09/09/2026
✈️ THE SIDE OF BEING A TRAVEL AGENT YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE...
Yesterday was officially my first BIG travel problem to deal with as an independent travel agent... and I won't lie, it tested me! 😅
My clients were due to fly to Turkey from Gatwick. They boarded their plane, only to then sit on the runway for around 3 hours.
Eventually, they were told they had to get off.
Then came the chaos...
Around 20 aircraft were being offloaded at the same time, with only a handful of luggage belts available. Luggage was everywhere, there was very little information and, eventually, they were told their entire holiday had been cancelled. 😩
They then had to make their own way home, after what had already been an incredibly stressful day.
And this is the bit people don't necessarily see when they book a holiday with an independent travel agent.
When something goes wrong, I'm there too!
I'm not just the person who takes your booking and sends you your documents. I'm the person getting the messages, making the calls, trying to understand what's happening, working out what options are available and, most importantly, trying to get my clients sorted.
I won't pretend I knew exactly what I was doing yesterday. 😂 It was my first major situation like this and there were moments where I was absolutely glued to my phone thinking "WHAT ON EARTH DO I DO NOW?!" 🤯
But we got there.
And this morning, I managed to get them rebooked and heading to Turkey on Saturday. 🇹🇷☀️
So today I'm putting their new holiday documents together, adding a little something for them and keeping everything crossed that Saturday goes MUCH more smoothly! 🤞
It's been stressful, but it's also reminded me exactly why I love what I do.
Because when you book with Sophie's Escapes, you're not just getting a holiday booking.
You're getting me in your corner when things don't go to plan. ❤️
Now... let's just hope I don't have to use these emergency problem-solving skills again anytime soon! 😂✈️
