05/21/2026
Today was one of those days that reminded me exactly why I love being a travel advisor.
This morning, I received messages from clients at the airport who were completely distraught. Their flight had been delayed, and they were going to miss their international connection. After speaking with the gate agent, they were told there likely wouldn’t be any flights available until possibly tomorrow or later forcing them to miss out on vacation days.
Instead of panicking, we went into problem-solving mode together.
I encouraged them to still board their first flight because being at a major hub airport would give them more options if needed. While they were in the air, I immediately contacted the airline on their behalf. I explained that I had a group of 9 travelers who would miss their connection by only 11 minutes. I could see their arrival gate and departure gate were just two gates apart, so I asked if there was any possibility of holding the flight.
Now, I know airlines rarely make guarantees in situations like this, but I also knew rebooking 9 passengers, arranging hotel accommodations, and issuing meal vouchers would be far more complicated than waiting a few extra minutes.
The airline agreed to submit the request.
While my clients were still in the air, I kept communicating with them — updating them on what was happening, advising them to notify the flight crew they had a tight connection, and sending them their departure gate information so they could move quickly once they landed.
Then came the update I had been hoping for.
Their departing flight status changed to DELAYED — specifically noting it was waiting on customers arriving from a delayed flight.
Not long after that, my phone started filling with messages:
“We made it!”
“Thank you so much!”
Moments like this are the true value of using a travel advisor.
Booking travel is easy. Having someone advocate for you when things go wrong is invaluable.
Being a travel advisor isn’t just about vacations and beautiful destinations. It’s about relationships, experience, connections, and having someone in your corner when unexpected obstacles arise.
Today, I was grateful I could make a difference so my clients could relax and continue enjoying the vacation they had been looking forward to.
