INSIGHTS
Global Travel Advisor Day
Spotlighting our corporate travel agents
It’s Global Travel Advisor Day! To celebrate, we’re saying a big thank you to our travel consultants around the world. We’ve scoured the globe to bring together a collection of stories, praise and well-deserved thanks to these often unsung but crucial heroes. After all, if it wasn’t for their dedication and service day in day out, FCM wouldn’t exist!
Dejonay Lewis
Based: USA
Urgent travel is extremely common in the travel industry. Recently, I received a call from a traveller I’ve supported over the four years I’ve been on my travel team. She was stuck in San Francisco after her flight to Australia was cancelled and, unfortunately, found herself in an unsafe situation.
She reached out to us, and I was able to secure a safe hotel for her and rebook her flights - all while ensuring she remained calm and happy.
Building strong relationships with my travellers is my favourite part of being an agent. They place their trust in me and rely on my guidance and support when it matters most.
“After being in what felt like a snowball of terrible travel luck, I called Dey for her assistance. She is always going the extra mile and is extremely positive on the phone. She turned my bad travel experience into an amazing experience. She even emailed me on my trip to make sure that everything was going smoothly. Dey truly is my travel Angel." - Senior Manager
Shantanu Adep
Based: India
One of my proudest moments as a travel adviser was assisting a traveller stranded at IGI Airport in New Delhi due to an overbooked flight. Despite it being outside regular working hours, I stayed back to ensure a new flight was promptly arranged and followed up to help with web check-in - even while on my way home.
Knowing I could turn a stressful travel emergency into a manageable situation and provide real peace of mind reminded me of two things:
• The true impact we have in this industry.
• No matter how advanced AI becomes, the human touch remains essential in transforming travel nightmares into meaningful memories.
The heartfelt appreciation I received made this one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
"In January 2025, I travelled to New Delhi for a Spain visa interview. Unfortunately, on my return, Air India denied me boarding due to overbooking, leaving me stranded at IGI Airport. In this difficult situation, I reached out to Shantanu, who was incredibly helpful, immediately assisting me in booking a new flight from Delhi to Indore. I truly appreciate the prompt and exceptional support provided by Shantanu and the entire FCM team during this emergency. His dedication and willingness to assist were invaluable." - Sales Enablement Specialist
Courtney Illman
Based: Australia
With 19 years at Flight Centre Travel Group, I've evolved from booking amazing leisure holidays to navigating the fast-paced world of corporate travel. I’ve always loved using my experience to recommend the best places to stay and the quickest way to get there!
In today’s world, travel often comes with unexpected delays and cancellations. But one of the most rewarding parts of my role is helping travellers in tricky situations - getting everything back on track and ensuring a smooth, stress-free experience. Travel is my passion, and I’m excited to continue creating memorable journeys for all my FCM customers!
“I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the excellent work of Courtney Illman. She is an absolute delight to work with, and nothing is ever too much trouble for her, even when it comes to our complicated travel arrangements. Courtney went above and beyond recently by checking on approvals for one of our travellers and ticketing the travel. Her dedication and commitment make a significant difference to us, especially when we are dealing with extreme deadlines and challenging circumstances. Once again, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to Courtney for her unwavering commitment and ensuring we receive the highest level of service.” - Executive Assistant, Australian University
Maaladiatla Machaba
Based: South Africa
I would say my proudest moment was being nominated for the Voice of the Customer award at FCM within my first two years at the company. I had never been nominated for such a prestigious achievement before, and it truly showed that my hard work, passion, and dedication were being recognised.
"Where do I even start to describe the exceptional impact of Maala? Her help has been nothing short of amazing, and her approach to her work has already made a significant and positive impact on our team and our recent travel projects. Despite having worked with her for only close to two months, I am honestly struck by her exceptional work ethic, her diligence, her kindness, and above all, the professional manner in which she conducts herself." - FCM Client