Scout delivers efficiencies following disruptions caused by TC Alfred

Tropical Cyclone (TC) Alfred hit the Queensland coast in March 2025, resulting in major disruptions to travel services in and out of South-East Queensland.

In the week leading up to TC Alfred, CTM’s AI-powered travel assistant, Scout, experienced a soar in customer requests resulting in significant efficiencies for customers and CTM consultants. During the 2 March – 8 March period, Scout provided an unprecedented level of urgent booking support for changes and cancellations ahead of the weather event:

150% increase in “Chat with a consultant” requests

• A demonstrable shift in communication preference was evident during the disaster response, with an increasing number of users opting for instant message over traditional email or phone.
• Despite the huge increase in volume, CTM Consultants resolved queries via chat within 13 minutes of opening (on average) and wait times only varied by 3 minutes compared to BAU response times – still under the 5-minute mark.
• The switch to instant message is consistent with changing demographics for travel stakeholders and further supports CTM’s omni-channel approach enabling customers to communicate “how and when they want to”.

343% increase in customer-led cancellations

• Scout’s quick and easy cancellation functionality facilitated significant volumes of requests from customers, providing immediate booking support through automation including refund processing when eligible.
• CTM consultants also opted for Scout when processing cancellations on behalf of customers. Consultant-led cancellations increased by nearly 200% with requests turned around in 2 minutes on average, resulting in significant time savings compared to traditional methods and enabling consultants to assist more customers in less time.

75% increase in customer-led changes

• Customer-led changes via Scout’s automation capabilities increased by 75%, with air, hotel and car hire dates and times easily modifiable.
• New travel options are displayed within policy-limits, meaning changes are booked instantly securing rates early.

At least 5% of requests processed during weekends – saving customers on after-hours fees

• Available 24/7 via CTM Portal, CTM Mobile, and Microsoft Teams, Scout’s accessibility saved customers in traditional after-hours fees by allowing them to self-service changes and cancellations during out-of-office hours including days on both weekends.

With thousands of customer booking requests actioned instantly via Scout, CTM consultant capacity was focused on servicing customers with complex requests that required the expertise of our staff.

This provided CTM customers with dedicated, timely booking support despite increased demand and changing working arrangements for CTM’s QLD-based team.