[Muanet] Fwd: RE: Compulsory use of STA Travel
Jim Macbeth
J.Macbeth@murdoch.edu.au
Thu, 15 Aug 2002 09:53:20 +0800
--============_-1182745618==_ma============
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
I have been having ongoing discussions with the university on these
matters and here is the latest answer from Tom Milliken, partly in
response to my original email and partly in response to issues I
raised with him when he responded to my original email.
My response to him and his reply will be posted when it comes back.
cheers, Jim
ps STA got my original email and have been running around trying to
justify their service and competence.
j
>From: Tom Milliken <TMilliken@jupiter.murdoch.edu.au>
>To: "'Jim Macbeth'" <J.Macbeth@murdoch.edu.au>
>Cc: Lee Maxfield <LMaxfield@jupiter.murdoch.edu.au>
>Subject: RE: Compulsory use of STA Travel
>Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 18:22:45 +0800
>Status:
>
>Dear Jim
>
>The Offices of Financial Services & Facilities Management are
>currently preparing a document on both travel and insurance issues
>which will be released by 'mail-bomb'. However, in the meantime I
>trust the following will answer your questions.
>
>1. which aspects of insurance are effected by this ruling and which
>aspects are not (eg Workers Comp; laptop insurance; medical)?
>
>Workers Comp is not affected by the policy.
>
><http://www.murdoch.edu.au/finance/admin/polproc/manual/insurance/912.html>
>
>The above links to the university travel insurance policy and exclusions.
>
>2. on what legal basis can Murdoch deny us insurance when travelling
>on Murdoch business?
>
>My understanding is that Murdoch is providing both insurance
>together with an approved Travel Service Provider. However, as you
>have requested a legal opinion, I must refer you to a person/dept
>appropriately qualified.
>
>3. in which situations are we still permitted to book our own travel?
>
>Obviously, personal travel, paid for personally can be booked by the
>individual.
>
>In other cases, if your written itinerary is forwarded to STA to
>price match (itineraries for international travel are automatically
>sent for independent audit) and your quotation remains cheaper then
>consideration will be given to your selection of travel provider. I
>feel that the chance of this occurring are slim.
>
>I am advised that each such case will be assessed and the Office of
>Financial Services should be contacted.
>
>4. How does this effect travel by train, bus, boat or car (including
>hire cars)?
>
>Where the traveller is entitled to the use of MU insurance, the
>traveller is covered as a passenger for all transport if part of the
>itinerary. Hire Cars have exclusions - pse refer section 8 at the
>above link.
>
>5. If we are forced to use a designated travel agent, can we assume
>that the university will make up the difference in funds to the
>School/research budget if we could have otherwise taken a cheaper
>flight of similar class?
>
>No. This should not arise. Pse refer to section 3 above.
>
>6. Can we also assume that travel booked and paid for by other
>agencies is still covered by insurance?
>
>I assume you are referring to conference travel, or similar.
>
>Conference travel, where payment is made at source and travel
>documents issued at source, is usually covered by MU unless already
>covered by the conference organisers.
>
>Jim, I hope the above answers your questions. In view of the changes
>we have instigated and the very considerable amount of work we have
>put into 'travel' generally, I hope you will at least give STA the
>opportunity to meet your requirements. The customer service has
>improved considerably and price should no longer remain an issue.
>
>Did Susan respond to the first part of your email. If not, I would
>be happy to advise of the changes made at STA; the NUTC agreement
>whereby, although a 'monopoly', STA are obligated to provide the
>"best fare of the day" which is generally at a discount as well. If
>they don't compete, I really need to know.
>
>Thanks for your feedback. If I can be of assistance with travel
>issues please do not hesitate to contact me.
>
>Regards,
>
>Tom
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Macbeth [mailto:J.Macbeth@murdoch.edu.au]
>Sent: Monday, 12 August 2002 2:07 PM
>To: Tom Milliken
>Subject: Fwd: Compulsory use of STA Travel
>
>Dear Tom,
>
>Below is a copy of the email I sent to Susan and posted on the Muasa
>net. From that I have had considerable response from staff here and
>at UWA unhappy with STA as a travel agent, both specific problems
>and general concern. I have copied to you STA's response in a
>separate email. I don't know how they got my email as Susan did not
>send it to them and neither did I.
