Reacting quickly to the Haitian crisis was essential for Key Travel. As the UK’s only travel management company to work exclusively with third sector organisations, Key Travel were on hand to help their clients do just this. Using their recently updated risk management system they were alerted immediately to the crisis and were able to conduct scans of all travellers booked to travel to, or who were in the affected areas as well as advise on airline policies for flights. Key Travel has worked successfully with organisations such as Oxfam to provide help to those affected by the crisis and has already sent over 100 aid workers to the region.

As third sector specialists Key Travel is used to working with clients needing to get to disaster areas in a hurry. In the event of a crisis they prioritise their workload to ensure that booking requests related to the emergency are processed as soon as possible (whilst also keeping on top of other requests). The expertise of the reservations teams, booking technology and internal structure makes it easy for the reservations consultants to quickly share information on route availability, giving clients the most up to date information when they call in a fast and efficient way. A witness to the speed of service was Oxfam’s Alexandra Walker, Business Support Coordinator, who says: “It was very useful to have a list of the tickets affected and the reference numbers in front of me so quickly.”

In the event of a crisis Key Travel’s relationships with the embassies, built over numerous years, and the nature of the clients they serve often provides leverage to negotiate quicker turnarounds and better deals on visa applications. This combined with the 24 hour emergency support which is manned by Key Travel staff, means that callers receive a consistent  level of service and expertise whenever they call.

Since the Haiti Crisis Key Travel has managed the travel arrangements for over 100 aid workers to get to the effected area and has some simple tips for booking in a crisis:

1.      Book as early in advance as possible to maximise your chances of securing a seat which are fast becoming limited

2.      Be prepared to be flexible both in relation to your arrival and departure times and the destination airport. Over 70 of the recent bookings have been made to neighbouring ‘Dominican Republic’ (Santo Domingo) as there are very limited flights to Haiti as well as issues with capacity at Port-au-Prince airport.

3.      Be equipped to inform the reservations agent of your passport details and nationality. This saves time during the booking process as it will quickly determine any route limitations posed by the potential need to obtain transit visas for indirect flights.

4.      Be clear on any special requirements e.g. excess baggage to carry aid equipment, diet etc.

Says Steve Summers, COO at Key Travel: “In times of crisis it is vital that help is delivered as quickly as possible and through our risk management system, 24 hour emergency support and experienced teams we have been able to help many organisations come to the aid of the thousands of people affected by the earthquake when they have needed it most.”