Turbulence for local travel agents but they vow to fight on

The travel industry has taken a hammering during this Covid pandemic and, even if the Government moves to relax restrictions on foreign travel this week, most operators don’t envisage a significant surge in bookings.

Michael Geraghty from Cavan Travel is weathering the storm and, despite turbulence in 2020, is optimistic for clearer skies ahead.

“We don’t envisage any serious upturn in travel activity until the first quarter 2021. It is all about public confidence,” he told The Anglo-Celt.

“A sizeable number of people have re-scheduled their holidays to 2021,” continued Mr Geraghty. There, however, some bookings for Christmas holidays and ski trips in early 2021 that may go ahead.

“On the 1st of March, we had a total of eight people working in Cavan Travel. Unfortunately on the 1st of April we had to let five of our staff go on extended leave,” revealed Mr Geraghty.

The Cavan office is still being manned by Michael and daughter Siobhan Geraghty, while Noreen Brady remains at the helm in sister company, Virginia Travel.

“That remains the picture and we have had to cut costs. We did get some funding through the restart grant from Cavan County Council and TWSS payments,” said Mr Geraghty.

Travel agents nationwide are lobbying the Government to continue the temporary wage subsidy scheme and also for a significant improvement in the Restart Grant. They have launched an online petition to that effect - to save 3,000 jobs nationwide in the industry - and the Geraghtys are urging people to sign it.

“We are important to the local economy. We provide a professional service, knowledge, experience and we are needed,” states Mr Geraghty.

No strangers to tough times

On a more upbeat note, this family-owned business has survived some very tough times. “From the day we commenced business, the Kuwait war was raging; then we survived several minor recessions, 9/11, the big 2008/2010 recession and volcanic ash. The travel agents’ business is resilient and strong and we came through those events and we will overcome this pandemic situation as well,” he said determinedly.

Trips associated with sporting events were another casualty of the pandemic – matches, racing, grand prix and Moto GP racing. Some people who had booked for Cheltenham also cancelled before the full lockdown kicked in.

Cavan Travel and Virginia Travel are most appreciative of the understanding shown by their customers. Founded in 1988, Cavan Travel is run by Michael and Siobhan. They expanded the business in 2001 when they opened a branch office at Main Street, Virginia, which is managed by Noreen.

Cavan Travel is an independent, government licensed and fully bonded travel agency.

Siobhan, who is the Cavan office manager, said the impact of COVID-19 manifested itself the last week in February. “From then on, people were cancelling bookings,” she said.

“We effectively closed to the public on Monday, 16th March, but the office has always been manned,” said Mr Geraghty.

Getting people home

Cavan Travel was involved in getting up to 50 people safely home on whatever flights were available before their countries of departure were fully locked down.

“You name any city in Australia – we had people there.

There were also people in New Zealand, Delhi, throughout America and Europe,” said Mr Geraghty of their efforts.

“The most difficult crisis we had to deal with was where we had people moving from New Zealand to Australia. Then suddenly on Friday night, 30th March, Australia said they were closing down at midnight. We had to get these people moved into Australia and out again before that midnight deadline. Because the tickets had to be changed, it cost those people a lot of money,” recalls Mr Geraghty.

“We were sorting all this out through our booking systems and dealing with the airlines on the phone to repatriate these people,” added Siobhan.

Cavan Travel is still liaising with some of those airlines, trying to get some money back for their clients in certain cases.

Flight schedules collapse and refunds issued

“When the full force of the virus hit the airlines, they kept flying for a while but, eventually, when people stopped travelling, they collapsed their schedules and the number of planes in the air,” said Mr Geraghty.

The Government then advised against all non-essential travel, which put further pressure on airlines and brought the question of refunds into focus.

The saga of the refunds commenced on day one of the lockdown. “We are as busy at it today, as we were back in May and June. In theory refunds are fairly straight forward. The flight is cancelled and contact is made with that airline and a request is made to organise a refund. Then you have to wait for the airline to action that refund,” explained Mr Geraghty.

However, where the airlines are still operating the route, customers are not entitled to a refund if they decide not to travel. Mr Geraghty praised Aer Lingus for its response but accused Ryanair of dragging its feet.

“We still have not got a refund for a person who was due to travel in March from Ryanair,” he said.

Double whammy

Some customers who had booked holidays for April, May and June postponed them to Autumn in the hope the virus would have abated but they are now “going to be hammered again”, said Mr Geraghty.

A big majority have moved their holidays out to next year, for the months of June and July, 2021.

“We have expended a lot of time moving flights and cancelling accommodation and re-booking. There is currently no demand from the public to fly anywhere. Until public confidence returns, there will be little travel activity,” stated Mr Geraghty of the current reality.

Silver lining

The Geraghtys are hopeful consumers will now be more aware of the benefits of booking through a travel agent in the event of an unforeseen event like COVID-19.

“When you book with a travel agent, your money is bonded and licensed and you can’t lose – there is no risk,” explains Siobhan.

While the offices remain closed to the public, Cavan Travel is still contactable by phone and e-mail and have a presence on Facebook.

“Our big ambition and hope now is that as soon as possible, we can open our doors again and send people on the holidays that they desire,” said Siobhan.

The father and daughter team predict however that air fares will rise as there will be less capacity and fewer destinations but they vow to continue to do the best for their customers.

“Cavan Travel has been here for 32 years and we are not going away,” concluded Siobhan.