From chaos to coordination: how TMCs mitigate business travel disruption

Duty of care has never been more important in business travel. Whether it's a weather warning or a full-blown international crisis, things can change fast. When they do, it matters that you've got a partner in your corner who can react just as quickly. That’s where a Travel Management Company like Clarity comes in. We do more than book travel – we help businesses stay connected, resilient, and most importantly, safe.

But hey, before I get carried away, let me introduce myself properly. I’m Simon Hawley, a Senior Account Manager here at Clarity, and while we often take centre stage as the customer-facing contacts, helping coordinate responses and highlight all the good stuff Clarity does, we’re just one part of a much bigger machine. And I have to say, it’s a seriously impressive one. My fellow Account Managers are brilliant, but we’re backed by a whole ecosystem of experts who make sure our customers are always looked after– especially when things go wrong.

When travel disruption strikes – and let’s be honest, it’s not a matter of if, it’s when – we’re ready to spring into action. Whether it’s a cancelled flight, a hotel overbooking, or something more dramatic like a full airport closure (impacted by Heathrow anyone?), our job is to make sure our customers aren’t left in the lurch.

It’s one of those topics we hope never becomes a conversation, but it’s exactly what we prepare for behind the scenes.

Duty of care: The heart of what we do

We’re not just here for the smooth-sailing trips (although those are nice too!). Our duty of care efforts kick in well before a trip even begins. Safety isn’t just a buzzword – it’s part of the service. Our job is to help organisations take care of their people while they’re on the move, and we do it with a brilliant combo of people, tech, and processes that work together like clockwork.

Planning ahead: Proactive preparation

At Clarity, our disruption management starts early. We work with customers to understand their risk profiles, tailor their travel policies and create contingency plans that actually work. Data’s our best friend here – by pulling together booking trends, company preferences and travel history, we’re able to act fast and smart when the unexpected happens.

We’ve also got a trusted network of partners that we can coordinate efforts with at a moment’s notice. Need a last-minute hotel or alternate flight during a transport strike? We’ve got that covered. Our relationships with suppliers mean we can move quickly and coordinate emergency solutions while keeping duty of care at the forefront.

Travellers also have access to tools within the booking platform to help them assess risks on the go – plus, we often connect customers with experts like Maiden Voyage for additional support and training.

During the trip: The calm in the storm

This is where the magic really happens. When disruption hits, we don’t just watch and wait – we act. Here’s what’s going on behind the scenes:

• ‍Incident monitoring – We’re keeping tabs on weather alerts, strikes, security issues – anything that could impact a traveller's journey.‍
• Traveller tracking – Our tech allows us to see where travellers are and who might be affected. We then step in with updates, new plans, and a clear route home.
• Travel communications – With a dedicated travel alerts team, we’re able to keep travellers informed via email and booking tools, making sure they feel informed in real-time on the move.
• 24/7support – No matter the time, our UK-based support team is available to help. And yep, we’re real people (not just chatbots – though we have those too if that’s what you’d prefer), ready to provide the human support that counts in stressful moments.

From an account management perspective, when chaos hits, we workhand-in-hand with:

• Our operations team, who can actively contact, and help affected travellers.
• Our supplier contacts, who help us arrange emergency accommodation or new travel options.
• Our communications pros, who make sure updates are accurate and timely.

A few real-world examples

Let’s talk about the moments that really put us to the test over the years:

• FlyBe collapse: Within 72 hours, our out of hours team had proactively contacted and supported or repatriated all 188 impacted travellers, across 41 customers. It was a whirlwind – but it showed the strength of our response.
•  UK storms and SSE: Our customer SSE needed urgent support during recent storms. We were there, managing rebookings, providing live updates, and ensuring their people stayed safe and on the move.
• ‍Heathrow closure: Being the most recent example of severe disruption, I'll give you a more in-depth breakdown of this one…

When the airport temporarily shut due to a fire at a substation, we didn’t miss a beat. Our response was fast, structured, and fully coordinated across teams. We issued travel alerts via social media and email throughout the day – including updates as early as 4:00am – to keep travellers informed in real time. Behind the scenes, we ran reports to identify over 1,400 affected customers and updated our booking platforms accordingly, so our teams and customers had access to the latest information.

Air bookings saw a 14% uplift as travellers either cancelled or rebooked onto routes that avoided Heathrow altogether. Our out of hours support was in full swing, with call volumes increasing by 84% and email transactions up by 40% – a clear reflection of just how many people needed our help, and how ready we were to provide it. Our ability to respond quickly and flexibly meant we could position travellers in the most effective and fluid way possible, even when the situation was changing by the hour.

These examples highlight the real value of a TMC like us. And trust me, when the pressure’s on, you want a team who’ve done it before.

More than a TMC – your travel partner

So yes, while I might be your main contact and cheerleader for all things Clarity, I’m backed by a whole team of experts who live and breathe duty of care. We combine global reach, smart data, local insights and 24/7 support to keep your people moving safely.

Want to know more about how we do it? Let’s chat!