FRONTLINE
DAVID WALKER aka The Travel Snob, a Not Just Travel agent based in Nottingham When I started planning this column,
I decided at the beginning of the month that I would try to avoid the C word… Then what do I do? I only went and tested positive for the virus. So what’s it like working with it? I’m lucky as I’ve not been going into the office since March in order to protect my two colleagues, so staying at home to work has been pretty much the same for the past 10 days as it has been since this all started. So it’s life as normal – apart from all the napping!
My symptoms have been a little bit of a cough, but a lot of fatigue. I’ve been finding usually unfunny things rather funny (all part of the fatigue). Funny things, of course, I find really funny, so forgive me as I laugh to myself at the following – even though it may not be funny at all…
DOUBLE COMMISSION We’ve all had cancellations over the past few months, but this month has seen lots of very last-minute cancellations as we held out for open borders that didn’t happen and switched people from one country to another as countries were removed from travel corridor lists. Between sleeps, I’ve done my
share of cancellations (see box). One was unfortunately due to a customer’s child being at a school where one of the siblings of one of his classmates had a positive test for Covid. The entire family were told
18 29 OCTOBER 2020 AGENT I caught Covid, and
it’s no laughing matter – except I can’t help finding the most
unlikely things funny
to isolate. The insurance company has agreed to pay out (we keep our commission) and the family now wants to book another holiday for next week, departing the day their isolation is over. There’s a theme here . . . double commission on all Covid bookings, perhaps? I wish. Incidentally, I had an update from the mother, who had seen a picture on Facebook of said ‘Covid child’ on holiday in Rhodes – she was livid!
GEOGRAPHY LESSON Since the pandemic began, I have become adept at learning about new countries that I’d never even heard of – mainly from the barrage
travelweekly.co.uk
of 5pm emails that come in from Abta and the government. You open them thinking ‘now what’s happened?’ Usually, you see the border’s still closed in Eswatini and think ‘Phew, that’s not affecting me’, or there’s an increased need to wear face masks in Tuvalu and think ‘Great, no need to get on the phone now to prepare anyone’. I have to say the
gov.uk site and Abta have been really quick at sending out updates – although I’m not sure that knowing the road death rates in almost every country will help us sell travel. But last Thursday was a bit
different. My first thought was ‘Wow, the Maldives and Canaries have just been granted a travel corridor, whoop whoop!’ How many of us grabbed our phones to share good news and to try and get some immediate bookings? I’ve set myself a challenge to see how many last-minutes I can get booked for November. Now I’m off to learn all today’s new rules – and to make sure I’ve got no one going to Tokelau. It’s a good job I don’t, as Tokelau are self-governed islands associated with New Zealand, so even if I had they’d have no chance!
At least I didn’t mention Covid! SICK DOG PUT HOLIDAY ON PAWS
My very favourite cancellation (probably of all time, rather than just during Covid) has to be a message I received at
10pm one night. It was from a family who were supposed to fly at 11am in the morning for a holiday they had booked two days prior. It said: “Sorry, mate – need to cancel tomorrow’s holiday – the dog’s not well. Can we get a refund?” I almost spat out my paracetamol! My response, as I assume any
agent’s would have been, was: “I can get you a cancellation invoice at full cost that you can present to your insurance company – but I’m not sure what chance you have. PS, give my love to Rover.”
Sharon KColinKimMarkC diary
Clare
David
PICTURE: Shutterstock
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