INSIGHTS
Corporate travel emergencies & disruptions
Travel is full of surprises. Good and bad. A global crisis, a weather event, or even as simple as a missed flight are all part of the deal. For business travellers, these disruptions derail plans, increase costs, and cause plenty of stress for the traveller and booker. And the impact can be even worse for remote travellers.
The good news? With a plan ready to go, you can navigate most challenges smoothly. And when things get truly complicated, having expert support in your corner will make all the difference.
Major events
Severe weather & natural disasters
Hurricanes, bushfires, floods, or volcanic eruptions. These events stop travel in its tracks, stranding business travellers and closing airports. What matters most is acting quickly, staying informed with airlines and providers, having backup routes in mind, and leaning on contacts. Travel management companies (TMCs) are experts at dealing with these situations. With insider knowledge, plus local and global contacts, they will reroute your team quickly, stay in the know, and keep you updated along the way. Just as we did during Cyclone Alfred.
Civil unrest, protests, & terror
What starts as a peaceful trip can quickly become unsettling with unexpected protests, political instability, or worse. Stay ahead by following local news, know how to access local authorities, plan alternative routes to avoid affected areas, stay informed about risky destinations, and maintain open communication with your corporate traveller.
Medical
Sudden illnesses or injuries are particularly scary for travellers when they are far from home. Encourage travellers to be in the know—where to find medical help, how to reach emergency services, access insurance docs, and plan for potential language or currency challenges.
When a Songa Offshore oil rig crew member required urgent attention, we pulled out all the stops. Emergency assistance, flights, ground transfers, accommodation, even overcoming language barriers and organising foreign currency with our local team to get them the care they needed.
Global IT outages
Just when you think we’ve moved past the unexpected, a global IT outage strikes (too soon?). Knowing where your business travellers are, having strong industry contacts, access to real-time updates, and in-house built tech ready to go will make all the difference. During the CrowdStrike outage, while others scrambled for answers, our proprietary tech kept moving while the team tapped into our industry partners to get answers quickly and reroute travellers.
Everyday disruptions
Lost passports or travel documents
Losing your passport overseas is a nightmare. Encourage travellers to carry copies of important documents and know where their nearest embassy is located. Need help? Dedicated TMC consultants can guide you through navigate embassy visits to liaise with authorities about options.
Overbooked hotels or flights
Overbookings happen more than you’d think. Keep new plans in mind, try not to restrict travel to one brand, and don’t hesitate to call providers directly. Corporate travel management companies often have access to global networks to secure alternative solutions from their pre-vetted providers quickly.
Cancelled or delayed flights
Communication is your best tool here, with both traveller and provider. Stay in touch with the airline and explore other flight options before the delay becomes a cancellation. For extra efficiency, travel management companies handle rebooking’s and send updated itineraries before it becomes an issue.
Missed connections
A missed connection can upend a schedule. Act quickly to rebook flights and notify ground transport or hotels of delays. If you’re working with a TMC, they’re likely handling this in the background already while your traveller is still en route or provide access to an online booking tool.
Lost luggage
When baggage takes an unexpected detour, work with airlines to track down lost luggage, arranging emergency essentials for the traveller in the meantime, or lean on your TMC to have the hard convos with the airline.
In FCM, after-hours team, you never know what quite to expect. So, it's crucial to have a dedicated team trained to address urgent situations promptly and efficiently, focusing on customer safety, communication, and resolution no matter the time.
The team receives many compliments in crises due to our calm, compassionate, and experienced help. This is mainly because the average after-hours consultant travel industry experience is over 13 years...We see the emergency wall light up and we know what to do!
- Naomi Burton - Area Leader, FCM Corporate After Hours Team
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