Funviralpark 
Jamie Vieciada
Just in time for the end of the holiday season, there are feel-good stories of suppliers stepping up to help groups of travel agents reach their destinations in style, and for good cause.
Every year, Eileen Radcliffe, owner of EBR Travel just outside Boston, plans a trip for a group of high school students to Orlando’s Give Kids the World Village. About 35 to 40 people travel each year.
Students have a Make-A-Wish club at school, which raises money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and trips to Give Kids the World Village are part of a Give Kids the World Village trip. works with multiple wish-granting groups, including Make-A-Wish).
Give Kids the World Village is a non-profit resort in Kissimmee, Florida that includes Florida, Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando (all three, and other hospitality companies are partners of the Village).
“This is not the type of business I normally do,” said Radcliffe. “I book Disney, but I don’t specialize in Disney groups or anything like that. But every year this group loves to do it just because they have a connection with it.” We see what our students get out of it and hear about it from our chaperones every year.
hurricane hiccups
This year’s group left Boston for Orlando last month on an early November Tuesday, just before Hurricane Nicole made landfall. They were flying on Delta Airlines.
Radcliffe, of course, got to work with Delta’s group division. However, with the airport closed due to a storm, it was best to take a Saturday morning flight to Tampa.
But at the same time, Chaperone tweeted about the delay and tagged the New England Patriots demanding they use a private plane. rice field.
Good news came Wednesday afternoon from a Delta representative. Mr Radcliffe said: He arranged a flight to arrive in Orlando on Friday, just in time for his scheduled work shift at Give Kids the World.
Radcliffe said Delta not only flew the group to Orlando, but also escorted them to check-in at Logan Airport, opened a dedicated TSA line in Boston, and served breakfast at the Sky Lounge. did.
Special connection on board
The flight itself seemed almost doomed. Radcliffe shared a Facebook post from the club’s advisor, Jennifer Pavia Shields, talking about the trip.
Pavia-Shiels said once the group boarded the plane, the pilot took them aside to thank them for their volunteer work in the village. After all, he was a child of hope himself after having multiple brain tumors and surgeries when he was younger. I was just asked to fly it before.
“Bowling,” wrote Pavia Shields. “It seems fitting that our worlds intersect in such a wonderful way.”
Radcliffe said the group was also well received in Orlando. They got a delicious bag of snacks and were personally escorted to their waiting transfer.
Delta’s representative who assisted this group was Harry “Bud” Sullivan, manager of the airline’s field support/reservations operations and customer center.
“Caring for our customers and doing everything we can to help them during difficult times is always our number one priority,” Sullivan said. I am grateful to have been able to support this group in my travels.
In addition to Delta, Radcliffe also thanked her host agency, Travel Planners International. Her members of the team helped us plan our group trip and monitor changes. Mears and Disney Youth Groups also helped make the trip possible.
