19/09/2026
✨️✨️Ok story time: Another distress call answered and a collaborative approach delivers✨️✨️
Last night I went to bed at about 3am after watching the AFL preliminary final between the Fremantle Dockers (my team) and the Sydney Swans. It was an incredible last quarter comeback worthy of a mention...hence why its included (GO DOCKERS!).
4 hours later I receive an emergency phone call from one of my groups - "our plane has taken off without us and all our bags are on it". Several factors contributed to this fiasco much to the Tour leader's frustration, and rightly so. Everything was done right, they were at check in as it opened, but some questionable service by the airline caused them to delay check in and subsequently miss their flight.
My honest words to the tour leader were “we are going to need an angel to step in because if the airline does not help or own what has happened...its going to cost well over NZD40K to get you home on brand new tickets”.
I tell the tour coordinator to let me make a coffee, wash my face and get my thinking cap on. I shoot through five different scenarios and two of them to give to the ground staff to try and reaccomodate the group hoping they would come to the party and help my group of 28. The other three, routings that came at a cost should the airline not assist.
I wait and wait. "Tour leader comes back, the airline says the tickets are forfeited and we cant use them".
Ok dont panic, lets see if we can utilise at least the second flight (regular airfare rules state if you miss the first flight...all subsequent flights are lost. But I've never been regular and I have the opinion that if you do not ask you will not know.
Keep in mind its the weekend so the regular groups department I deal with in Sydney is shut. This is going to have to be an expensive mainland call, but i never leave my clients stranded.
Before I make this call, the angel we've been waiting for sends me a message on my personal page.
"Kia orana Mo, I heard the group is stuck, what's happened and how can I help". I give this fellow Cook Islander the full rundown of what has happened not knowing exactly how he can help but believing this message wasn't just a coincidence. He says, "I work for the airline part time and I might know someone who can help".
While we are chatting Im also on the phone to Mainland USA. Now, I let him do his thing while I continue doing mine.
The group leave the airport at my advice as theres no flight to get them out for a few hours so it makes sense to clear the minds and wait somewhere more comfortable.
The girl who answers recognises the rooster crow in the background...oh the rooster! It reminds me of my home, Hawaii. BOOM I thought, there is my in. Im going to talk to this fellow Islander like family and explain everything. She was fantastic and bent over backwards ready to get everything sorted....at this stage the best thing to do without cost would be to fly the team to meet their bags in Hawaii later that night then spend a few days in Hawaii and fly home on Friday meaning a whole extra week of costs that wasnt budgeted but from an airfare perspective she was going to do it for free! Can I just mention that the earlier angel also offered to host some of the team and was going to coordinate other Kukis to help - wow.
Just as she is about to proceed with the reissue, our earlier friend tries to call me. He says "hang up we have a solution!". I thank the beautiful Hawaiian girl whose name I forgot, say we might have a solution and then call him.
"The airline and my contact there have come to the party and taken full responsibility and are changing the group to one of the itineraries" - An itinerary I suggested to the group and mentioned to him to get them home as soon as possible - "and they are doing it without cost!"
WHAAAAT! That is amazing!!! and yes some will say the airline should've anyway...but its how this all happened...the process in the HOW is what has left me flabbergasted!
I told him that I said to the tour leader we needed an angel and YOU are that angel.
The team is now preparing to depart and will be home on Sunday morning. A longer trip than originally planned but man what a blessing.
Thank you William Numanga for stepping in and helping our people and working with me to navigate what could've been a very expensive and heartbreaking situation.
I love when our people come together and we work together utilising skills and connections to produce a fantastic result.
Safe travels to the team tonight and blessings to you and yours Mr Numanga.
Te Atua te aroa.
ORIGINAL PLAN:
LAS VEGAS > HONOLULU>RAROTONGA
NEW ROUTE:
LAS VEGAS> HONOLULU> SYDNEY> RAROTONGA
