08/07/2026
This is never the kind of thing I would usually post but it is so very very special.
Our mature clients mean the world to us❤️. This client lost his beautiful wife just over a year or so ago. He has never travelled without her and they have travelled a LOT. All over the world.
He came to us a few months ago, asking to assist with his flights to Australia as his son lives there and they kept asking him to come over and spend a month or so with them and his grandchildren in Adelaide. We treat ALL our clients with the utmost dignity and respect but our 'oldies' are just that little bit extra special.
We all know 1) how overwhelming the online space is, even as an agent and how tricky it can be to find the right flights, the right airfares and the best routing online and 2) that airports can be quite overwhelming too, especially when there are connections involved... you are not sure of the distances to the next gate and when you are that much older, it's rather exhausting navigating the crowds, the security, the customs and getting to the correct gate on time and 3) doing a very long haul like this from RSA to Oz.
He was extremely nervous to fly such a long haul on his own plus travelling without his wife for the first time, so his son decided to meet him in Perth, then have two days of Dad/Son time before heading to Adelaide.
Our client flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg.
Johannesburg to Perth where they are spending the next two nights.
They then fly Perth to Adelaide.
He spends a month with his family and will then be doing the entire return trip in reverse and totally on his own this time, with a stop off in Johannesburg to visit some friends.
Even though he is physically 'ok', we do always suggest booking wheelchair assistance for every sector for our 'oldies'. From 'airline counter to aircraft door'. This way he has someone with him every step of the way and gets him through all those security checks etc and right to the aircraft door.
My incredible rock star ticketing partner Marlise, spends so much time in the background, requesting the wheelchair assistance for every sector and adding in all sorts of notes into the bookings. Different airlines have different rules and codes for the type of assistance the passenger needs and we, along with our clients have to complete all sorts of forms. Airlines also only allow a certain % of assisted passengers on board so the earlier this gets requested and booked, the better.
BUT...there's SO many boxes to tick before they even get onto that plane. New passport applications and checks, visa applications if needed, entry requirements to complete (incl the new SARS declaration😤), travel insurance, fit to fly certificate from his doctor (he has a pacemaker), medications, baggage regulations etc etc.
Our 'oldies' are the biggest percentage of clients we meet face to face and have lots of chats about what needs to be done. We create a WhatsApp group right from the get go so if they need to ask us any questions, one or both of us are available to reply.
As it gets closer to the big day, emotions get heightened and nerves start kicking in. This happens no matter how old you are.
If they would like to, we will spend time with our clients a day or so prior to departure just to walk them through every single step and triple check that they have all the info and documentation they need. Family members are also added onto the group so they know exactly what's going on and we also pop all the important documents onto the group so it's quickly accessible.
With assisted passengers specifically, we only know when online check in opens, IF we can check them in or not as the airlines will usually flag this kind of booking. Sometimes we can do the check in but the boarding passes must be collected at the airline counter, and sometimes we can't do the check in at all. This simply means that check in gets done the old fashioned way at the airport. Seats have already been assigned so it's 'just' a case of doing the usual check-in and bag drop formalities at the airport.
We need to make sure that their luggage is checked all the way through to the final destination. And then the handover to the 'wheelchair assistant'.
We keep in comms on the group to make sure that they have gotten to where they need to be for the first leg. Then we track that flight like mad😄 (and don't sleep much)... also to make sure that there are no delays and added stress for the connecting flights. If there are, we can quickly pop a message on the group to alert them to any updates.
Once again, this is where your wheelchair assistant is so very valuable as they know exactly where to go for the connection gate and we have had clients where the wheelchair assistant had to run like crazy to get them onto their connecting flight.
Receiving a photo like this 'I have Dad' just makes us want to cry tears of joy (we do). We have had the honour of getting him to where he needs to be - safe with his beloved son and family and now it's over to them for a little while until it's time to manage the entire process to fly back.
Both my parents are in heaven and both were 80 and over when they went there and every single time we have the honour of assisting with a booking like this, we treat our lovely oldies the way I/we would want a travel agent to treat our parents.
They are WAY more well travelled than we are and have more life experience and incredible travel stories to tell and I love listening to these stories.
SO.... if you are one of those 'oldies' or if you have parents or family member who would love to travel but do require extra special attention, then please send them our way. We REALLY handle these types of bookings with the love and respect they deserve.
And it's not only the oldies by the way. ANY passenger that needs assistance, be it wheelchair assist or young passenger assist or even travelling with your canine assisted companion which I had to do quite a few years back... all around the country as he was a guest speaker at our roadshow events (the owner, not the dog...although the dog did create a lot of interest both on and off stage)🐾😄.
Book and GO with Munro Travel Co
Tailormade Luxury Travel since 2004.
❤️084 508 0667
❤️ [email protected] OR [email protected]
Oldies, youngies, littlies, we sprinkle lots of ❤️ and attention to detail over every single booking. Every single time.
Val de Vie Estate
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Munro Travel Co is a proud member of Envoyage ZA, who are the brand for independent agents within the Flight Centre Travel Group. This means we have access to preferred rates, airfares and suppliers globally plus the support of a powerhouse brand and leaders who are trailblazers in our industry.
'I have Dad' is just a teeny example of what we as independent agents can do when collaboration happens and we partner up with THE best of the best🥰😍!
