You arrive in Bali, ready to hit the beach and then your realise somewhere between boarding and disembarking, you’ve misplaced your passport. It’s the stuff of nightmares, but for one family, this nightmare became a reality shortly after landing in Denpasar. Fortunately, Jo Kennedy of Kennedy & Turner Travel Associates was on their side, and her network of industry contacts, coupled with her quick thinking, turned a high-stakes scramble into a story with a happy ending.
Kennedy’s clients, a family of four excited for a sun-soaked Balinese getaway, found themselves in an unexpected bind. Shortly after stepping off their Virgin Australia flight, they realised their passports were missing. Panic quickly set in, and as the family frantically tried to figure out their next move, they called the one person they knew could help: Jo Kennedy, their trusted travel agent.
The power of an agent’s connections
The clock was ticking, and with international travel, every minute counts.
“After countless phone calls, texts, and calls to the consulate, it was looking bleak,” Kennedy shared. The family were going to have to split up. The mother and one of the children would go to a pre-arranged hotel, while the father and their 18-month-old were left at the airport hotel under the watchful eye of security.
A very sleepless night passed but Kennedy’s experience and her relationships with industry representatives came into full play here.
The plan, if the passports weren’t recovered, was intense: the father would have to fly back to Brisbane under a security escort, obtain emergency Australian passports, and then return to Denpasar to reunite with his family. As Kennedy put it, “VERY daunting if you ask me.” But instead of letting the situation unfold into a logistical nightmare, she leveraged her connection with Tonia Wilson, Global Account Manager for Virgin Australia.
“Very early in the morning, after I am sure a sleepless night by both Mum and Dad, I reached out to Tonia with an urgent request,” Kennedy said.
“I knew the plane was in Brisbane and was about to turn around and go back to Denpasar, and I had a very good feeling the passports had to be on the plane. The father suspected the passports were tucked away in the life vests, likely by the kids during the flight.”
Her instinct was spot-on. Within just 30 minutes, Tonia and her team located the passports. It was an emotional relief for Kennedy and her clients, one that came with tears of gratitude on both sides.
Beyond standard service
Stories like these highlight the dedication of travel agents and the value they bring beyond simply booking flights and hotels.
Kennedy’s clients were understandably thrilled, with one family member going so far as to say,
“Jo, you are the patron saint of travel. We could not have done this without you!”
When asked if this level of service is typical for her, Kennedy said simply, “This emergency was rather specific and does not happen often, yet my commitment to exceptional service extends to all my clients. In any situation where assistance is needed, we literally drop everything in order to support our clients.”
“It’s our passion for excellence that distinguishes us and makes us shine,” Kennedy told Karryon.
“We want our clients to know we are their go-to every single time for all their travel needs.”
And while it’s not every day that clients need this level of intervention, Kennedy (and many travel agents like her) work hard every day to help make their clients’ travel dreams come true.
The value of industry relationships
While Kennedy went above and beyond for her clients, she credits her relationship with Virgin Australia for helping out her Bali-bound clients.
“Thank you to the amazing team at Virgin Australia, particularly Tonia and the representative in Bali, for reducing the anxiety stress levels, making a horrible situation manageable,” Kennedy posted.
“Your dedication and care for our clients will not be forgotten.”
With nearly 30 years of experience, Kennedy has developed countless relationships worldwide, from general managers to suppliers. This experience and network allow her to pull strings that the average traveller simply can’t access.
“When I want to VIP my clients or I need a favour, I know who to call or email to make a difference for my clients,” she told Karryon.
Kennedy meets with representatives from airlines, hotels, and cruise companies regularly to ensure that her contacts know her and are ready to assist whenever she needs them.
“They know us by name and have personally met us, and they can’t wait to look after us,” Kennedy said. This network doesn’t just help her in emergencies; it’s her “secret sauce” in delivering VIP experiences for her clients.
With Virgin Australia’s team stepping up (even to the point of a representative in Bali going as far as personally driving the family to their hotel), Karryon reached out to Virgin Australia Global Account Manager Tonia Wilson to get her account of the events.
“Our dedicated Agency Partnership team is the best in the business, and we will always go out of our way to help our valued travel advisor partners wherever possible,” she said.
“Travel advisors play an essential role in helping Virgin Australia deliver wonderful service to our mutual customers,” Wilson said.
When an unexpected issue arises, these relationships often mean the difference between a ruined holiday and a remarkable story to tell back home.
Why booking through a travel agent is worth it
While online booking platforms offer convenience, they can’t replace the personal touch and industry expertise that a seasoned travel agent provides.
Kennedy sees this first-hand, “We can provide personalised itineraries based on our clients’ preferences, ensuring a one-of-a-kind unique travel experience. We take the stress out of travel, make it seamless, and we use our Travel Associates app, which has a messaging portal within the app so as to keep in touch with our clients every step of their journey.”
When the chips were down, Jo Kennedy showed how the power of connection and dedication to service can turn a potentially disastrous travel mishap into a triumphant “save the day” story. For travellers, knowing there’s someone on your side, someone with a personal stake in ensuring your holiday goes off without a hitch, makes all the difference.
