The effects of the volcanic crisis were unprecedented. Michelle Mannion asks what you should do in the event of future disruption
Extreme weather and airline strikes may have caused travellers grief in the past six months or so, but that was nothing compared with what happened when an impossible-to-pronounce volcano erupted in Iceland in March. More than 100,000 flights were cancelled, with a businesstraveller.com poll showing that half of readers had to cancel at least one trip, with a fifth scrapping more than two.
And while Mount Eyjafjallajokull has piped down for now, it may take no more than a cough for it to wreak havoc once more, with some predicting it will continue to cause problems throughout the summer – not to mention the possibility that neighbouring volcano Katla may join in the fun. In light of that, are there measures travellers can take to reduce the risk of being stranded? And how can they be prepared if they do get stuck?
Before you go anywhere, William Freear, managing director of security risk management company Pilgrims Group, stresses the importance of having a full travel plan in place. “Make sure you’ve got the right insurance and the small print doesn’t catch you out,” he says (see panel, facing page). “Ensure you’ve got all the right kit and the batteries to support it – if you can’t charge your Blackberry because you haven’t got accommodation and are out on the ground then you will lose all your contacts. Make sure you’ve got the right cash to use.
“Also, be aware of your bordering countries and what visas and currency you would need [if you had to enter one of them]. What travel options are there in the country – can you get a bus, a hire car? If not, what can you get? Do you have contact numbers in the country for getting help?” In turn, companies should ensure they have full details of when their staff are travelling and where they are staying so they are in more of a position to help if they come unstuck.
If you are travelling short-haul, consider going by rail. While Eurostar was less than adept at handling the snow and ice of the winter, it proved a lifeline for many travellers during the ash crisis. Cities within about 1,300km of London, such as Frankfurt, Milan and Zurich, are accessible by rail in a day by connecting to high-speed services at Paris and Brussels, with an advantage being you will arrive into the city centre. Amsterdam can be reached in about four and a half hours – an option Business Traveller’s Felicity Cousins used during the chaos. Although you should check before you go for any rail strikes on the continent – at the same time as the volcano first erupted, French train company SCNF was on strike, which affected some routes.
Overnight ferries are also an option if you are near a port, and come with the benefit of no luggage limits. Ian Windsor, UK managing director of travel management company HRG, says: “If you’ve got the time to do it and book a little bit in advance then the alternatives [to air travel] can be quite cost-effective.”
If you need to fly, using an EU airline will provide protection as they are required by EU Regulation 261/2004 to provide you with meals and two phone calls if you are delayed for more than two hours, plus accommodation and transfers if you are stranded overnight. Airlines praised on our online forum (businesstraveller.com/discussion) for their handling of the crisis include BA and, perhaps surprisingly, Easyjet.
For non-EU carriers, take note of which were proactive during the ash. Etihad Airways took measures including accommodating all transit passengers stuck at its Abu Dhabi base and working with Abu Dhabi Tourism to lay on tours, golf and shopping trips. In some cases it also flew passengers stranded in Bangkok and Australia to the emirate and put them up there. “We took the view that duty of care [was essential] straight away,” chief executive James Hogan says. “We didn’t take any short cuts.”
One way to deal with the possibility of cancellations is to buy a fully flexible ticket, which will give you greater rebooking options. However, this can be highly expensive, and companies cutting costs as a result of the recession are unlikely to sanction it. Windsor says: “Now we’ve returned to a more normal level of trading, we’re back to restricted [fares] – a lot of corporates relaxed their policies during the ash to make sure people had the flexibility to do their job, but now policies are [being enforced] again.” One option is to downgrade your class of travel and buy a flexible economy ticket, which will cost less than a restricted business one.
While many travellers remain wary of using travel management companies, arguing they can find cheaper flights and accommodation themselves without paying a fee, for Anne Godfrey, chief executive of the Guild of Travel Management Companies (GTMC), the ash cloud has made the business case for using one. “TMCs struggle sometimes to illustrate their value to business travellers, and the one thing they have got out of [the ash] is that travellers who might have wondered what TMCs did for them now know exactly what it is they do, because it was the TMCs who got them home,” she says. As well as making alternative arrangements, they offer 24-hour phone support, have access to up-to-date information and can advise on how and when to travel.
Tony McGetrick, director of sales and marketing for the UK and Ireland at BCD Travel, says TMCs also have influence with the airlines. “[During the ash] we had to use our strong relationships with suppliers to secure ‘waivers and savers’, so we could jump ahead of the queue to get certain travellers on flights where possible. You couldn’t do that as an individual unless you had the highest level of airline recognition card, which even in that situation didn’t always work,” he says.
Both Windsor and McGetrick stress that if you use a TMC, it’s vital to keep your contact details up to date on your online profile. “Don’t underestimate how important that profile is because it’s the only data we have in terms of where you are and what you’re doing,” Windsor says.
