Fresh from college with no idea what to do for a job my Dad’s friend decided to open a Travel Agency called Computer Travel – what an exciting name for a Travel Agency back in the 80’s and if only we knew then how the industry would change and what an impact computer’s would have on the way holidays are booked today.
Back then, to be a Travel Agent you had to be qualified, ABTA insisted that to work in agency you had to have either 2 years Travel Experience or take the COTAC1 and COTAC2 qualifications to become a ‘proper’ Travel Agent. Right now most people think they are a Travel Agent, there are few credentials required, in fact none, which does devalue the role of an experienced Travel Agent. We had to learn the 3 letter airport code for every airport in the world to enable us to book flights and holidays effectively, if you didn’t know the code you couldn’t find the holiday!
I started my job and that is where my passion for travel began and the first of my Once in a Lifetime Holidays was experienced. The Manager soon resigned and I was left to run the Travel Agency single handed so learnt so much pretty quickly, whilst studying at night to gain the relevant qualifications required. Airtours were chartering aircraft and launched their ambitious plans for the first long haul flights to depart from Stansted, at this point my parents agreed to fund the £499.00 required to experience a two week holiday to Jamaica to celebrate my 18th Birthday. I can remember the feeling of excitement, the build up, the plans, the shopping, the preparations. I truly believe right now that everyone should always have a holiday booked – no matter how far in advance that might be, having something to look forward to can carry you through the stresses and strains of life quite well!
The aircraft headed in to land at Montego Bay airport through a ferocious tropical storm, the oxygen masks fell from the ceiling and the aircraft struggled, the intercom had sparks flying out and water was dripping on our heads… many refused to fly back on the aircraft and it was named ‘the flying pig’. In 1990 Airtours created their own airline and it was the start of huge growth for the company. At 18 I was naïve and beyond excited to be experiencing the Caribbean, the white sandy beaches, the crystal clear waters and the cocktails of course! To those that know Jamaica well and for me as an agent now and having visited several times since – the self catering option we were booked into was possibly not the greatest choice of accommodation for either Airtours to sell or us to experience but we had an amazing two weeks in Jamaica and the phrase Don’t Worry be Happy and the Dollar song still remain firm favourite reminders of the Caribbean which I have been fortunate to visit many times since but more about that later …
From there on the Travel Bug was ingrained into my life.
