It can be a real discussion with the right audience! How to handle travel risks and emergencies during corporate travel? So what are these risks and emergencies, especially during corporate travel? In today’s interconnected business world, companies send employees across continents multiple times a year – and with every trip comes a range of risks. A recent study found that 89% of business travellers faced disruptions in 2025, from cancellations to delays, while over half of all travel emergencies in 2024 were medical in nature. Although most corporate trips go just perfect, even a single unexpected incident can derail business plans and affect traveller safety.
In this blog, we’ll explore how these risks can be identified and managed – from medical emergencies and security issues to logistical setbacks and cyber threats. We’ll also discuss how partnering with airssist.aero can help you stay a step ahead, offering 24/7 support and premium airport concierge services that make travel safer and smoother. Keep reading to discover how to plan smarter and strengthen your company’s duty-of-care strategy.
Understanding Common Corporate Travel Risks
Visa and Entry Requirements
One of the most unpredictable parts of international travel is dealing with visa and entry requirements. Even well-prepared travelers can face unexpected delays or denials, as rules and processing times often vary between countries and can change without much notice.
For example, the U.S. B1 Business Visa – for short-term business trips like meetings or conferences – had a 21.2% refusal rate in 2024 (8,487 refusals out of 40,031 applications), up from 16.3% in 2023. These numbers highlight how uncertain visa outcomes can be, even for legitimate business travelers.
A visa denial can lead to missed opportunities and disrupted schedules. To minimize these risks, it’s important to apply early, ensure documentation is accurate, and stay updated on the latest entry requirements.
Legal Restrictions at Airports
Legal restrictions at airports can pose a real risk for travellers – often in ways you might not expect. For example, under the Civil Aviation Act 2023 in New Zealand, the definition of “security area” has been expanded and the powers of aviation security officers increased significantly. These changes now allow authorities to search electronic devices (though not access the data on them) and treat landside zones (not just airside) as restricted areas.
Another high‑impact example: at Dublin Airport, a data breach through a third‑party supplier potentially exposed around 3.8 million passenger journeys from August 2025. That means travellers who assumed everything was handled smoothly could face unforeseen consequences – identity theft, disrupted plans, or issues stemming from compromised personal data.
It’s wise to stay aware of these legal restrictions or work with a trusted VIP concierge service to address them proactively and avoid potential issues before they arise.
Balancing Urgent Meetings and Airport Protocols
For corporate travelers, managing urgent meetings during travel can be tricky. Airport security, terminal transfers, and boarding schedules leave little flexibility, turning what should be a quick meeting into a stressful balancing act. Even small delays can disrupt carefully timed appointments, making it difficult to stay productive while in transit.
To address this, several airports now offer fully equipped meeting spaces within terminals. Singapore Changi Airport, Seattle – Tacoma International Airport, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, and Zagreb Franjo Tuđman Airport provide private rooms and meeting spaces, AV equipment, and business lounges that can be booked in advance via airssist.aero. While these facilities help maintain productivity, failing to plan ahead can turn urgent airport meetings into missed opportunities, highlighting the challenge of balancing business etiquette with travel protocols.
Communication Barriers for Some Nationalities
When corporate travellers from certain nationalities engage in international meetings or site‑visits, language and cultural communication barriers become significant risks. Studies show that non‑native English speakers often feel excluded or overlooked in business contexts – one report found that 64% of non‑native English speakers felt excluded or misunderstood during onboarding. Specific nationalities that may face steeper challenges include travellers from China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, where English proficiency is lower and cultural communication styles differ from those of typical Western business norms.
These communication challenges can lead to tangible business risks: delayed decisions, mis‑interpretations in contracts or meetings, missed opportunities, and relationship strain. For a business traveller whose meeting schedule is tight and whose agenda expects precise negotiations, these barriers can translate into lost time, unclear expectations, and cultural misunderstandings. As booking.com states, “the time spent correcting confusion with overseas clients causes missed opportunities and lost contracts.”
Transportation and Traffic
Getting from the airport to your meeting venue (or from one appointment to the next) is often treated as a routine step in travel – but it’s anything but routine for corporate travellers. Traffic congestion, unpredictable transit systems, and ground-transport delays can turn a well-timed schedule into a scramble. In fact, ground transportation is frequently overlooked in corporate travel risk plans: one report found that although 85% of travel programmes include risk-related provisions for business trips, only around 55% regularly address ground transport safety.
Moreover, the cost of these delays and disruptions is steep. According to a recent survey, 89% of business travellers said they experienced travel disruptions in 2025 – including missed connections, traffic delays, or transit issues. For companies, that translates into lost productivity, missed meetings and higher contingency expenses. Ground transport isn’t just “getting you there” – it’s a significant risk node in business travel where planning, buffers and vendor selection matter.
Safety and Insurance
So, when it comes to corporate travel, safety and insurance are two sides of the same coin – both critical but often underestimated. On the safety front, a major study on business travel key risks found that 45% of business travellers ranked terrorism as their greatest safety concern, compared to only 15% for street crime and 13% for illness.
