Keeping 19 travellers on track to Tanzania
An independent school in Sydney, Australia, organised a volunteering trip for 16 year 10 students and three teachers to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. The group’s itinerary included volunteering at two local community schools, helping teach English, sharing knowledge and culture, and wrapping up with a safari experience. Safety, communication, and flawless flight paths were key priorities for this group of travellers.
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Approach
Planning for this trip began nearly a year in advance, with the FCM Meetings & Events group travel team involved from the very start. A dedicated group travel expert acted as the school’s direct line of support, designing a flight plan around the school’s preference to fly with minimal stopovers, while navigating multiple visa pathways for a group of mixed-passport holders.
Every logistical detail was handled with care and a personal touch. This included going above and beyond in making sure the school were familiar with the visa requirements, aware of the safety and risk factors specific to this destination, had organised official letters from parents to satisfy customs requirements, right through to reserving group seating so students could travel in clusters with teachers. Regular communication with the school reassured parents that every detail of their children’s journey was accounted for.
Challenges
Originally booked on a straightforward itinerary, the group’s plans were disrupted just days before departure when tensions in the Middle East led to the closure of Qatar airspace. While trips of this nature usually take 8–9 months to plan, for the FCM Meetings & Events group travel expert, this meant rerouting all 19 travellers, including 16 minors with only three days till departure.
Within hours, our expert sourced alternative routes across several Australian and African carriers, secured refunds, and rebooked the entire group. On the surface, it looked like a simple change. But in reality, coordinating multiple stopovers across two continents, busy airports, time zones, plus managing a group of students with limited international experience, meant there was plenty of room for complications.
Challenges included:
- Rebuilding the entire flight program within hours, balancing cost, safety, and school requirements.
- Working closely and quickly with the school to navigate new visa and embassy requirements.
- Securing group seating on near-full flights, so students and teachers could remain close.
- Anticipating customs delays and preparing the school with back up plans.
Outcomes
With the guidance of the FCM Meetings & Events group travel expert, the school had complete confidence that every stage of the journey was under control. Despite the last-minute changes, we successfully:
- Rebooked the entire group onto a new itinerary in two days, keeping departure and return dates on schedule.
- Maintained parent confidence through deep expertise, regular updates, and clear seating plans.
- Secured refunds and supported insurance claims, minimising additional costs for the school and families.
- Helped review risk and safety requirements to align with new routes, ensuring the school’s duty of care obligations were fully met.
Resulting in a successful volunteering trip where 16 students and their teachers travelled safely and enjoyed an experience they’ll never forget.
Everyone arrived home safely, there were no flight issues, and the group had a wonderful time volunteering. The safari was incredible, too, such an amazing experience for all. Thank you for helping to make it happen!
- School Trips and Tours Co-ordinator
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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How does FCM handle sudden, major travel disruptions, like the last-minute rerouting due to airspace closures?
FCM Meetings & Events acts swiftly to minimise impact. In this case, when Qatar airspace closed days before departure, our expert rebuilt the entire flight program for 19 travellers - including 16 minors - within hours. This involved sourcing alternative routes across multiple carriers, securing refunds, and managing the logistics of new stopovers across two continents to ensure the trip departed on time.
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How does FCM Meetings & Events ensure we meet our duty of care obligations for student or volunteer group travel?
We address duty of care through meticulous planning and on-the-spot risk assessment. This includes designing flight paths with minimal stopovers, reserving group seating so students remain close to teachers, organising official parent letters for customs, and helping review risk and safety requirements to align with any new routes. Our regular communication also provides assurance to parents and the school.
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What is included in your full-service group travel management, beyond booking flights?
Our service is comprehensive. It includes up to a year of advance planning, designing itineraries, navigating multiple visa pathways for mixed-passport groups, managing customs documentation, securing group seating, and providing a dedicated group travel expert as your single point of contact and support.
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Do you assist with securing refunds and managing financial claims when travel plans are disrupted?
Yes. During the crisis, we successfully secured refunds and supported the client with insurance claims to minimise additional costs for the school and families, ensuring financial burdens were reduced despite the last-minute rerouting.
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How far in advance should we engage an agency for complex international group travel?
Planning for a trip of this complexity (multiple visas, minors, volunteering logistics) began nearly a year in advance. Engaging the FCM Meetings & Events team early ensures every logistical and safety detail - from flight plans to visa requirements - is handled properly and allows time to mitigate potential challenges.