Fifteen TMCs that are part of the Focus Travel Partnership consortium
have begun pooling their resources to provide an emergency repatriation service
for any British travellers urgently wanting to return to the UK during the
Covid-19 outbreak.
As part of the ‘Helping You Get Home’ campaign, the TMCs are
assisting both corporate and leisure travellers find options for getting home
amid growing border closures and restrictions caused by the coronavirus
pandemic.
Focus Travel Partnership CEO Abby Penston commented: “The
travel landscape is incredibly complex at the moment. With airlines cancelling
routes and grounding aircraft due to the rapidly changing government
advisories, our partners are telling us that they are experiencing a surge in
demand from consumers who are finding it difficult to make their own travel
arrangements and are needing to return home. Many of those requests are not
easy to fulfil, but our partners, who have live data feeds on the status of
airlines and who are used to fulfilling complicated customer requirements, are
specialists and are the right experts best placed to help out.
“This is why we are rolling out this service to the wider
public, not just to corporate travellers. Many of our business travel agents
also have leisure divisions, and these teams can dedicate time to helping those
who need to get back to the UK. So, whether you are travelling for business or
leisure or you have been on a five-star luxury trip, or are back-packing around
the world and are having problems getting home, we can help.”
The service will be available from midday on 20 March and
will operate 24/7.
Travellers can access the Focus Repatriation Service on +44
(0)330 1072992, or by visiting focustravel.uk/helpingyougethome.