Flight delays are divided into two distinct camps: weather-related delays*, which accounted for roughly one-third of flight postponements, and the remainder, non-weather delays** which include system outages, mechanical issues, security concerns, unavailable flight crew resources, etc.

“Every business traveler knows what it’s like to realize they will miss their connection due to bad weather that might not even be in their area. In addition, every major airline has incurred some sort of technology issue over the past year, and that directly impacts hundreds or thousands of flights and millions of passengers,” said Gabe Rizzi, President of Travel Leaders Corporate. “Air travel is a complex process, and any stoppage can start a domino effect. While we can’t control the weather or airline technology outages, we can easily help companies ensure their employees have every advantage in getting where they need to be.”

Business travelers are especially affected by flight delays and cancellations, as their work often requires specific arrivals and departures. Travel Leaders CONNECT is a mobile travel solution – not an app – that gives business travelers the power to instantly see if weather or other factors are affecting their travel plans, and provides real-time human interaction—it’s like a “travel agent in your pocket.” With Travel Leaders CONNECT, business travelers are well-prepared for minimal disruptions and seamless interaction with a professional travel agent for itinerary adjustments.

Travel Leaders Corporate’s business travelers were able to rely on Travel Leaders CONNECT, backed by the organization’s experienced corporate travel agents, in recent months, to assist them due to the following air travel issues:

• Winter Storm Niko (February) – Travel Leaders CONNECT distributed 1,953 disruption messages to nearly 650 travelers. These messages included information on flight delays, cancellations and seamless automatic rebooking.
• United Airlines Outages (January and February) – United experienced two system-wide outages in January and February. During the January 22 outage, 150 flight disruption messages were sent to travelers. Travel Leaders CONNECT also transmitted 266 disruption messages due to the February 8 outage.
• Winter Storm Juno (January) – Travel Leaders Corporate assisted 1,133 business travelers by providing 2,473 disruption messages through Travel Leaders CONNECT.
• Delta Air Lines Outage (January 29) – Delta experienced an outage affecting their computer systems. As a result, Travel Leaders CONNECT sent 290 disruption messages to clients, connecting them within minutes to a corporate travel agent who could advise them on the best options to reach their destination.
• Winter Weather (December) – In December 2016 alone, Travel Leaders CONNECT delivered over 10,000 disruption messages to 3,516 travelers.

“The really unique advantage about Travel Leaders CONNECT is that it isn’t merely about informing business travelers, that would only be serving half the business traveler’s needs. What we offer, that no one else can, is an exclusive and innovative technological solution backed by prompt service anywhere, any time,” continued Rizzi. “The human factor of Travel Leaders CONNECT can’t be overemphasized. Our travel agents are able to immediately re-book their clients and get them to their destination as quickly and efficiently as possible. Travel Leaders Corporate believes that no business traveler should be left alone to find their own way during any sort of delay. That’s why clients using Travel Leaders CONNECT have a real inside track.”

For more information or to take advantage of Travel Leaders Corporate’s personalized service and cutting-edge corporate business travel solutions that provide a complete travel enrichment experience, email partnerships@tlcorporate.com or call 877-404-4173.

Travel Leaders Corporate is part of Travel Leaders Group, which is the highest ranking American travel management company in Business Travel News’ Business Travel Survey 2016, and has annual sales of $21 billion. Travel Leaders Corporate’s three service offerings – Travel Fulfillment, Travel Consulting and Meetings Management – which can be used independently or combined for maximum results. At Travel Leaders Corporate, each client is served by a dedicated team of U.S.-based agents assigned to each account. With a reputation built on reliability and a commitment to excellence, Travel Leaders Corporate offers its clients industry-leading products and services, and continuously seeks higher levels of performance. Headquartered in Miami, FL, and with employees in more than 120 cities across the United States, Travel Leaders Corporate is a forward-thinking, innovative company with a focus on continually improving the customer experience. www.tlcorporate.com