Hey, it's
Jamie!
Senior Account Manager, Air Canada
How have you been coping during the last few months and how have you been keeping busy?
The coping is ongoing… It has really been a tough time for all of us in the industry. Early on it was the uncertainty and the unknown of the virus, to the working from home, then it was the virus at a wide scale pandemic, then personally being furloughed and not knowing what the future held — it all certainly spiked the anxiety levels. I realized this was serious and it really was “we’re all in this together.”
I quickly realized that some had it worse than others, and basically it was something outside of our control. I had to regain some sense of control, so I started helping others that could not help themselves. My partner and I began grocery shopping and delivering groceries for the elderly, it was a way for us to not focus on ourselves and what was happening at home but to focus on others… we knew we had each other, and many people had only themselves. It really is true that when you help others it makes you happier.
After shopping and delivering groceries daily my routine consisted of a nightly power walk, followed by nightly 7:30 p.m. pot banging to thank the frontline workers, followed by wine hour and then dinner. The isolation and being away from work was tough and mentally challenging for someone who is a social person. I did, however, perfect the Hilton DoubleTree chocolate chip cookie recipe, I think we are now on batch 12, and unfortunately my waistline is beginning to show it. I am just so happy and thankful to be back to work!
What do you miss most about travelling? Do you have any plans to travel domestically?
The shutdown of travel for a travel professional has been tough. I miss and crave the anticipation and excitement that comes with just knowing you have a trip planned around the corner. For us where our livelihoods are rooted in travel it leaves us feeling confused because we are learning and trying to understand how travel will look like in the future and it’s just unknown… I already feel nostalgic about how easy it was months ago, to cross oceans and borders, just the excitement and energy of running through airports, the human connections that travel presented… it now feels like the world is suffering and on pause. Travel offers a break from monotony. It pulls me out of my comfort zone, it forces me to try new and unusual activities that I wouldn’t be inclined to try at home. The hardest part has been not being able to visit my mother in the U.S., she is elderly, alone, and she’s completely feeling isolated but with the virus surge we both know it’s best for us both to stay put.
I hope to get out and explore Tobermory on the Bruce Peninsula this summer, it’s something I have been wanting to do for a while now, and it seems now is the time to get out and explore what we have right here in our own backyards. I’m excited as it will allow me a greater connection and understanding of what our province has to offer, it will allow me to support local businesses and local tourism and will help me see the province in a new light. We have a lot of great places that are close, we just need to go out and see them.
“This has been a tough time for all of us. It’s a very challenging time for everyone in the industry. We never know what tomorrow may bring, we certainly cannot predict the future and it’s almost becoming cliché to hear that ‘were all in this together,’ but we really are. We do need each other and together we will get through this, but together we need to be adaptable. Agencies and agents provide a very valuable service, and this pandemic has proved it.”
Jamie Fox
Senior Account Manager, Air Canada
You recently took off on a flight… can you tell us about the experience?
Yes, after not being on a plane for seven months, we asked our industry partners to come out and fly with us! We really wanted to share with them all the great measures that the airport authorities and the airline have implemented to ensure the safety of our travellers. Everything that we do at the airline is about “safety first and safety last” so we wanted to showcase the great lengths we have gone through to ensure the safety and comfort of our travellers. We have implemented a comprehensive clean care program called Air Canada CleanCare+ which encompasses personal safety and aircraft grooming to ensure our customers can travel safely with confidence.
We want our travellers to have a greater peace of mind during all stages of their travel. I will admit, it all felt a bit strange and weird at first but once you get out and experience the new safety protocols, it felt safer now than anytime before. As leaders in the industry, we all need to get out (safely) and set the example for others to follow. It really is time to travel, so when you are ready, take a look and see where you can travel safely, a great resource is the Canadian Travel & Tourism Roundtable website: www.time-to-travel.ca. This resource will outline countries that Canadians can travel to for any purpose (leisure or business) with little to no restrictions. You can fly and we will ensure that we fly you safe. We are ready when you are ready so come out and fly with us!
Where’s the first place you want to go and why?
I have travelled a lot over the years, and I must admit I am most happy in South America where the people are so incredibly nice. When it’s safe and when I can travel south it will be to Chile where we have family or to Brazil where we go for fun. If you haven’t been to Santiago, you must visit! It’s a place where the more you look the more you find, from the wine, food, seafood, cafes, clubs or to the mountains, Chile should be on everyone’s list. My favourite, however, is Brazil. Brazil is spectacular. It’s a very special place and it never disappoints. Rio de Janeiro is my happy place, pack a swimsuit, another swimsuit, and another swimsuit because that’s all you need is a swimsuit and a pair of flip flops and you are good for more than a week. It’s nothing but beauty everywhere you look, the beaches, the stunning landscape, the hiking, the caipirinhas, the iconic Christ the Redeemer overlooking Rio high on the mountains, the views are magnificent, and the people are beautiful and fun. I love Rio! Rio really is the happiest place in the world. See you in Rio?
Is there anything agents should know?
This has been a tough time for all of us. It’s a very challenging time for everyone in the industry. We never know what tomorrow may bring, we certainly cannot predict the future and it’s almost becoming cliché to hear that “were all in this together” but we really are. We do need each other and together we will get through this, but together we need to be adaptable. Agencies and agents provide a very valuable service, and this pandemic has proved it. We have had to become creative and this is a time where agencies and agents need to also become creative and almost reinvent themselves.
The agency community needs to rise-up and not be shy and charge appropriately for the services and knowledge that they provide. This crisis has proven that travel agents really are everyday superheroes and they really are worth their weight in gold. As a former travel agent, I know it’s tough, I understand you, and we do appreciate all that you do to look after our customers. We have been working hard preparing for the return to travel and we are confident that when your customers are ready, we are ready, and we will transport your customers safely with the award-winning care and class that we are known for.
There’s been a lot of talk about the industry coming out better on the other side of COVID-19. What are your hopes?
I have personal hopes and industry hopes. I hope that when the pandemic is over, that we don’t lose the human connection that we all have built in looking after each other. I hope we continue to express kindness; I hope we continue to look after our neighbours and the elderly, I hope we continue to show gratitude and appreciation and we continue with our lives expressing care and kindness. Even though it might not look like it now, the travel industry has a future and my hope is that it is a very bright future.
I am confident that travel will rebound, it’s the question of when and how long it will take to get there, but when I speak to others, they are most confident that it will. We all have a desire to travel, and we are resilient, most of us cannot wait to get back to travelling. We as humans need to travel. This is part of being human, we are explorers by nature, and we will get there… Will it look different? Yes. Will it be a bumpy ride? Yes. Could it have setbacks? Yes. I personally have cabin fever and I am certain others do too, so I am predicting there will be a spike in demand for post pandemic travel. Travelling is important for mental and human happiness and more than ever its #TimeToTravel now!
