COVID

A word that brought fear, anxiety and worry to all.

To the Travel Agent community, it brought the unimaginable.

My COVID story, isn’t about COVID.   But what happens when the unexpected creeps into a situation and reeks havoc.  

This story emphasizes how important it is to always use a Travel Professional.

I know that my client Mary would have never been able to navigate this situation without me.

It started right before March Break.

Friday March 13th, 2020

Friday the 13th.

A March break Mary had been looking forward to since booking her family vacation to Cuba back in September.  She was travelling with her two adult children and their partners, one from Vancouver and one from Ottawa, her teenage daughter, and her husband who is a teacher.   Mary works full time at a non- profit that provides supportive housing and care to people living with HIV/AIDS & HEP C.  She also helps her parents, who were facing various health concerns.    

This trip was a much-needed break.   

With her entire family.   

They had been to the Melia Las Dunas many times and to them it felt like returning home.

Mary was worried about the logistics of bringing the kids together from various points in Canada and returning after the trip. 

I told her “no worries” this is what I do!

So, Mary turned her attention to preparing for her dream vacation and continuing to help her parents, while I took care of all the details.  

That’s what a great Travel Agent does!

The week before her trip (and the week before we knew anything about COVID) her father took a turn for the worse and was admitted to hospital.   She spent almost all her time pre-trip with her Dad, and contacting me, worrying about all the “what if’s”    I explained to her the little bit of COVID information I had and the talk of quarantine when they return, and helped her through the decision process of whether to go or stay.  

She purchased PPP insurance so I reassured her that she was good to go, and I would take care of everything if anything happened to her Dad during her trip.  The bottom line was her Dad wanted her to go and told her to go.  He reassured her he would be fine.  She discussed the trip with his Doctor, and he advised to honour her Dad’s wishes.    I spoke to her, messaged many times, reassured her, answered questions, and stayed positive so she could try to push away her worries and enjoy her trip.

All this with COVID lurking very closely by.

Late in the evening on Friday March 13th, I spoke to her once again, made sure she was packed and ready to go.  The government was advising to continue with travel.  However, unbeknownst to any of us, the COVID storm was heading toward us fast and furious!  Trips were starting to be cancelled, confusion ensured, no one really knew what was going on.   Bottom line, Mary and her family were honouring her Dad’s wishes and they were going to Cuba!

Then Saturday morning the call came.  

I remember it well. 

Mary was all checked in and ready to leave for the airport.  Her daughter from Vancouver was already in Ontario and her daughter from Ottawa was on her way.

I answered my phone thinking she needed some last-minute encouragement.

Mary was terribly upset.

After a great day with her Dad on Friday, he suddenly and unexpectedly passed through the night.   They were turning around and heading to be with her Mother.

I was also in shock; Mary is my cousin and her Dad was my Dad’s youngest brother.   

My Uncle.

I told her to go and be with her Mom and I would take care of everything, including making the dreaded calls to immediate family members.  

Then COVID crept in.

AGH!

I tried to call the supplier.  Lines were jammed.  No one could get through to anyone.  I put messages on our TTAND groups if anyone got through, please let me know.  I called some of my fellow TTAND agents to see if they had any way to get through to a BDM.  I sent messages and called my emergency TTAND contacts.   It was Saturday.

This was not COVID Related.

But “the virus” was here.  Messing with everything.

Problem was Mary had already checked in for their trip, so I knew CSR’s probably couldn’t help.  I tried to think of anything and everything so they wouldn’t “no show” for their trip. 

I decided the best thing to do was go directly to the airport and advise them what had happened to my client.  

This was against advice by Suppliers.  

But I was determined.   

This way, I could be sure that there would be no problems filing an insurance claim.  (FTV’s weren’t a thing yet) 

So, I drove the hour drive to Toronto Airport…..about 4 hours before departure to see if anything could be done.

When I approached the Customer Service Desk…….I got the look.

“Not Virus Related”, I said.

I think the Transat Rep was relieved.  She probably had enough of the “virus” at this point.

And it was just the beginning!

Transat was wonderful.  Everything was taken care of to protect their investment.

I worked on all the other details and got everything in order.

FTV’s are in place, cancellations were made, domestic flights re-arranged, and Mary and her family will travel again.  

And without a worry for her!


Mary considers me her Hero.

I believe we are all Hero’s in our own way.

If you love what you do, it’s all in a day’s work!

RIP Uncle David!