On the insurance side, nearly 14% of Australian travellers said they travelled overseas without any travel-insurance cover, and among younger travellers (under 30) this rose to 23%.
What does this mean for businesses? It means if you send an employee overseas and they fall ill, are injured, or face a security incident you may face medical evacuation, liability issues, reputational damage, or unbudgeted costs. For corporate travel, the takeaway is clear: robust duty-of-care protocols must include verified insurance coverage (that includes high-risk destinations, evacuation, interruption) and safety planning from pre-travel briefings to real-time support.
Currency and Payment Issues
Handling currency and payment issues is a key challenge for corporate travellers that’s often underestimated. As companies expand globally and employees travel across borders, the risks around foreign exchange fluctuations, conversion fees, and payment-method limitations become real operational headaches.
For the travelling employee, these issues can translate into budgeting shortfalls, unexpected out-of-pocket costs, difficulty in expense reconciliation, and delays waiting for reimbursement. A survey by BCD Travel found that 79% of business travellers use a corporate credit card, yet one in six reported falling victim to credit-card fraud on a trip. That means firms need robust policies and travellers need pre-travel preparation: confirm which payment methods are accepted at destination, ask about foreign-transaction fees, ensure you’re charged in the local currency when possible, and consider using multi-currency cards or apps. Without this, currency and payment issues can quietly erode profit margins and create a real travel risk.
Work-Life Balance and Jet Lag
For business travellers, the rush of meetings, tight schedules and recurring flights can throw work-life balance off course. According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) poll, 45% of professionals said they almost always work longer hours than they’d like or miss out on personal time because of travel. What starts as a one-off trip often evolves into a cycle of exhaustion – returning home to unexpected chores, catching up on missed family time, and preparing for the next journey before you’ve even settled in.
Then there’s jet lag. Combine that with the demands of back-to-back meetings and the result is reduced productivity, increased fatigue, and greater risk of burnout. For corporate travellers, both work-life imbalance and jet lag aren’t just inconveniences – they’re risks to performance, wellbeing and long-term engagement.
Emergency Preparedness
For corporate travelers, emergencies can range from flight cancellations and natural disasters to medical incidents or political unrest. Yet many companies still lack clear, proactive response plans. A survey found that only 44% of organizations clearly communicate what to do in an emergency, and just 53% have a central contact system for travelers in distress. This lack of preparedness leaves employees vulnerable and companies exposed to duty-of-care risks.
Meanwhile, 82% of business travelers say it’s important for their employer to know their travel plans in advance, but less than half of organizations actually track them. This gap between expectation and action highlights why structured emergency protocols – covering communication, tracking, and on-call support – are essential. Proper preparation not only ensures traveler safety but also protects the company’s operations and reputation during crises.
When Connectivity Fails
In today’s business-travel world, connectivity isn’t just a convenience – it’s essential. Yet for many corporate travellers, unreliable mobile data, patchy Wi-Fi, and unclear internet regulations can quickly become major hurdles. A connectivity survey found that 66% of businesses experienced internet dropouts, and 63% lost sales or customers due to connection issues. Meanwhile, a study of business travellers revealed that 65% felt nervous about data safety when working online while travelling.
Adding to the risk are varying international regulations around data privacy and internet use. Many companies find themselves vulnerable because they don’t fully understand how local laws affect device usage, cross-border data transfers or public Wi-Fi access. One survey showed less than one-third of business travellers are required to use two-factor authentication while on the road. When connectivity fails or regulations aren’t followed, it’s not just a missed email -it can mean compromised data, liability for the company, and lost productivity.
The Impact of Travel Emergencies on Businesses
Upon exploring the risks and challenges, two things may pop up in our minds. How can a travel risk impact business just as it does to corporate travelers? And How to prevent or tackle these? So moving ahead with the first, travel emergencies can truly strike at the heart of corporate operations, and these ripple effects can be quite intense. When business travellers face delays or disruptions, from missed flights to route changes the costs aren’t just about extra hotel nights or rebooking fees. Ofcourse, lost productivity mounts as meetings are missed or postponed, decisions stall, and project timelines extend. According to industry guides as booking.com, such disruptions carry high financial stakes and reputational consequences.
Beyond the numbers, there’s an emotional and mental toll borne by the travellers themselves. Executives and staff caught in travel uncertainty often experience heightened stress, anxiety and a sense of isolation: they’re away from home, under time pressure, and may feel that their employer isn’t fully in control of the situation. That chimes with findings that inadequate travel risk management undermines employee confidence and morale.
Poor risk management in travel not only affects budgets and individual wellbeing, but can also damage a company’s reputation and erode employee trust. When a business lacks a clear duty-of-care framework such as tracking travellers, preparing contingency plans or responding quickly in crisis, it signals to staff and external partners that the organisation isn’t fully on top of its obligations.
