Andrew Laughlan, head of enterprise at Uber for Business, said strikes, delays and pilot shortages take their toll on airline staff 

With the peak Summer holiday season in full swing, airlines are dealing with increased disruptions.

Pilot shortages are an ongoing issue, and strike action is taking place across European airports in Italy, Spain and Portugal.

This has resulted in delays and cancellations during July, with more of the same expected throughout August.

Inconvenienced passengers tend to become the focal point during these disruptions, particularly in media coverage, but these situations also take a toll on flight crew.

They are the people responsible for keeping highly frustrated passengers calm and up to date.

If airline customers also need to be allocated meal vouchers or given help finding overnight accommodation and transport, it can be a draining experience for staff.

Given the delays may push flight crew beyond their working hours, it’s important to remember their well-being – especially as they will need to come back refreshed for work the following day.

If they are required to get around an unfamiliar city, where they don’t know the local transport system or where to grab a decent meal, it can add extra stress to an already difficult situation.

Seemingly little things – searching out local taxi drivers, haggling on prices, collecting receipts – can all add to the strain.

So the aim for airlines has to be to remove hassle where possible, and ensure flight crews get where they need to be safely.

Crew travel

There are some well known solutions to these problems – such as ride hailing services, for example. But, when airlines provide these options to their employees, they need to consider several factors.

If staff are moving around an unfamiliar city, as employers they will have a duty of care responsibility.

They will need to make sure, therefore, that they are able to monitor employees’ trips using tracking tools, such as Concur Locate or ISOS Travel Tracker.

Flight crew may want that reassurance to allay their own safety concerns, but it’s unlikely this will be the only thing they will be concerned about.

After a long day handling irate passengers, they may want to know a driver will definitely be waiting for them, and they will not be stuck waiting at the airport for their ride.

They may want to make sure their means of transport is also reasonably comfortable, and not have to endure cramped conditions when travelling through a congested city.

In an increasingly environmentally conscious world, there might also be an expectation that they can order an electric vehicle.

Access to meals

Once employees have reached their accommodation, be that a hotel or apartment, they may also want food brought to them, especially if they arrive late at night.

Wandering around the streets of a strange city after dark can feel intimidating and often best avoided.

If the local cafes are closed or the hotel restaurant is no longer serving, flight crews may also have no other option but to order food.

While there are well established consumer apps that can cater for these needs, airlines again need to be wary of their employees’ expectations.

People travelling regularly for work can find it difficult to always eat nutritious food – especially when they have specific dietary requirements.

So airlines need to ensure that any food service they facilitate is capable of providing a variety of healthy food options.

Hassle free expensing

Airlines should be aiming to take care of all this for their employees, and remove hassle wherever possible.

While flight crews will prefer to have options, they won’t want to worry about paying for anything out of their own pocket or collecting receipts.

If they are being asked to do this and ensure they have a paper-based receipt for every transaction, just managing expenses can start to feel like a second job.

It helps if the crew also understands what is reimbursable and what is not. Airlines can remove these doubts by providing clear guidelines.

But, if they are utilising an app-based service, they can go further. They can ensure every travel option offered is preapproved and employees can see spending limits when ordering food.

App-based services also help to automate expense claims. This is eliminating the need for paper receipts and making it easy for airlines to monitor expenses – which is crucial when they need to control the cost of disruptions.

When the flight crew’s ability to keep passengers happy during disruptions can play such a central role in an airline’s success, it makes sense to look after their well-being.

Ensuring they are fully rested and recharged will make sure they are in good shape to deliver the best possible customer experience.

So anything airlines can do to reduce their stress levels during these difficult times will always prove to be of great value.