations - if travel is in economy class.

AirBnB for work

To register with the Macquarie University AirBnB for work account, please complete the following steps:

1. Register your Macquarie University email to your existing Airbnb account or create a new account at this link
2. Confirm the verification email that will be sent to you
3. Start booking work trips by choosing the “travelling for work” toggle before completing your booking

Accommodation payment

The preferred method of payment is via the Travellers University corporate credit card. If the Traveller does not have a corporate credit card and the virtual credit card is used (additional fee incurred), so that travellers can confirm at check-in that payment was made via virtual credit card there are two options available:

Option 1: CTM Mobile App – Virtual Card Payments  - For Travellers who have access to the CTM online booking tool and app.

Option 2: Conferma-Pay-Mobile-App - For Travellers who do not have access to the CTM online booking tool or app.

Accommodation Room Cap

Domestic locations: Travellers must book accommodation within the range of rates set out in the table below.

International locations Travellers must book appropriate accommodation, which is safe and represents value for money, with the nightly rate not exceeding $450 (AUD) per night.

The Online Booking Tool only displays accommodation up to $450 (AUD) per night.  In circumstances that warrant accommodation rate greater than $400 (AUD), please contact the Travel Consultant.

Note:

1. Accommodation rate caps will be reviewed annually.
2. Any exceptions to the accommodation cap will be managed the the University's Travel Category Manager.

Ground transportation

Car Rental

Car rental bookings may be made via the Online Booking Tool, Travel Consultant or directly with our Preferred Suppliers, who will provide a choice of competitive Preferred Supplier rates that include loss and damage waiver coverage. Travellers do not need to buy additional loss and damage waiver cover as it is included in the daily rate. For further information, refer to the Preferred Supplier page.

Note: Hire cars are not pre-paid at the time of booking.  The preferred method of payment is by corporate credit card on pick up of the vehicle.

If payment by invoice is required, please email travelright@mq.edu.au  to request the Wizard code.

UBER for Business/Taxi

UBER or Taxi may be used where:

1. the use of car hire, convenient public transport or carpooling is not available, appropriate or cost effective, or
2. where substantial goods or equipment is being carried.

To join the University account with UBER for Business the following Terms and Conditions apply.  Complete a One Help ticket and request access to UBER for Business.  Once processed, you will receive an email from UBER inviting you to join UBER and providing instructions on how to link to the University account.

Already Have an UBER account?
Open the email on your mobile device where you have the UBER app installed and click ‘Accept Invitation’ in the email. It will automatically link your account to the company payment method. Alternatively, activate via a desktop computer by clicking the link and sign in using your personal account details, and the payment account will be linked to your existing account.

Don’t have an UBER account?
Do not create a new account unless you have never used UBER before. If you don’t have an UBER account, click ‘Accept Invitation’ in the email, and then ‘Create an Account’. You’ll be taken through the sign up steps and be able to download the app.

For further information:

- User Training Guide

- UBER pick-up/drop-off locations

Public transport and carpooling should be used where practical.  If the Traveller incurs expenses for public transport the Traveller may claim these expenses by retaining the receipts and submitting a claim via the University expense system.

Travel booking emergency after-hours assistance

Note: For emergency, medical and security assistance, please refer here.

Ticket upgrades

Travellers may choose to use personal funds or loyalty reward points to upgrade to extra legroom seats in economy class, premium economy, business or first class.

Upgrades using personal funds will be arranged directly with the TMC.  The Traveller is to pay the difference between the most direct practical fare and the upgraded fare.  Upgrades using loyalty reward points can be arranged directly with the airline or with the TMC, which will incur a transaction fee to be paid by the Traveller at the time of upgrading.

Changes to bookings

Changes to confirmed travel bookings can incur considerable additional costs and should be discussed with the Authorising Officer and avoided where possible.  Additional costs may include additional TMC fees, airline change fees and, likely, the cost of changing to a more expensive class of ticket, etc.

Post ticketing changes can be made via the Online Booking Tool for Qantas, Virgin and Regional Express airline bookings.  Further information can be found here.

All other airline changes, please contact the Travel Consultants.  The Travel Consultant will provide the Traveller with options and the revised costs based on the new requirements and will re-issue new tickets.

If during travel, a flight is missed, the Traveller may contact the airline service desk at the airport for assistance or contact the Travel Consultant to re-book the next available flight at the lowest possible fare and any amendment required for the accommodation bookings that may have been impacted by the delay.

Transit/stopovers

If the itinerary requires a transit via a country that is not the destination, the Traveller may stopover in that country, as long as no extra cost is incurred by the University, and there is no impact on the reason for travel. It is the responsibility of the Traveller to ensure that they possess the relevant visas for the stopover destination.

The stopover must be treated as Personal Days when deciding whether the trip is classified as Dual-Purpose travel.