Heathrow Emergency Service Centre

Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) just prior to the year-end holidays proudly proclaimed 20 years of continuous service at its Heathrow Emergency Service Centre (ESC), a 24/7 traveller assistance centre for clients.  It then found itself in a 200-500% increase in call volumes (depending on the day) during the snow travel disruptions, not only at Heathrow but across Europe.  To help as many travellers as possible, CWT implemented its contingency team including homeworkers and UK and Continental branch offices. 

Since its creation in 1990, the ESC has seen its staff grow by more than tenfold and clocked more than 10.5 million minutes of non-stop traveller emergency service for clients in 58 countries.  It comprises of more than 70 travel counsellors, representing more than 20 nationalities and providing service in English, French and Spanish.  They use all major global distribution systems (GDSs) to access reservations made by CWT offices around the world.

Trevor Greenaway, Director of the Heathrow ESC since 2000 said: “The demand for emergency travel services has increased significantly over the years, particularly since airlines closed their 24-hour call centres and transferred e-ticketing functions to travel management companies.”  Christmas 2010 will be long remembered. www.carlsonwagonlit.com

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