Lean and Travel Agents in the Time of Covid-19

The inside of an aeroplane to many of us is a cherished memory in the times of Covid, with most of the world storing away their suitcases and safely keeping their passports in a drawer. As the world starts to open, with varying levels of restrictions, many people are eager to get on the first flight to anywhere on that ever-so-cherished ‘green list’. However, with the skies now obeying the rules of the road with a traffic light system we face a new problem… what exactly do we need in order to get from A to B? No longer is your suitcase and a passport enough to get you to your dream destination. We now must navigate the varying levels of requirements of the ever-lasting pandemic in order to travel. What documents do we need to show? What Covid test do we need? Do I need to quarantine?

One business type which can utilise Lean to help ease our travel worries is travel agents. Never has there been such a poignant time for travel agents to utilise lean principles to simplify the lengthy process that travel is becoming.

There are 2 key Lean strengths which can help here – Specialisation & Simplification.

1. Specialisation: Travel agents have the ability to become experts on the current travel restrictions, state and city laws, individual destination requirements and the preparations required to set food on the plane. Travel agents will be the one source of information when it comes to restrictions and sanitisation standards to make judgment calls for the customer.

2. Simplification: Will now not only involve the consolidation of ticket purchasing and reservations but will help to consolidate the complexity around capacity limits, wait times, testing processes and sanitisation protocols when travelling. Travel agents can utilise simplification processes to streamline information into one easily understood format.

It is clear that in order to keep your travel ‘Lean’ utilising a travel agent will be the easiest way forward if you want to get to those white sandy beaches or bustling city streets.

If you would like to find out more about how Lean principles may aid you when transitioning back into a ‘normal’ world please contact us here.