If you recently saw an army of news reporters braving the elements to cover Tropical Cyclone Debbie, the chances are the Stage and Screen After Hours team helped get them there.
When Tropical Cyclone Debbie became breaking news around the country, our After Hours team was on high alert. While some travellers wanted to get out of the path of the devastating storm, TV networks were trying to get news crews in. As airport after airport was progressively closed, charter flights into Mackay were just one of the solutions we worked on late through the night. With conditions changing by the hour, we were able to get the entire After Hours team on board to cope with the demand.
Our after hours team took 650 calls in 48 hours, at the height of the storm. Sourcing undamaged accommodation in the worst hit region - for a 26-strong news crew - was a rapidly changing situation as town after town was either cut-off by flood waters or evacuated.
Whether it’s a natural disaster, a terrorism alert or just a missed connection, Stage and Screen's After Hours team took some 12,000 calls for assistance last year alone. Problem solving situations as they arise is all in a day’s – or should we say, night’s – work for the experienced team, which is made up of nine Travel Managers each with an average of 10 years’ experience.
Because our clients work irregular hours, seven days a week – so do we. Based in Australia, the service runs from 6pm to 8.30am during the week, all weekend and public holidays. With a detailed ‘handover’ conducted each day between our day-time Travel Managers and After Hours team (and vice versa), all information is captured for a seamless continuation of service. Drawing on our advanced technology and reporting, the team can quickly locate, track and alert travellers in the event of a crisis. Plus with 24/7 access to vital client information, travel policies, all booking information and traveller profiles, we can provide genuine individual attention when plans change unexpectedly.
So from getting an injured football player home, to replacing a lost passport, the team can find an alternative travel booking designed to minimise disruption or an effective solution to just about any situation. The team’s hands-on approach has even seen them roll up their sleeves to help out in person. Which is why they came close to personally laundering the uniforms of one of our sports clients over the Christmas break last year when they had no access to laundry facilities...but that’s another story!
