Expert Insights
Corporate Traveller works around-the-clock to help Qantas passengers
The travel plans of around 68,000 passengers were thrown into disarray when Qantas CEO Alan Joyce grounded the carrier's entire domestic and international fleet due to ongoing industrial disputes. A total of 447 Qantas flights were cancelled worldwide during the grounding, which started 5pm Saturday 29 October.
During the crisis, Corporate Traveller as part of the Flight Centre Limited group provided assistance to around 10,000 travellers. From the moment the news broke Corporate Traveller's priority was to ensure all affected customers were re-accommodated on alternate flights or hotels as quickly and cost effectively as possible.
How we managed the crisis
Immediately after Qantas' announcement to ground aircraft Corporate Traveller mobilised its travel management teams nationally. As part of our crisis management plans Corporate Traveller:
- Mobilised day-time travel and account management teams to work throughout the weekend. This mobilisation combined with the support provided by our after-hours assist division ensured Corporate Traveller was staffed 24/7 during the crisis
- Travel managers ran 'where are they' reports to identify all clients that were affected
- Passengers were then contacted personally by Corporate Traveller staff, who ensured all travellers due to fly in the next 48 hours were re-booked on alternative flights
- Corporate Traveller staff used every strategy available to them to ensure clients could continue travelling, including re-booking to alternative flights, holding seats, wait-listing flights and making changes to hotel and car bookings that accompanied those flights
- Where appropriate, charter flights, car hire and buses were offered as alternative solutions.
- Corporate Traveller suggested clients reconsider all non-essential travel during crisis and in following days.
- Travellers were kept up to date with regular emails, online and social media communication.
Communication
Throughout the crisis Corporate Traveller provided the latest updates and advice to travellers through direct emails, website and social media streams. These communication channels ensured travellers were notified of airline developments and had the right phone numbers to ring for both their travel teams and after-hours assist teams.
The TMC advantage
Corporate Traveller's clients were able to contact our dedicated teams directly for assistance and advice. Corporate Traveller's call waiting times were kept to a minimum, where as passengers dealing with airlines direct, faced extremely lengthy call waiting times.
The fact that Corporate Traveller had booking teams working from their offices provided clients with full access to our globally integrated technology and product platforms. This ensured travellers had full travel management support, when they needed it most.
Corporate Traveller's clients also benefited from the company's well-established supplier relations. Corporate Traveller has access to booking platforms and availability for all airlines, hotels, coach companies and car hire companies, which gives our people the broadest range of travel alternatives for our clients. Our access to product helps us to reaccommodate travellers quickly and cost efficiently.
During the grounding, businesses that use best fare of the day as part of their company travel policies also took advantage of being able to select flights from a variety of airlines to secure the cheapest fare available.
Additionally, alternate travel booking services such as online travel management companies simply can't match the service provided by Corporate Traveller, as they don't have the infrastructure or the support staff to manage the massive call volumes during a crisis of this magnitude.
Client feedback
Throughout the Qantas crisis Corporate Traveller offered proactive and professional support to customers, which was well received.
Below is a comment from one of our clients:
"I was most impressed to receive a phone call from Corporate Traveller at about 8.30pm EST asking if I needed any assistance with rebooking flights. I apologise that I have forgotten who I spoke to (I was in the pub at the time) but she advised she would cancel my existing booking and also asked if she could be of further help.
Subsequent to this I have spoken to a number of travellers both in the Qantas lounge and subsequently on the Malaysian flight who advised that after 2-3 hours on hold they gave up on contacting their own corporate agents.
For us to have Corporate Traveller staff come in after hours and personally contact us, is a credit to the staff and the company and I would ask you pass on my appreciation."
Richard Wodhams, Millennium Inorganic Chemicals
