By Bev Fearis, published 22/07/20
Travel and Transport, the employee-owned global travel management company, has made key changes to the services it offers to clients in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It has introduced a new Journey Prep tool with up-to-date information around specific restrictions and guidance, such as quarantine rules and whether masks are mandatory.
It lets travellers search a destination at the planning stage in Dash Portal, the TMC’s all-in-one portal for travel managers, arrangers and travellers, or in Dash Mobile, its mobile app.
Travel and Transport has also renamed its advisors ‘journey managers’, who have access to the same level of detailed information through the company’s Leap Advisor CRM.
“Journey managers have next-level expertise, providing validated, useful information so travellers can make an informed decision about travel plans,” said Joel Bailey, Travel and Transport’s Senior Vice President Customer Solutions.
“By turning to advisors and tools, travel buyers can be confident that travellers have the correct information available to them and are not wasting time looking for answers online.”
He said advisors have been retrained to have ‘very different conversations’ with travellers, especially as international and multi-destination trips pick up again.
“They must make sure that multiple trips can go ahead taking quarantine and other measures into account,” said Bailey.
Every traveller is now sent a journey summary email when they make a reservation, and these emails have been significantly revamped to include information such as wellbeing advice and country risk ratings.
Additionally, travellers will receive a new Journey Brief webpage 48 hours before each trip, with information including a packing list and an insight into what to expect at airports, on flights and in hotels.
The webpage features a table detailing airline hygiene practices including boarding protocols and which airport lounges are open.
“What appears to be consistent in the current travel experience is inconsistency,” continued Bailey.
“As a result, we’ve built our Journey Brief webpage to offer the best tips available for all travellers. Regardless of the airline or accommodation they are using, there are some basic steps that all travellers can take to keep themselves and those around them safe.”
Travel and Transport can hold risk or insurance company details in its Leap Advisor CRM, so if a traveller is denied boarding, travel advisors can reassure the traveller and provide them with a phone number.
Alert notifications have also been enhanced to arm travel buyers and travellers with the intelligence and confidence to get traveling again.
“It’s complex and confusing, especially when people are traveling for the first time post-pandemic. So we need to offer that support across our solutions, all powered by our Command Center,” said Bailey.
Kevin O’Malley, Chairman and CEO at Travel and Transport, added: “Ultimately, we must help travellers gain confidence in traveling again. Our new framework helps our customers answer four fundamental questions. Firstly, can I travel? We need to offer the literal definition – the rules for the country or state they are visiting. Then second, may I travel – does the traveller have permission or need approval? Third, do I need to travel and fourth, if the answer is yes, how do I prepare?”
