What’s behind the headphones
Elise Bottrell has been a steady voice in the industry for nearly seven years. Corporate Travel Management (CTM) An after-hours team that provides emergency business travel support to businesses, governments and high-profile travelers dealing with unexpected disruptions.
For Elise, no two calls are the same. A night can include weather disruptions, stranded travelers, emergency rebookings, and moments when people just need the reassurance that someone is there to help.
Life in a 24/7 travel environment
Elise's character shows reality 24/7 travel management and the diverse career paths it offers. After leaving get off work at midnight, she returns to home life in the morning, balancing competing demands with the peace of mind at work.
One of her most defining periods was the Australian bushfires of 2019-20. What usually marks a lull in business travel became a national emergency. CTM supported the operations of firefighters, police and Red Cross personnel as roads were closed, towns evacuated and hotel rooms filled with displaced residents. The situation changes hour by hour, testing every element of logistics, safety and resourcefulness.
Elise recalls how difficult it was to balance urgency and impact, knowing that emergency personnel needed to be deployed quickly while also realizing that local communities were under severe pressure for food, shelter and supplies.
When weather and worlds collide
The 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods present different challenges. Accommodation is already scarce due to large concerts throughout the city. One traveler was stranded the next morning, sleeping in his car as he faced his children's first day of school. Elise acted quickly to secure a business class seat home; a rare exception for her safety and well-being. Even so, people didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the plane left the runway.
Her work is often intertwined with global moments: royal funerals, political campaigns, international government travel and high-profile emergencies. WA police received the most exciting phone call of all when they discovered a kidnapped girl was still alive in Caernarfon. Within minutes, she had arranged emergency travel for multiple people to arrive in the area on the same day. The sense of relief on the other end of the line was something she would never forget.
Crisis Support from Trusted TMC
Long-term customer relationships are rare in after-hours travel. Most travelers make phone calls during stressful moments, work out the crisis together, and then go their separate ways. But sometimes the effects remain.
One traveler named John wrote after being stuck in a chaotic Las Vegas airport amid mass flight cancellations:
“Thank you so much for your cool head, reassuring advice and supportive demeanor. The speed with which you found a solution meant we were across the mountain ten minutes before the road closed… We were safely settled in the hotel by midnight, ready for an important meeting the next day. You saved us again and did a fantastic job – at least we have you to thank.”
Why the human element remains important in business travel
On every call, Elise is motivated by one goal: to get people where they need to go. In the early morning, when travelers feel loneliest, after-hours counselors become a steady voice somewhere between panic and calm. This is where after-hours business travel support becomes very user-friendly.
As Elise said:
“Most of the time, we get the results we need. Finding free time at the last minute is the hardest part, but once we find a way, it means someone can attend a meeting or go home to their family. That's the job.”
Her story reminds us that behind every journey is a human moment, and behind every resolution there is a CTM consultant working quietly and compassionately to make it happen. It's this combination of expertise, care and after-hours business travel support that helps travelers get through the toughest moments and find their way home.
