Companies see benefit in self-service tools
The April eruptions of volcano Eyjafjallajokull (AY-yah-fyah-lah-YOH-kuul) in Iceland highlighted for many the value to corporate travel programs of strong partnerships with suppliers and travel management companies.
“It is times like these that really test a client-vendor’s true partnership and chemistry,” said UBS AG’s Anna-Marie Francello and Mark Cuschieri in a joint statement. Francello and Cuschieri are executive directors of Travel Management for UBS AG’s Corporate Real Estate Administration Services. “We are thrilled that we were able to display to our most senior global leaders that together our teams are best-in-class.“
Volcano Eyjafjallajokull sent ash clouds as high as 40,000 feet, closed most of Europe’s airports, forced the cancellation of some 100,000 flights and stranded or delayed millions of passengers worldwide. Underscoring the widespread impacts of the volcano, only 11 percent of respondents to an international survey by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) said they were not affected by the event. Call volumes more than tripled in many of BCD Travel’s operations, including the company’s after-hours service network.
During the volcano travel crisis, the value to corporate travel programs from relationships with TMCs was realized in the ability of travel managers to quickly locate and assist affected travelers, stay abreast of rapidly changing air service schedules and use the creativity of experienced travel counselors in coming up with solutions for bringing stranded travelers home to their families.
“The chaos this volcano created in the travel industry demonstrates the true value for corporations of forming partnerships with travel management companies and other suppliers,” said John Snyder, BCD Travel global president and chief operating officer. “The volcano and its aftereffects put those partnerships to the test and, in the end, reasserted the value of those relationships.”
Reporting and communications capabilities proved especially important during the crisis, helping clients locate, proactively contact and assist travelers. Volcano-related travel disruption also underscored the benefit to corporate travel programs of security management tools, particularly those that allow a level of self-service.
Tracking systems use a data feed from the travel management company of all trips booked, allowing managers in travel, human resources or security functions to run reports to see at-a-glance:
- Who is staying in a particular city
- Who is staying at a particular hotel
- Who is on a specific flight
- Who is booked to travel to a destination or has returned from it during a given period
Security data from BCD Travel’s DecisionSource proved immensely valuable in the days following the volcanic eruption, allowing many clients to generate reports on demand at any hour of the day.
“DecisionSource security data was very effective in quickly identifying travelers affected by volcanic ash,” said Dan De Boeck, senior director, Global Client Management. “Once affected travelers were identified, the next challenge became communicating with them during a period when many systems became overwhelmed.”
In addition to telecommunications, other channels opened during volcanic eruptions included text messaging, e-mailing travelers’ private accounts and sending messages through colleagues. BCD Travel also issued alerts throughout the day to provide travelers information about airport closures or re-openings and new flight schedules.
Volcanic-related travel disruption also served as a reminder to employers of the need to manage risks to their travelers.
“One big lesson of the recent event is that travel programs are well-served during massive travel disruptions by policies that require all travelers to book through the same channel,” De Boeck said. “Another lesson was the value of having a well-thought-out security program in place prior to a major travel disruption or security crisis.”
A white paper created by BCD Travel’s Advito consulting unit guides corporate travel programs through each of the steps required to put a sophisticated risk management program in place.