Australia’s third-largest travel buying group, CT Partners, warns that ignoring professional travel support in today’s volatile world is a costly mistake. CEO Matt Masson emphasizes that corporate travel is no longer about convenience but about capability – ensuring travellers’ safety, managing disruptions, and mitigating risk exposure. Representing 33 major travel management companies and handling over 1.4 million travellers annually with a TTV exceeding $2 billion, CT Partners views travel as a strategic enabler, not an expense. Echoing this, Baris Celik, Director of Operations APAC at TAG, notes that the cost of a missed flight may be minor, but the cost of a lost client due to delays can reach hundreds of thousands. As Celik puts it on Global Travel Media, “A delayed arrival isn’t just inconvenient – it can mean lost business or stranded staff,” underscoring the emotional, operational, and financial stakes of modern corporate travel.
How to Prepare and Overcome Travel Risks and Emergencies
| Focus Area | Key Actions | Details & Expert Insights |
| 1. Develop a Comprehensive Travel Risk Management Plan (TRM) | • Establish incident management and crisis communication protocols.
• Conduct regular reviews and scenario testing. • Align policies with ISO 31030 travel risk guidelines. |
A structured TRM plan helps companies anticipate and reduce potential travel risks. As highlighted by Sara Benwell, a seasoned editor and journalist specializing in risk management in Strategic Risk (2023), this is essential to meeting corporate duty of care obligations and protecting employees. |
| 2. Pre-Trip Research & Preparation | • Research local laws, political stability, and health systems.
• Assess environmental and cultural risks. • Provide destination-specific briefings to employees. |
Tackling unfamiliar diseases or limited healthcare abroad through pre-trip research helps mitigate these risks before departure. |
| 3. Travel Insurance & Emergency Protocols | • Secure comprehensive travel insurance covering medical, evacuation, and cancellation scenarios.
• Set up 24/7 emergency contacts and support channels. • Establish clear internal communication flow for emergencies. |
Insurance and response plans minimize financial loss and stress during crises. They also reinforce an organization’s reliability and care for its travelers. |
| 4. Leverage Technology for Real-Time Safety | • Use travel tracking tools and alert systems.
• Implement secure communication platforms. • Provide live updates on routes, weather, and local conditions. |
Live travel assistance apps significantly enhance traveler safety and reduce anxiety, providing real-time support and emergency assistance. Kate Fitzpatrick, Regional Security Director at World Travel Protection, urges all business travelers to use these apps. However, only 20% currently do, highlighting the need for organizations to promote their adoption for safer, more confident travel. |
| 5. Partner with Reliable Travel Concierge Providers | • Engage professional concierge services for airport fast-track, luggage handling, and ground transfers.
• Offer 24/7 assistance for emergencies and rebooking. • Manage all traveler needs from arrival to departure. |
Concierge partners provide exceptional end-to-end care, ensuring executives are safe and focused on business while all logistical and risk-related aspects are managed professionally. |
| 6. Continuous Traveler Support & Communication | • Maintain ongoing contact during trips.
• Offer mental health support and check-ins. • Debrief travelers post-trip for feedback and updates. |
A culture of care builds employee trust and confidence in the company’s travel management approach. This aligns with global best practices for safety and wellbeing. |
airssist.aero’s Hand in Travel Risks and Emergencies
We can guess what must be running through your minds as you prepare for your next business trip! With all the information you’ve read so far + flights delayed, lost luggage, or unexpected emergencies can be all overwhelming but our experienced staff at airssist.aero has you covered. As a VIP concierge service, we take every risk and emergency seriously, tailoring support to each corporate traveler’s needs. From tarmac transfers, porter assistance, fast track, meet and greet, VIP terminals, and transportation, to lounge care with any meeting space requirements, and refreshments during emergencies, we handle it all. Let airssist.aero make your travel perfect and worry-free, contact us today to experience true VIP support. Do you know what’s even special? We offer post trip support for corporate travelers…!!!!!! YES, you heard it right! Stop feeling insecure, and start planning today!
FAQs
Why do corporate travelers often feel nervous about business trips?
It’s natural to feel uneasy when traveling for work – especially with today’s unpredictable conditions. Flight cancellations, health concerns, and geopolitical risks can cause anxiety. Many professionals worry about being far from familiar support systems or not knowing what to do if something goes wrong.
How can I prepare for travel risks before my trip?
Preparation is key. Always research your destination’s safety conditions, local laws, and healthcare facilities. Enroll in a corporate travel risk management plan if your company provides one, and make sure your travel insurance covers medical and emergency situations.
What should I do if I face an emergency during travel?
Stay calm and contact your company’s emergency response team or travel management provider immediately. Keep a copy of all emergency contacts – both local and corporate, handy. If you’re using a concierge or travel risk partner like airssist.aero, they can coordinate ground assistance, fast-track airport services, and immediate care in lounge areas until help arrives.
How can technology help manage travel risks?
Use travel safety apps that provide real-time alerts, tracking, and communication tools. These platforms help both you and your company monitor your journey and respond quickly to disruptions or safety threats.
What role does airssist.aero play in handling travel emergencies?
airssist.aero goes beyond convenience it’s about care and safety. Our VIP concierge team assists with almost every aspect to serve you during a travel risk or an emergency. In emergencies, we ensure travelers are safe and have access to lounges, refreshments, and immediate on-ground support until the issue is resolved.
