Transparency and traveler confidence are closely related to 2025
Johannesburg – What if the world's safest airlines run from the most politically unstable regions? When news of airspace closures and local instability dies, even veteran business travelers will pause before booking a specific hub.
On June 23 this year, after the Iranian attack on US military bases in Doha, several Middle Eastern countries had to close airspace and forced airlines, including Qatar, Emirates and Etihad, to cancel or reroute flights across the region. It was a temporary measure (lasting about six hours), but the newspaper headline told the story.
Mummy Mafojane, general manager of FCM South Africa, says that during about 10 days of the incident, there were minor withdrawals at these airlines, but the situation quickly returned to normal.
“There was a measure of anxiety, but it didn't last long,” explains Maphojan. “Things are back to normal. This is due to competitive pricing, availability and service provision from the respective airlines.”
That's an interesting dilemma. Although regional conflicts affect traveler trust, these hubs boast the world's safest airlines (Qatar, Emirates and Etihad are all in the top five), top-performing airports (based on global traveler reviews), and unparalleled global connect.
That gap between statistical safety and traveler confidence is where the maphojan sees opportunities. Her approach? Fundamental transparency.
“Modern travel risk management tackles uncertainty with the latest information and some important tools,” says Mafojane. “Reliable technology, traveler tracking, monitoring and reporting are now unnegotiable for any travel program.”
The challenges vary from traveller to traveller. Veteran travelers are more concerned about delays and cancellations (and potential knock-on effects on meetings and events), but newer travelers may be concerned about personal safety. But the solution is consistent. Travel managers need to bridge the information gap through three core strategies: pre-travel intelligence, real-time monitoring and instant communication.
Pre-travel briefing covers document verification (ensure that all travel documents, including passports and visas, are valid and up to date), destination-specific information (including current travel advisories), medical attention (and vaccinations required), cultural sensitivity (e.g. traveler education regarding local habits, and potential issues with potential issues (including contact information and out-of-hours support numbers).
Real-time surveillance provides continuous peace of mind when travelers are on the streets.
For example, Mafojane explains that FCM's proprietary Travel Tech Platform will integrate global tools like Crisis24 and Sherpa to provide instant, accurate, localized updates.
“Travel managers need to have the right technology to provide immediate snapshots of travelers' locations,” says Maphojan. “This is especially important because multinationals run big travel programs, and we need to know where all travelers are and where they are heading.
But perhaps it's the most important thing? Instant, open, two-way communication. Today's mobile travel apps can provide the latest travel information on the spot (from new departures and arrival times to gate details, ground transportation, and hotel bookings). This is because travelers that make things complicated (or stressful) like humans on the other side of the line.
There is no doubt that today's travel technology will boost travelers' confidence. Travel managers receive alerts from airlines (or platforms like Crisis24) and often allow clients to be rerouted, rebooked and updated quickly and easily before travelers know that there is a problem.
“Airspace closure is a good example,” says Maphojan. “They suddenly, inevitably affect all travelers on the affected routes. In June, the airline automatically rerouteed some flights, but there were also long delays. Fortunately, the Travel Management Company (TMC) can navigate such dynamic situations at the request of a client.
Simply put, knowledge is power. Rerouting may mean longer flight times, but cancellations could result in extended waits in the lounge (TMC should be able to arrange lounge access), or an unexpected labor and an evening wait in the hotel. It's easy if you have the right information at your fingertips and you can manage your expectations.
“In the end, if airlines are not safe to do so, they will never fly,” says Mafojane. “They take great responsibility for bringing passengers to their destinations safely and do not compromise on operational standards or care obligations. Sometimes airports and airlines need to make decisions to ground their planes when faced with bad weather.
There's always a lot going on in the background, and this is where TMC becomes incredibly valuable.
“In dynamic and changing circumstances, information is a competitive advantage,” says Maphojan. “Customers want to make the right decisions, the right information, even travel managers, bookers and travelers themselves, at the right time. Full transparency, real-time updates, and reliable technology have become an important tenet of corporate travel.”