>
>You would be aware that part of my concern and that of other staff
>who have contacted me is the monopoly power thus enjoyed by STA if
>we are required to use STA for any travel involving our employment
>and the simple inconvenience of being required to use a travel agent
>at all. Part of the issue is quite simple: most of the travel I do
>as an academic is either
>
>not fully paid for by Murdoch funds allocated for that travel (eg
>OSP and conference travel allowances seldom over the cost of travel;
>my last conference cost $2000 of which the Uni gave me $1000)
>paid for out of earned income from research and consultancy work
>that is now in Murdoch accounts but was not money given for that
>purpose by Murdoch but by other agencies. Is this 'official'
>travel, or Murdoch 'business'?
>
>The dot point questions at the end of my email to Susan have not as
>yet been answered by her or anyone else. Do you have those answers?
>
>Regards, Jim
>
>>Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 16:39:12 +0800
>>To: s.laughton@murdoch.edu.au
>>From: Jim Macbeth <macbeth@central.murdoch.edu.au>
>>Subject: Compulsory use of STA Travel
>>Status: RO
>>
>Dear Susan,
>
>
>Further to our phone discussion some weeks ago, here are my comments
>on STA itself and on the requirement to use one particular travel
>agent. Our conversation arose because of my being informed that I
>must book Murdoch paid/reimbursed travel through STA Travel in order
>to be covered by insurance.
>
>
>June this year was the first time I used STA and I was not impressed
>
>we made bookings on a Friday afternoon and the flights were 'lost'
>because STA payments are made from the eastern states and they were
>already closed. This caused anxiety and inconvenience and the need
>to rebook the flights on Monday.
>Our frequent flyer numbers did not get registered, which will cause
>further inconvenience later when we have to apply to get the flight
>credited.
>It took me an email and then a personal visit to get a receipt in
>order to make a travel claim.
>I asked for information to do with a future journey and 2 months
>later have not received any information.
>
>I have occasion to work with an expert in the travel agency business
>and on discussing this with him he said that STA is a budget flyer
>travel agency and does not know how to deal with the corporate
>market. He as much as said don't use them, especially when compared
>to agencies such as Tertiary Travel (whom I've used with no trouble
>over the years).
>
>
>This notion that we must book using a travel agent when on Murdoch
>business is a problem when in many cases the easiest thing is for me
>to book online or on the telephone; the latter I've been finding
>most satisfactory for most of my travel over the past 10 years.
>
>
>
>
>Could I please ask that the appropriate person inform me of the following:
>
>
>which aspects of insurance are effected by this ruling and which
>aspects are not (eg Workers Comp; laptop insurance; medical)?
>on what legal basis can Murdoch deny us insurance when travelling on
>Murdoch business?
>in which situations are we still permitted to book our own travel?
>How does this effect travel by train, bus, boat or car (including hire cars)?
>If we are forced to use a designated travel agent, can we assume
>that the university will make up the difference in funds to the
>School/research budget if we could have otherwise taken a cheaper
>flight of similar class?
>Can we also assume that travel booked and paid for by other agencies
>is still covered by insurance?
>
>
>thanks for your help,
>
>
>Jim
>
>--
>
>
> *****
>Jim Macbeth, PhD Phone (61) (8) 9360 7005
>
>Chair, Tourism Program Fax (61) (8) 9360 7091
>School of Social Inquiry
>Murdoch University
>Rockingham Campus, Dixon Rd
>Rockingham, Western Australia 6168
>Member, Murdoch University Senate
> <J.Macbeth@murdoch.edu.au>
> http://tourism.murdoch.edu.au
>
>Tourism at Murdoch will be available at the main campus from 2003!
