An independent travel agent has hailed Travelpack’s Vishal Patel and his team ‘superheroes’ after they pulled off an overnight rescue of four clients caught up in wildfires in Hawaii.
The two couples in their 50s, who were travelling together, had been forced to sleep in their car on Tuesday evening after they landed on the island of Maui and were unable to reach their hotel on the west coast due to the fire.
When they called the Aston Kaanapali the next morning, they were told it had closed for at least the next two days due to the fires, so they called their agent, Ayesha Ellis of Escapes by Ellis.
“As soon as I heard from them at 5pm yesterday I tried to contact other hotels, but the phone lines in Maui are down and although nearby hotels were showing availability, when I called they weren’t answering,” she said.
“My clients pinged me their location and I sent them to the nearest hotel, but when they arrived there was a huge queue and no availability.
“They went back to their car and when they listened to the radio, when they heard how bad the fires were, they started to get more panicked.”
Six people have died in the fires and there are reports of hospitals being overwhelmed by the number of patients suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
Essex-based Ayesha, pictured above, said the island looked ‘apocalyptic’.
“It is literally on fire. The power lines are down, cell phone coverage is limited, people were escaping into the sea,” she said.
In desperation, Ayesha, whose business is part of The Holiday Franchise Company, contacted Vishal at Travelpack. “I told him we have got to get them out, he got on it straight away and he was amazing,” she added.
“His team in India worked through the night to help me, I was awake all night as well, but they managed to get my clients on a Southwest Airlines flight to the bigger island of Kona, where they managed to find them a hotel.
“They salvaged the last five days of their holiday and my clients are now safe and happy. They’ve sent me lovely photos of the new place, I’m so pleased.”
Ayesha said Vishal, winner of Travel Gossip Legend at the inaugural awards earlier this year, had ‘saved the day’.
“That man is amazing and for me, as an independent agent, working on my own, to know that when I ring he will answer the phone and help is just brilliant.”
The post Agent calls Travelpack team ‘superheroes’ after they rescue clients from ‘apocalyptic’ Hawaii appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
The two couples in their 50s, who were travelling together, had been forced to sleep in their car on Tuesday evening after they landed on the island of Maui and were unable to reach their hotel on the west coast due to the fire.
When they called the Aston Kaanapali the next morning, they were told it had closed for at least the next two days due to the fires, so they called their agent, Ayesha Ellis of Escapes by Ellis.
“As soon as I heard from them at 5pm yesterday I tried to contact other hotels, but the phone lines in Maui are down and although nearby hotels were showing availability, when I called they weren’t answering,” she said.
“My clients pinged me their location and I sent them to the nearest hotel, but when they arrived there was a huge queue and no availability.
“They went back to their car and when they listened to the radio, when they heard how bad the fires were, they started to get more panicked.”
Six people have died in the fires and there are reports of hospitals being overwhelmed by the number of patients suffering from burns and smoke inhalation.
Essex-based Ayesha, pictured above, said the island looked ‘apocalyptic’.
“It is literally on fire. The power lines are down, cell phone coverage is limited, people were escaping into the sea,” she said.
In desperation, Ayesha, whose business is part of The Holiday Franchise Company, contacted Vishal at Travelpack. “I told him we have got to get them out, he got on it straight away and he was amazing,” she added.
“His team in India worked through the night to help me, I was awake all night as well, but they managed to get my clients on a Southwest Airlines flight to the bigger island of Kona, where they managed to find them a hotel.
“They salvaged the last five days of their holiday and my clients are now safe and happy. They’ve sent me lovely photos of the new place, I’m so pleased.”
Ayesha said Vishal, winner of Travel Gossip Legend at the inaugural awards earlier this year, had ‘saved the day’.
“That man is amazing and for me, as an independent agent, working on my own, to know that when I ring he will answer the phone and help is just brilliant.”
The post Agent calls Travelpack team ‘superheroes’ after they rescue clients from ‘apocalyptic’ Hawaii appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
