Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes when you book a trip with a travel designer?
To the client, everything feels seamless—like magic. But behind the curtain? It’s often a frantic race against the clock, juggling time zones, language barriers, and businesses that close early on Saturdays.
In this story, we take you to Norway’s far north—where a family’s dream vacation was almost ruined by a foggy runway. Almost.
🌫️ Evening Fog and a Panicked Message
It was a quiet Saturday night. I had just settled into my sofa, watching Chinese dramas, finally exhaling after sending off a VIP client and his family of six on their long-awaited trip to the Lofoten Islands, Norway.
After months of planning, they were in the air. What could possibly go wrong?
At 8:52 PM, a message popped up on my WhatsApp.
It was from T.
T: “We’ve been circling in the air nonstop. Can’t land in Bodo due to fog. What are we going to do? Will the connecting plane wait for us?”
My heart sank.
The family had just flown from Oslo to Bodo, with a tight connection(30 minutes transit) to Svolvaer. And now, due to thick fog, the plane couldn’t land. The pilots aborted the landing and were now diverting to Harstad to refuel.
There was no way they’d make their next flight.
There were no other flights that day.
And the next morning? They were due to board a private yacht cruise—the highlight of their entire vacation.
🚨 Crisis Mode: When Time, Weather, and the Weekend All Work Against You
Let me set the scene.
- It’s Saturday.
- Norway’s car rental company and private yacht operator? Both close at 2PM local time.
- It’s close to midnight my time.
- I have a panicked client with six family members, including children and seniors, stuck on a plane with no clue where they’re going next.
No AI in the world can fix this. But I can.
📞 The Calls: Three Vendors, One Deadline, Zero Room for Error
The moment I got the message, I sprang into action.
✅ Step 1: Contact All Vendors — Fast
- Hotel in Svolvaer – to delay check-in and confirm the room would still be held
- Car rental company – to ask if they could reassign the pickup location from Svolvaer Airport to the ferry terminal instead
- Private yacht operator – to confirm that they could still proceed with the cruise if the clients arrived later than planned
But here’s the kicker: It’s the weekend, and both the car rental and yacht operators had told me earlier that they officially close at 2PM.
Thankfully, I had relationships.
They had assured me:
“Call anytime. We’ll pick up for you.”
And they did.
Over multiple calls, I re-coordinated the entire logistics chain while simultaneously checking:
- Ferry schedules from Bodo to Svolvaer
- Taxi options to get the family from the airport to the ferry terminal in time
- Arrival timing: Could they actually make the ferry?
⚙️ Plan A, B, and C – And Why Only One Would Work
Within 30 minutes, I presented three contingency plans:
🛻 Option 1: Rent a car and drive via car ferry from Bodo to Moskenes, then onward to Svolvaer
- Arrival: Midnight
- Downside: Exhausting and risky with elderly travelers
🛌 Option 2: Stay overnight in Bodo and fly next day
- Downside: Miss the yacht cruise, major disruption
⛴️ Option 3: Take a passenger ferry from Bodo to Svolvaer
- Arrival: ~10PM
- Least disruptive, most affordable
- Only inconvenience: Transfer from Bodo Airport to the ferry terminal
T chose Option 3. And that’s when the real work began.
🧩 All Pieces in Place – Just in Time
- ✅ Ferry tickets for 7? Booked within 10 minutes.
- ✅ Car rental? Confirmed for pickup at Svolvaer ferry terminal.
- ✅ Hotel? Notified and ready.
- ✅ Yacht operator? On standby.
By the time their plane finally landed in Bodo, everything was ready—except their luggage.
🎒 The Final Twist: Waiting for Bags, Not the Ferry
As if things couldn’t get more stressful, the family ended up waiting longer for their luggage than they did to actually travel to the ferry terminal.
Still, the plan held. They had sufficient time even with the delay. They made it to the ferry.
They checked into their hotel.
They didn’t miss the cruise.
And most importantly—they didn’t lose a single moment of their once-in-a-lifetime trip.
🧭 What You Really Get with a Travel Designer
To most people, travel designers sound like a luxury.
But in moments like these, we’re not a luxury—we’re a lifeline.
- We think fast under pressure
- We have direct lines to real humans who trust us
- We know how the entire travel ecosystem works
- And we care deeply about your trip, your time, and your memories
🤖 Can ChatGPT Do That?
Sure, you can ask ChatGPT for a sample itinerary.
But when your flight is grounded, your connection is missed, your cruise is hours away, and every vendor is closed for the weekend—who’s going to pick up the phone and fix it for you?
Not a chatbot. Not a booking platform.
But your travel designer?
We never leave you stranded.
💬 Final Word: It’s Not Just About Planning. It’s About Protecting Your Trip.
The next time you’re tempted to DIY your complex vacation to save a few bucks, ask yourself:
- Will I know what to do if things go wrong?
- Can I coordinate multiple vendors across countries and languages?
- Will I get help at midnight if I need it?
If the answer is no, it’s time to travel smart.
Let Epic Travel Designer be your calm in the travel storm.
Ready to experience worry-free travel?
📩 Start your journey with us — where the magic and the hard work happen behind the scenes.