My elderly client isn’t an old hand with Aussie white-knuckle rides

My elderly client isn’t an old hand with Aussie white-knuckle rides

An aged customer worried me when he asked about being strapped into his November flight to Australia – he may just have a turn

An aged customer worried me when he asked about being strapped into his November flight to Australia – he may just have a turn

Roller-coaster to Oz

Travel agents’ familiarity with flying tends to lend us a certain nonchalance when boarding aircraft for distant places. We can sometimes overlook those clients, especially those of the very senior variety, for who flying holds fear and apprehension.

This was brought home to me this week by an 80-year-old gentleman who Ihad booked to travel to Australia. The booking had been made in February for him and his sister, also in her eighties. They are set to travel in November and he has been popping in once or twice every week since February to relate the contents of the letters he receives from his niece, who he is staying with Down Under.

Recently, on a trip to a fairground, his sister’s teenage grandchildren had persuaded him to join them on a roller-coaster ride, and this experience had led to his visit to me today. Apparently, he had suffered a turn during the ride and he had to have a heart pill there and then.

The experience had prompted his two queries today. Firstly, could I work out the best time for him to take his heart pill on the departure date, before breakfast or after dinner, or before the flight?

And secondly, who would lift the metal bar from his seat during the flight in the event of him wanting to go to the toilet?

I looked at him blankly until the penny dropped and I grasped that he was equating his seat belt on the aircraft with the safety bar on the roller-coaster.

Fearing a cancellation was rearing its head, I explained the mysteries of the seat belt and then suggested he visit his doctor regarding the heart pills and followed this with a warning about fairgrounds and the dangers of the dodgems.

Thumbs up for Farebase

Kate and I were given the chance of improving our information technology skills in Dartford this week as part of the Farebase Partnership with agents. We were there to give input to the new Farebase Express system.

As an old travel hand Iam really impressed at the amount of information that can be accessed at the touch of a button.

Sales director Peter McIntosh explained how the old Farebase system had been enhanced and the completely new format offers consolidated and scheduled fares, instant visas, health requirements,weather, aircraft seating plans – in fact, all that agents require including the dreaded ticket on departure charges at a glance.

No discussion on the Dome

It’s good to talk – to those with hands-on experience, as the big movers and shakers who planned the Dome should have done.

Geoffrey Thomas, the man behind the successful Blackpool Pleasure Beach, along with other leisure entrepreneurs, offered his services in an advisory capacity at the birth of the Dome but was turned down.

Mr Thomas has recently commented that he was surprised there were no flags, flowers, or trees outside the Dome and the whole thing reminded him of”the cold meat counter at the Co-op” but with less excitement.

I have always known travel agents play an important social role as well as offering the many and varied travel services.

Everyone loves surprises

This week’s unusual service was unwittingly offered by Nigel – while hurrying along to the bank he bumped into a regular client of ours.

They exchanged pleasantries and chatted for a few minutes but Nigel’s alarm bells started ringing when the client enquired whether her husband had called into the office recently. Most of us have been around long enough to know that volunteering information about clients to anyone is taboo, especially if the client is in a relationship of any kind.

Nigel remained silent as the woman went on to mention that the years had flown by and she and her husband had an important anniversary coming up.

At his rugby club later that day, Nigel saw the woman’s husband and casually related his conversation with the man’s wife, emphasising the special anniversary pending.

The man stopped in mid-pint with a sharp intake of breath followed by an even longer swallow of his beer, which confirmed to Nigel that the chap had genuinely completely forgotten about the anniversary.

The following day brought the more than slightly anxious husband into the office, diary in hand, with an appeal for “something decent for three or four days,” with the understanding we keep everything secret as it was a surprise for his wife – but no surprise to us.

Super Sam to the rescue

One can never get enough training so today Worldspan’s superman, Sam Gillespie, stopped by the office to update us on the new Worldspan Go product.

Since the loss of Easy Res and the introduction of Go, Sam’s workload has increased since he always ready to drive from A to Z to help damsels (or chaps) in distress at the drop of a hat if not at the flick of his red cape.

Sam used to be a travel agent so can empathise with us struggling with the frustrations of serving the public. Today he was wearing his pale blue Clark Kent shirt and was ready for action.

Never too old to rock

Concern over the current fuel shortage crisis prompted one elderly client to telephone Penny to ask if the Excelsior Holiday coach she was travelling on to Scotland would have enough diesel to get her all the way home to Gillingham.

Yet another old dear rang to complain that the music played on the coach on the outward and return journeys of her recent holiday was not to her taste. “Too modern?”I enquired.

“No, quite the opposite” she replied. “I can’t stand all that Frank Sinatra stuff so I asked the driver if he had any heavy metal but he said he hadn’t. They should cater for everyone you know.”

I’d had her down for twin-set and pearls only to discover that she was more into leather and metal studs.