Unfortunately, that’s what happened to many groups this weekend when Storm Dennis hit the UK on one of the busiest school trip departure dates of the year!
But that’s when booking with a specialist school tour operator like Halsbury really pays off – as we explain in our resource ‘How We Deal with the Unexpected’.
Did everyone get to where they needed to be?
We’re very pleased to report that almost all of our groups got to their destinations, whether that was returning home from a trip, or starting one!
The only group that wasn’t able to travel have been offered the opportunity to move their trip to Easter, with Halsbury covering any additional costs incurred.
What did Halsbury do to help?
Halsbury HQ was a hive of activity throughout the weekend as our out of hours team rushed to ensure that phones were answered and emergencies were dealt with as quickly as possible, to minimise disruption to our groups.
We were able to negotiate extensions of accommodation stays, coach replacements and many other things, on behalf of our Group Leaders.
We had staff members down in Dover, to help with delayed coaches.
And in our ski resorts we had members of staff on the ground to negotiate with local coach companies and accommodation.
We also had one group whose coach suffered a tyre blow out (something that can happen at any time and unrelated to the weather conditions) that rendered the coach immoveable.
We managed to source two coaches (on a Sunday evening, no less!) to transport their 68 passengers, ensuring that their trip could continue as planned. The Group Leader later sent us the following message:
‘I cannot thank you enough for you and your staff’s much needed support this evening. It is hugely appreciated. This is why we use Halsbury. ’ Coombe Boys’ School
How are you able to offer this help?
We’re able to deal with such situations quickly and efficiently because of our experience (there’s very little now that we haven’t dealt with before!) and our connections with local suppliers, airlines and coach companies.
In fact, that’s partly why our founder decided to create Halsbury Travel in the first place. As a teacher himself, Keith Sharkey knew that teachers needed to be fully supported in the event that something goes wrong with a trip.
Unfortunately, no-one can prevent adverse weather conditions impacting on a trip, but we can and will help to minimise the impact, providing support that ensures you’re not left to deal with unexpected situations on your own.
If you have any questions or need any advice on arranging your school trip, please don’t hesitate to contact us.