Business Travel: Dealing with Flights During Inclement Weather

Dealing with winter weather can be more than just an annoyance for a business traveler with a plane to catch. A canceled or delayed flight may mean missing an important meeting or other work event, adding uncertainty to a carefully planned itinerary.

Winter brings heightened concerns for airline travel, so it pays to be careful when scheduling flights. Business travelers should avoid booking either the first or last flight of the day, since they’re the ones that are most likely to be canceled in the event of bad weather.

Some travelers may not realize how important it is to select the right aircraft when they book their business trips. While larger jets will take off deeper into a weather event, smaller planes may not. Travelers who are flying from a major airport, then getting a connecting flight to a smaller city, could find that second flight on a regional jet either delayed or canceled. Travelers who have a trip coming up and are watching the weather forecast will have a better chance if they’re booked on a larger plane, like a Boeing 747, 767 or 777, or an Airbus 330, 340, 350 or 380.

Major airlines are likely to shut down quickly when a severe storm is imminent. They want their employees to be able to get home safely and they want their aircraft to be safe. If a city implements a snow emergency, shutting down its mass transit system, the airline is obligated to allow its employees time to get home.

Clearing snow around gates is a time-consuming process, and it’s easier to clean up when the planes are elsewhere. Airlines will often fly empty planes to reposition them at a destination that’s not impacted by the storm. This helps them bring their operations back up and running faster than if they leave them on the tarmac overnight.

In anticipation of bad weather, airlines will start to make changes a day or two in advance. They’ll notify their Travel Management Company partners first when those preparations start to affect flights. Waivers will be offered that relax the rules on changing flights. With early notification, TMCs will be able to move their business clients immediately, when there are still seats available on their route.

Travel Leaders is also tracking forecasts around the clock. Once it’s apparent that a weather event is coming to a particular region or city, an alert goes out to all travel advisors, who contact their clients, alerting them about a possible delay and changing flights if necessary.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, last-minute weather problems do arise. Passengers who have boarded, then hear an announcement directing them to deplane, should call their travel advisor immediately. The advisor will get a head start on rebooking or, if necessary, getting the client a hotel room at the airport. Advisors within Travel Leaders Network often know before the client does that a change is being made and will already be working on a new itinerary.

For help planning a business trip any time of year, contact our corporate team.