Garrity praises suppliers for rescuing clients in Oz


Juliet Dennis


O Frustrated about not being able to get his haircut while working from home, Graeme Brett, owner of South Shields- based Westoe Travel, shaved his head in return for donations to The Chloe and Liam Together Forever Trust. He raised £150 and donations are still being accepted.


A travel agent has credited the joint efforts of trade partners for rescuing a couple stuck in Australia. Ken Garrity, owner of


Altrincham-based Ken Garrity Travel, contacted his clients, on a First Class Holidays trip in Australia, as soon as airlines began to cancel flights. But he soon realised he faced a


battle against time to get them home as airlines stopped services with little notice due to the coronavirus crisis. Garrity said it was only thanks to


the combined efforts of the operator and airline that his clients arrived back in the UK safely on March 24. “The stress was mindblowing but


O Sussex-based agency Beacon Travel decorated its shop window in Crowborough to show its appreciation for the work of NHS staff.


it’s on your conscience if you don’t get clients home,” he said. His clients had been due to


fly back from Sydney to Manchester, via Hong Kong, on March 30 but were automatically rebooked by Cathay Pacific when their flight was cancelled. The new flight, via Paris, had an 11-hour stopover. Garrity said: “I woke up at 3am thinking ‘what if they get stuck in Paris?’” Worried – and rightly so, as that


O Crew members from across Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ ocean fleet collaborated for a rendition of Michael Jackson song Heal the World to raise spirits, filmed from their homes and on board some ships.


O Paul Knapper, owner of Spires Travel in Worcester, is asking customers and friends to nominate key workers for a free weekend for two in Budapest in January 2021, courtesy of the agency.


flight was later cancelled – he found another Cathay Pacific flight, via Hong Kong, departing on March 23. But the night before his clients


My clients called me


‘international rescue’, but it was thanks to Ally at First Class and Keith at Cathay Pacific


were due on that flight, Hong Kong announced a curfew on departing flights from midnight on March 23. Garrity said: “My clients were due


into Hong Kong at 10pm, flying out three and a half hours later – after the curfew started.” He and Allyson Sharpe, head of


after-sales at First Class Holidays, spent the next four hours working out


Start-up Travelisto claims its agents


selling in resort will have ‘an edge’ A new travel agency which encourages its agents to sell holidays while travelling has launched amid the coronavirus crisis. Travelisto has joined homeworking group Travel-PA and operates under the same Atol. Founder Abraham Bravo said its “travel designers” would have an “edge” by being in-destination and able to meet clients during their trips.


8 9 APRIL 2020 Ken Garrity


a solution while his clients, unaware of the problem, were asleep in Australia. “Luckily, Ally had a UK contact


at Cathay Pacific,” he said. “He came back with a letter of dispensation to allow my clients on their flight home.” By the time Garrity’s clients woke


up, the problem was fixed. He added: “My clients called


me ‘international rescue’, but it was thanks to Ally, the First Class staff, and [senior account manager] Keith Harrison at Cathay Pacific.” First Class Holidays managing


director Dan Gathercole said: “I’m so proud of the team. It’s times like this


you realise who is up for the fight.” i Do you have a client rescue story? Email juliet.dennis@travelweekly.co.uk


Anti-fraud group Profit urges firms


to report coronavirus-related crime Travel companies are being urged to report coronavirus- related cyberattacks to travel anti-fraud group Profit. The plea comes as Profit joins a police taskforce tackling coronavirus-related fraud and cybercrime. Cybersecurity firm Trend Micro said the UK had had the largest share of coronavirus-related spam emails globally between January 1 and March 27. To report a fraud, email contactus@profit.uk.com or call 0300 123 2040.


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