Something else many TMCs can arrange is video-conferencing, if disruption makes travelling difficult. It should be noted that while the top telepresence systems can make you feel like the other participants are in the room with you, they certainly don’t come cheap, so you may want to consider the more budget options (see “Get the picture”, businesstraveller.com/archive/2010/march-2010).
All the same, for all the benefits of using a TMC, even they can’t prepare for unexpected events of the magnitude of the ash. One frequent flyer Business Traveller spoke to found himself stranded in Zurich when the volcano erupted. His firm books its flights via a web portal provided by a TMC. He reports: “The executive assistants could not get through to the travel company and the website was down.” (In the TMCs’ defence, Godfrey of the GTMC describes the situation as “absolute hell” for them, with staff working around the clock to try to deal with demand.)
Instead he organised his own travel home to London via rail, using his loyalty status to find hotels in Zurich and Brussels. “I have a Starwood ambassador who helps me with reservations – as I am a platinum member, I am guaranteed a room,” he explains. “In Brussels she managed to get my colleague and I two rooms, and both of us were upgraded.”
Richard Lovell-Knight, senior operations manager at Pilgrims Group, stresses the importance of loyalty schemes in these instances. “If you’re a frequent traveller you really should be a member of one because they’re a good source of help,” he says. “If you phone them and explain your position, they may well be able to get you a hotel that you wouldn’t be able to get yourself. Or a frequent flyer club might be able to open the [airline] lounge for you.”
If you are stranded, hiring a car to drive home is an option. Hertz is one firm that offers a one-way rental service for travellers to get back to their home country. “This means people can drive across Europe or to a place that they are able to travel from by train or boat,” says Neil Cunningham, general manager of UK and European strategic projects at Hertz. “Customers visit hertz-transfer.com, select their desired pick-up country, preferred return country, and a vehicle from the list, then dial the call centre number (+44 (0)870 844 8844) to book the vehicle.” Price depends on the distance and popularity of the route, with customers also subject to a drop off-charge and the cost of returning the car to its usual base.
However, this is not an option Pilgrims would generally suggest. “We normally advise not to self-drive unless you’ve done some training [specific to that country],” says Sam Mostyn, Pilgrims’ training manager. Dealing with unfamiliar terrain and driving styles and following different road rules may make what is already a difficult time even tougher.
In which case, a chauffeur car might be a more stress-free idea. Greg Mendoza, vice-president and general manager at Carey Worldwide Chauffeured Services, says: “[During the ash] we did a lot of ‘repatriation’ work all across Europe. The chauffeurs deserve huge credit for taking on daunting journeys to ensure that customers could get home safely as soon as possible.”
Needless to say, you can expect to pay though the nose for it. “We did not inflate our prices during this period but inevitably a private car service covering thousands of miles and taking several days by the time the chauffeur gets home will incur a large invoice at the end, sometimes several thousand pounds,” he says.
Still, if Easyjet has its way, mounting such journeys will soon be a thing of the past. It has invested £1 million in developing an airborne ash radar that would mean aircraft could fly around ash clouds in the same way that pilots change their flight paths to avoid thunderstorms. The technology uses infra-red radiation to detect ash particles up to 100km away, and Easyjet hopes to trial it on 12 planes within the year. Andrew Haines, chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority, has called the radar “the most exciting innovation I have seen thus far”, but warns it would need to go through rigorous testing.
In the meantime, there’s also the option that BCD Travel organised for one client – hiring rigid inflatables to get people across the channel. Now there’s a journey to remember.
ARE YOU COVERED?
One thing recent events have brought to light is that many insurance companies will not pay out for “acts of God” such as the ash cloud, so check the small print to see what you are covered for. Columbus Direct is one firm that has capitalised on the ash by introducing an “emergency travel upgrade” product. Costing from £20 and available to individuals only, the upgrade can be applied to both the company’s leisure and business policies. It covers customers up to the value of £4,000 for any unforeseen circumstance preventing their return home, including further ash disruption, major weather incidents or natural disasters.
Graham Linney, managing director of Columbus Direct, says: “The advantage for business travellers is that we not only cover the cost of accommodation should they get stranded, but also alternative transport expenses including ferry, train, car hire or alternative flights.” There are caveats, though – accommodation is covered only to the tune of £100 per night, and travel fares are limited to economy.
TOP TIPS for surviving disruption
? For short-haul travel, consider going by rail.
? Make sure you have someone on the ground who can check things and make arrangements for you.
? Use a travel management company – they have access to up-to-date information, can advise on how and when to travel, and make alternative bookings.
? Book with an EU airline as they are required to provide you with food and accommodation if you are stranded.
? Find out what your insurance covers you for.
? Register for flight updates by text.
? Check in online early so you are less likely to be bumped.
? Ensure you have sufficient money, credit cards and medical supplies to get you through an extended stay.
? Make sure you have chargers for your mobile devices.
? Switch your mobile phone provider if they charge over the odds for roaming calls.
? Build up your loyalty status with hotel groups and airlines so they will be more likely to help you out.
? Consider using video-conferencing instead of travelling.
