Expert Insights
Managing the challenges of a mobile workforce
Corporate Traveller provides a crucial lifeline for business travellers caught in frustrating and uncertain circumstances.
Chilean ash cloud erupts
With the frequency of natural disasters and major travel disruptions on the rise, businesses must have access to around-the-clock dedicated travel support. Businesses backed by an experienced travel management company during an emergency are in the best position to not only look after staff but also to maintain business continuity.
During the Chilean ash cloud disruptions Corporate Traveller's crisis management strategies ensured clients had access to 24/7 personal support, expert advice, the latest news and information as well as a range of travel and accommodation alternatives.
Ash cloud impact
The plume of ash from Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle circled the world twice and lingered over Australia and New Zealand for almost two weeks. The wide-spread impact of the ash is estimated to have cost the Australian aviation industry up to $100 million and forced hundreds of aircraft to be grounded during a nationwide paralysis of flight services.
At the height of the ash cloud chaos almost 100,000 passengers were left stranded across Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Tasmania as well as New Zealand for almost 48 hours when carriers across the Pacific grounded flights due to safety concerns.
Converting chaos into calm
Leading up to and throughout the ash cloud event, Corporate Traveller closely monitored news updates via the company's central monitoring hub and local media sources. Corporate Traveller's national crisis team maintained close contact with airline suppliers to keep abreast of the latest airline news.
As soon as Corporate Traveller had been advised of impending flight cancellations, our travel management teams around the country as well as support staff based in head office started to implement crisis management plans. Travel teams kept in close contact with clients offering assistance with re-bookings and ensured any passengers that needed to travel urgently had access to a range of alternative travel options where available.
At the coalface:
- All travel managers ran a 'where are they report' which tracks and locates where our clients are located
- Travel managers then called as many clients as possible to offer support, travel advice and travel booking assistance for flights and accommodation
- Clients that needed to be re-accommodated for additional nights had access to our corporate preferred rates, which helped to keep costs down at a time of high demand
- Corporate Traveller also made contact with our preferred car hire companies to ensure we had cars ready to go at various locations for clients that were able to drive when planes were grounded.
- One-way car rental was provided as an option for travellers that were willing to drive between cities (Canberra-Sydney) as well as water transport for clients that needed to travel between Victoria and Tasmania (Spirit of Tasmania).
- Our travel managers also looked at coach hire to move groups of people
- Clients were kept up to date with regular communication via direct email, Twitter and Facebook.
Overcoming travel emergencies
When an emergency situation, like the ash cloud strikes, a travel manager not only acts as a central point of contact but can help companies track and locate their staff, provide personal travel support, 24/7 assistance with all travel bookings and provide the latest industry updates. A travel manager can also tap into a wider pool of resources to source accommodation, air travel and car hire that may not be available to the general public or travellers that have booked over the internet.
A travel management company like Corporate Traveller provides a crucial lifeline for travellers caught in frustrating and uncertain circumstances.
