Severe Weather Highlights The Critical Role Of Travel Agents During Travel Disruptions

Recent snowstorms across Europe left thousands of passengers stranded at airports, raising questions about how travel agents can best support clients facing disruptions.

Agents can be instrumental in guiding travellers through extreme weather events, helping them manage flight cancellations and delays and avoid rushed decisions that could lead to higher costs.

“When flights are cancelled, many travellers rush to book new tickets on other airlines without fully understanding the implications,” said David van den Heever-Liebenberg, Travel Director and Co-Founder of Mr and Mr Jones Boutique Travel Management.

Flight changes made by clients become a voluntary change and not an involuntary one. “This is when costs become the burden of the traveller and not the airline. There is little knowledge around what is deemed voluntary and involuntary and what the consumers’ rights are in regard to these two principles,” said Paula Martini, Travel Industry Strategist and Author of Travel with Purpose.

Assisting in a crisis

Consistent communication is central to helping travellers manage disruptions.

“Agents need to check in regularly to create calm. When travellers know their agent is actively managing the situation, they are far less likely to take unnecessary risks or undermine existing bookings,” said Van den Heever-Liebenberg.

He believes agents play a crucial role in identifying reasonable alternatives, such as sourcing flights from the closest operational airports, arranging ground transport where feasible and securing last-minute accommodation.

Experience and knowledge in airline practices can be the best way agents assist clients. “Whether it is knowing the rules of airlines or knowing how to guide them at the airport – who to speak to and where to go – experience is the most valuable tool during these disruptions that are often out of your hands,” said Martini.

Limits

Despite their expertise, agents are constrained by airline policies and operational realities.

“An agent’s ability can be limited if a client intervenes directly with the airline. Once an airline takes control of a booking, agents may no longer be able to make changes or assist with rebooking. When extreme weather eliminates all alternatives, the agent’s role shifts to managing expectations,” said Van den Heever-Liebenberg.

Agents are limited by airline policies and cannot always adjust to clients’ needs. “We are not able to change flights based on our perceived best option or the client’s wants. We need to follow the airline’s rules and reissuing requirements,” said Martini. She said agents could only assist with rebooking and reissuing tickets once the airline had given instructions and alternatives.

She added that staying on top of GDS queues remained essential but increasingly challenging as booking systems evolved. “This has to be the biggest benefit of agents still using GDS, however, technology is struggling to keep up and often an SMS is received before the airline’s system is updated,” said Martini.

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is also vital in protecting travellers from unexpected costs during extreme weather but Martini and Van den Heever-Liebenberg both warn travellers to read the fine print of insurance policies.

“There is a misconception that travel insurance will automatically cover these costs, without travellers reading the fine print. In extreme weather situations, outside an airline’s control, waivers are not always granted and travellers can end up out of pocket,” said Van den Heever-Liebenberg

Martini added that as airlines increasingly shifted responsibility, insurance companies were also paying out less. “Many policies now refuse to pay out for expenses that are at the carrier’s cost, including changing flights, accommodation and meals.”

Van den Heever-Liebenberg advised travellers to choose policies that clearly covered delays, missed connections and extra accommodation. “It is important that policies explicitly cover weather-related events. Agents play a vital role in ensuring clients understand what insurance does and does not cover.”