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"Travel Agents saved our holiday": How a team of consultants changed one family's journey

Family holidays are joyous adventures during which relationships are strengthened & memories are made. They're meant to be a fun escape, but sometimes, things just don't go as planned.

Family holidays are joyous adventures during which relationships are strengthened & memories are made. They’re meant to be a fun escape, but sometimes, things just don’t go as planned.

That was the case for UK mum Justine Williams who planned an exciting Australian getaway for her and her two children, Harvey and Grace, only to spend half their vacation stressed and afraid in a hospital.

Within hours of touching down halfway around the world, Williams said her teenage son’s behaviour started to change and eventually his personality was practically unrecognisable. This prompted her to rush him to a local hospital where doctors immediately began examinations.

Justine's son, Harvey [middle], fell ill immediately upon arriving in Australia.

Justine’s son, Harvey [middle], fell ill upon arriving in Australia.

Harvey underwent blood and urine tests as well as cat scans to rule out severe diseases, including a potential brain tumour.

Williams said seeing her child severely ill while so far from home left her feeling scared, alone and completely hopeless.

“Suddenly we were literally on the other side of the world feeling really, really alone.”

Justine Williams

“We needed a friendly voice, but we also needed help.”

Unable to be there in person, Hayes put a shout out for assistance from an Aussie Agent.

Williams contacted her friend & Travel Agent, Kate Hayes, to help.

That’s when Williams decided to reach out to her Travel Agent in the UK, Travel Counsellors’ Kate Hayes, who went straight into ’emergency mode’ in order to aid the family in any way she could.

Hayes said her first move was to notify the team at Travel Counsellors’ 24/7 Duty Office, who were “absolutely fantastic” at helped her with anything she needed from re-booking flights and accommodation to contacting the insurance company.

She then turned to the agency group’s message board and put out a request for help from any Australia-based Agent.

“Within 24 hours I had a whole list of Travel Counsellors from Australia that were saying ‘I can help, I can help’, including one that was right by the hospital called Hayley.”

Kate Hayes, Travel Counsellors UK

“She said ‘I’m here, I can help. I can go visit the family’.”

Voll answered Hayes' call & acted as the Williams' family's local consultant & friend.

Voll answered Hayes’ call & acted as the Williams’ family’s local consultant & friend.

As a team, Hayes and Voll saw the Williams family through the traumatic ordeal, by taking care of not only their travel questions and enquiries, but providing in-person support, comfort and friendship.

“We just worked together as a team and the time difference didn’t matter,” Hayes explained.

“She was there when I was asleep and I was there when she was asleep and it worked really well.

“The whole community sort of came together as one and there was somebody there 24 hours a day.”

Kate Hayes, Travel Counsellors UK

Williams contacted her Agents & friend to help.

Williams says she’s grateful for the overwhelming support she received from the entire Travel Counsellors famil.

Williams described the help she received from the entire Travel Counsellors community as “incredible” because there was someone there for her on the other side of the world and right next door.

“We had another two-and-a-half weeks together once Harvey came out of hospital and we were able to finish our holiday, which was lovely.”

Justine Williams

Watch Williams’ full story below:

 

Travel Counsellors is a global organisation capable of looking after clients every step of the way with seven international offices, local GDS specialists and local helpdesks. They offer 100% financial protection on their global products.

READ: How do Travel Agents handle the collapse of an airline

READ: All this & more could be yours with Travel Counsellors…

As a Travel Agent, have you experience team work like this before?

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