Travel with Katie Butler, Total Travel: Halfway through the school holiday with a few bumps along the way
The summer holidays are certainly flying by and I imagine many of you are quietly relieved that we have almost reached the halfway mark. Whether you’re counting down the days until routines return to normal or you’re still clinging to every bit of family time, it’s fair to say the season is moving quickly – and not without its usual share of surprises.
This month has already delivered a few unexpected challenges across the travel industry. Fortunately, for the majority of our customers, we have managed to dodge the worst of it so far. But it serves as a reminder that behind every holiday photo and poolside cocktail, there is a huge network keeping everything running – and sometimes, things wobble.
One of those moments came just before closing the other week, when a news alert pinged up on my phone: Air Traffic Control had suffered a power outage. Not exactly the headline anyone in travel wants to see at the end of the day
It immediately brought back memories of last year’s significant technical failure that grounded flights across the country and left thousands stuck in terminals or scrambling for updates.
As a precaution, before locking up, we pulled reports for customers due to fly within 24 hours – both departures and returns – so we could monitor any developing issues.
Thankfully, by the time we got home, it was announced that the outage had been resolved. While some minor delays were expected, the disruption was far less severe than it could have been. Phew, what a relief.
Of course, just as the dust settled on that, Storm Floris swept in with strong winds and rain, causing another wave of delays to both outbound and inbound flights.
Again, reports were pulled, and we checked in with those potentially affected, making sure they had up-to-date information and support if they needed it.
Moments like these, while stressful, are part and parcel of the life of a travel agent.
Weather, technical hiccups, and passenger volume make July and August a test of patience and logistics. But what stands out to me most in these moments is how much people value reassurance – not just rebooking or refunding, but knowing someone is there when the unexpected happens.
This year the late booking market has certainly been one of the strongest I remember for a long time.
A full 40 per cent of last week’s bookings made were due to travel in the next 12 weeks, suggesting that many holidaymakers are choosing spontaneity over planning months in advance.
Whether it’s down to watching the weather, waiting for deals, or juggling last-minute work schedules, it has certainly been noticeable.
As for destinations, the classics continue to hold rank. Majorca took the top spot in bookings last week, with Turkey not far behind and Tenerife coming in third.
So, as we turn the corner into the second half of the school holidays, fingers crossed for calm skies, smooth connections, reliable airport systems and dare I say a bit of sunshine too.