Graham Brooks took his Chatham and Clarendon Grammar school students to Geneva for a visit to CERN, but unfortunately they were met with obstacles at the end of their school trip. The ‘Beast from the East’ hit Europe when they were due to fly back on their last evening. Find out what happened next and how the WST Support Team helped to resolve the issues and make for a fantastic school trip.
WST were already looking into a back up plan for accommodation in case we were going to be stuck in Geneva. It was so nice to have the reassurance that someone was thinking ahead and was being proactive, rather than reactive.
They said they couldn’t help us with accommodation for the night. That’s when the support from WST really started. Carole, our WST emergency contact, quickly arranged for accommodation for the night, so that we weren’t stranded at a busy airport.
Our group was split across two flights and Carole organised for the boarding passes to be printed for us at the Youth Hostel, so we were ready to go.
They arranged for an airport rep to meet with us. Although we didn’t need her for anything, it was nice to know that someone was there if we did need any help, especially as it had been such a long couple of days. It was good customer service and I felt like WST dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s.
The parents felt reassured throughout because we were able to keep them informed with everything WST were doing for us. They had confidence that everything was in hand.
This has not put me off, it has just made us realise we will not travel without a tour operator. We will never do this on our own; you just don’t have the back up. If I had to find some accommodation myself that night, it would have been an absolute nightmare. It’s not worth the saving of doing it on your own, if no-one has your back.
The WST team have over 450 combined years of travel experience, therefore we know what to do when a travel crisis hits. Learn more about our extensive support team and how they can be on hand on your next school trip.