6 Travel Books To Lift Your Spirits
April 23, 2020
In the age of closed borders and social distancing, it's time to rediscover travel books! Explore th...
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We had a small group of six family and friends travelling around the world for a five-week holiday. Unfortunately, eight days into their trip, one of the travelling party’s husbands back at home in Australia contracted a serious illness and was placed on life-support. Naturally, they began making urgent travel plans for the wife to return home. Initially, they tried using the hotel concierge to arrange flight plans, though this was unsuccessful. The sister then remembered that we, their travel agents, could be contacted at any time.
As soon as they called, we started work on getting her back ASAP. We arranged a ‘meet and assist’ between three different airlines to make the process of transferring between flights one less thing she had to deal with. We also liaised with her son in Australia and gave him the revised travel details, so that he knew when she would be flying back and when pick her up at the airport.
The wife returned home to be by her husband’s side, who unfortunately passed away. The remainder of the group were kept informed about what was happening, and when the funeral details were confirmed I coordinated urgent travel arrangements for the rest of the family to return home.
Only one person had taken a travel insurance policy with us (the others relied on travel insurance via their credit card), so we could only be sure that single traveller was covered for the event. Regardless, and without knowing what their credit card insurance was going to cover, we reworked the fares to be the lowest cost possible that would get them home in time for the funeral.
Throughout the calls, you could hear the relief in the voices of the family members, knowing that there was a qualified ATAS accredited travel agent at the other end dealing with it all.
Booking with an accredited ATAS travel agent and taking out travel insurance is essential when travelling overseas. It enables you to travel with peace of mind, knowing that in the unfortunate event that something does go wrong, such as sick family member, you have an accredited travel specialist on your side to get you home quickly, safely and with minimal or no extra costs.
ATAS accredited agents are trusted, reliable and trained travel professionals. Booking with an ATAS accredited agent means you’re in safe hands and can travel with confidence.
ATAS travel agents recommend that Australia passport holders register for travel alerts before they travel.
Shop 37, 88 Broadway
Nedlands
NEDLANDS , WA
10/3-5 Illuka Street
CURRAJONG , QLD
1/79-81 Boat Harbour Drive
PIALBA , QLD
Suite 2, 4th Floor
828 Pacific Hwy
GORDON , NSW
Grand Plaza , 27-49 Browns Plains Road
BROWNS PLAINS , QLD
Shop 21 Crossways Sh/Centre
Cnr Rokeby & Bagot Roads
SUBIACO , WA
Mt Pleasant Shopping Centre
Phillip Street
MACKAY , QLD
Shop 13, 274 Great Eastern Highway, Midland Gate Shopping Ce
MIDLAND , WA
131 Byrnes Street
MAREEBA , QLD
Po Box 4041
Essendon Fields
Melbourne , VIC
Strath Hill Complex
90 Edwards Road
STRATHDALE , VIC
Shop 323, Redbank Plaza S/C
Collingwood Drive
REDBANK , QLD
Shop 25, Alice Springs Shopping Centre
45 Railway Tce
Alice Springs , NT
Cnr Bolsover & Denham Street
ROCKHAMPTON , QLD
Suite 3
186 Byrnes Street
Mareeba , QLD
Shop 26 - Coorparoo Square
300 Old Cleveland Road
Corner Cavendish Road & Holdsworth Street
COORPAROO , QLD
Level 7, 117 York Street
SYDNEY , NSW
Level 1, 36 Portman Street
OAKLEIGH , VIC
Level 1 / 354A Pacific Highway
LINDFIELD , NSW
70 Glen Osmond Rd
PARKSIDE , SA
Shop T104a
35 Kings Road
HYDE PARK , QLD
Suite 110, Level 1
410 Elizabeth Street
SURRY HILLS , NSW
Suite 5 West Wing Level 2
Fortune Place
2 Fortune Street
COOMERA , QLD
Shop 2123 Westfield Fountain Gate
352 Princes Highway
NARRE WARREN , VIC
Shop 41 Mountain Gate S/C
FERNTREE GULLY , VIC
20 Wynnum Road
NORMAN PARK , QLD
Suite 6
53 Coppin Street
RICHMOND , VIC
Suite 50 574 Plummer Street
PORT MELBOURNE , VIC
310 Punchbowl Rd,
BELFIELD , NSW
22/17 Eramosa Road West
SOMERVILLE , VIC
37 Seymour Ave
ARMADALE , VIC
79 Glen Osmond Road
EASTWOOD , SA
Shop 44
Thuringowa Drive
KIRWAN , QLD
39 Kentwell Road
ALLAMBIE , NSW
Shop 10 Seven Hills Plaza
224 Prospect Highway
SEVEN HILLS , NSW
Shop 2 Northwood Plaza
221 Main North Road
SEFTON PARK , SA
Shop 1013, Westpoint Shopping Centre
BLACKTOWN , NSW
Shop 33, Deepwater Plaza
WOY WOY , NSW
6 Middlemiss Street
LAVENDER BAY , NSW
Shop 4
Worongary Shopping Village
1 Mudgeeraba Road
WORONGARY , QLD
3 Jeanette Street
WOORI YALLOCK , VIC
Waldorf Building
Suite 6, 155 Fitzroy Street
ST KILDA , VIC
Shop 57, Waverley Gardens S/C
WAVERLEY GARDENS , VIC
Shop 50A, Vermont South Shopping Centre
495 Burwood Highway
VERMONT SOUTH , VIC
PO Box 536
23-29 Harbour Drive
COFFS HARBOUR , NSW
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READ MOREDue to the unprecedented level of enquiry, as a result of the crisis caused by the global pandemic and Australian government travel ban, most travel agencies are currently experiencing exceptionally large volumes of calls and emails requesting information to cancel, change, rebook and alter bookings.
We ask for your patience and understanding during this time please. Whilst every customer is important, requests must be prioritised based on departure dates.
AFTA review complaints pursuant to the ATAS Code of Conduct. Many of the complaints currently being received by AFTA are ineligible for review as they do not allege a breach of the Code by the agent. In most instances, the following may be ineligible:
To understand the current situation, please see our information page here before proceeding: https://www.atas.com.au/traveller-info/covid19-update
If you have reviewed the information page and believe your complaint to be eligible, please continue to complete the compliant form online. We are working hard to respond as quickly as we can.