--
______________________________________________________________________
Jim Macbeth, Phd Phone (61-8) 9360 7005
Chair
Tourism Program Fax (61-8) 9360 7091
Rockingham Campus
Murdoch University
Dixon Rd
ROCKINGHAM, Western Australia 6168
http://tourism.murdoch.edu.au
(08) 9360 7017 (Secretary)
Member, Murdoch University Senate
Member, Editorial Board of ANATOLIA
--============_-1182745618==_ma============
Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii"
<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { padding-top: 0 ; padding-bottom: 0 }
--></style><title>Fwd: RE: Compulsory use of STA
Travel</title></head><body>
<div>I have been having ongoing discussions with the university on
these matters and here is the latest answer from Tom Milliken, partly
in response to my original email and partly in response to issues I
raised with him when he responded to my original email.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>My response to him and his reply will be posted when it comes
back.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>cheers, Jim</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>ps STA got my original email and have been running around trying
to justify their service and competence.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>j</div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>From: Tom Milliken
<TMilliken@jupiter.murdoch.edu.au><br>
To: "'Jim Macbeth'" <J.Macbeth@murdoch.edu.au><br>
Cc: Lee Maxfield <LMaxfield@jupiter.murdoch.edu.au><br>
Subject: RE: Compulsory use of STA Travel<br>
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2002 18:22:45 +0800<br>
Status: <br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1" color="#0000FF">Dear
Jim</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">The Offices of Financial
Services & Facilities Management are currently preparing a
document on both travel and insurance issues which will be released by
'mail-bomb'. However, in the meantime I trust the following will
answer your questions.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">1. which aspects of
insurance are effected by this ruling and which aspects are not (eg
Workers Comp; laptop insurance; medical)?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Workers Comp is not
affected by the policy.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1"
color="#0000FF"><u
><http://www.murdoch.edu.au/finance/admin/polproc/manual/insurance<span
></span>/912.html></u></font><br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u></u></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">The above links to the
university travel insurance policy and exclusions.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">2. on what legal basis
can Murdoch deny us insurance when travelling on Murdoch
business?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">My understanding is that
Murdoch is providing both insurance together with an approved Travel
Service Provider. However, as you have requested a legal opinion, I
must refer you to a person/dept appropriately qualified.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">3. in which situations
are we still permitted to book our own travel?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Obviously, personal
travel, paid for personally can be booked by the
individual.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">In other cases, if your
written itinerary is forwarded to STA to price match (itineraries for
international travel are automatically sent for independent audit) and
your quotation remains cheaper then consideration will be given to
your selection of travel provider. I feel that the chance of this
occurring are slim.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">I am advised that each
such case will be assessed and the Office of Financial Services should
be contacted.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">4. How does this effect
travel by train, bus, boat or car (including hire cars)?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Where the traveller is
entitled to the use of MU insurance, the traveller is covered as a
passenger for all transport if part of the itinerary. Hire
Cars have exclusions - pse refer section 8 at the above
link.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">5. If we are forced to
use a designated travel agent, can we assume that the university will
make up the difference in funds to the School/research budget if we
could have otherwise taken a cheaper flight of similar
class?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">No. This should not
arise. Pse refer to section 3 above.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">6. Can we also assume
that travel booked and paid for by other agencies is still covered by
insurance?</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">I assume you are
referring to conference travel, or similar.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Conference travel, where
payment is made at source and travel documents issued at source, is
usually covered by MU unless already covered by the conference
organisers.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Jim, I hope the above
answers your questions. In view of the changes we have instigated and
the very considerable amount of work we have put into 'travel'
generally, I hope you will at least give STA the opportunity to meet
your requirements. The customer service has improved considerably and
price should no longer remain an issue.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Did Susan respond to the
first part of your email. If not, I would be happy to advise of the
changes made at STA; the NUTC agreement whereby, although a
'monopoly', STA are obligated to provide the "best fare of the
day" which is generally at a discount as well. If they don't
compete, I really need to know.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Thanks for your feedback.
If I can be of assistance with travel issues please do not hesitate to
contact me.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Regards,</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Tom</font><br>
<blockquote><font size="-1">-----Original Message-----<br>
<b>From:</b> Jim Macbeth [mailto:J.Macbeth@murdoch.edu.au]<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, 12 August 2002 2:07 PM</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><b>To:</b> Tom Milliken<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Fwd: Compulsory use of STA Travel</font><br>
<font size="-1"></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Dear Tom,</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Below is a copy of the email I sent to
Susan and posted on the Muasa net. From that I have had
considerable response from staff here and at UWA unhappy with STA as a
travel agent, both specific problems and general concern. I have
copied to you STA's response in a separate email. I don't know
how they got my email as Susan did not send it to them and neither did
I.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">You would be aware that part of my concern
and that of other staff who have contacted me is the monopoly power
thus enjoyed by STA if we are required to use STA for any travel
involving our employment and the simple inconvenience of being
required to use a travel agent at all. Part of the issue is
quite simple: most of the travel I do as an academic is
either</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><font size="-1">not fully paid for by Murdoch funds allocated for
that travel (eg OSP and conference travel allowances seldom over the
cost of travel; my last conference cost $2000 of which the Uni gave me
$1000)</font>
<li><font size="-1">paid for out of earned income from research and
consultancy work that is now in Murdoch accounts but was not money
given for that purpose by Murdoch but by other agencies. Is this
'official' travel, or Murdoch 'business'?</font></ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">The dot point questions at the end of my
email to Susan have not as yet been answered by her or anyone else.
Do you have those answers?</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Regards, Jim</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font size="-1">Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002
16:39:12 +0800<br>
To: s.laughton@murdoch.edu.au<br>
From: Jim Macbeth <macbeth@central.murdoch.edu.au><br>
Subject: Compulsory use of STA Travel<br>
Status: RO</font><br>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Dear Susan,</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Further to our phone discussion some weeks
ago, here are my comments on STA itself and on the requirement to use
one particular travel agent. Our conversation arose because of
my being informed that I must book Murdoch paid/reimbursed travel
through STA Travel in order to be covered by insurance.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">June this year was the first time I used
STA and I was not impressed</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><font size="-1">we made bookings on a Friday afternoon and the
flights were 'lost' because STA payments are made from the eastern
states and they were already closed. This caused anxiety and
inconvenience and the need to rebook the flights on Monday.</font>
<li><font size="-1">Our frequent flyer numbers did not get registered,
which will cause further inconvenience later when we have to apply to
get the flight credited.</font>
<li><font size="-1">It took me an email and then a personal visit to
get a receipt in order to make a travel claim.</font>
<li><font size="-1">I asked for information to do with a future
journey and 2 months later have not received any
information.</font></ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">I have occasion to work with an expert in
the travel agency business and on discussing this with him he said
that STA is a budget flyer travel agency and does not know how to deal
with the corporate market. He as much as said don't use them,
especially when compared to agencies such as Tertiary Travel (whom
I've used with no trouble over the years).</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">This notion that we must book using a
travel agent when on Murdoch business is a problem when in many cases
the easiest thing is for me to book online or on the telephone; the
latter I've been finding most satisfactory for most of my travel over
the past 10 years.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Could I please ask that the appropriate
person inform me of the following:</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><font size="-1">which aspects of insurance are effected by this
ruling and which aspects are not (eg Workers Comp; laptop insurance;
medical)?</font>
<li><font size="-1">on what legal basis can Murdoch deny us insurance
when travelling on Murdoch business?</font>
<li><font size="-1">in which situations are we still permitted to book
our own travel?</font>
<li><font size="-1">How does this effect travel by train, bus, boat or
car (including hire cars)?</font>
<li><font size="-1">If we are forced to use a designated travel agent,
can we assume that the university will make up the difference in funds
to the School/research budget if we could have otherwise taken a
cheaper flight of similar class?</font>
<li><font size="-1">Can we also assume that travel booked and paid for
by other agencies is still covered by insurance?</font></ul>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<hr></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">thanks for your help,</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Jim</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font face="Times New Roman" size="-1">--</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab><font
size="-1"><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>*****<br>
Jim Macbeth,
PhD <span
></span
> <span
></span> Phone
(61) (8) 9360 7005</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Chair, Tourism Program<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab
> <x-tab
> </x-tab>Fax (61) (8) 9360 7091<br>
School of Social Inquiry</font></blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1">Murdoch
University <span
></span
> <span
></span> <br>
Rockingham Campus, Dixon Rd<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab><br>
Rockingham, Western Australia 6168 <br>
Member, Murdoch University
Senate <span
></span> <br>
<span
></span> <x-tab>
</x-tab> <x-tab>
</x-tab><J.Macbeth@murdoch.edu.au><br>
<x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab><x-tab>
</x-tab>http://tourism.murdoch.edu.au </font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote><font size="-1"><i><b>Tourism at Murdoch will be available
at the main campus from 2003!</b></i> </font></blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
</body>
</html>
--============_-1182745618==_ma============--