GoodHeart| Travelers Care provides inclusive travel assistance

As our needs change with age or special requirements, travelling can be daunting. With the support of a travelling caregiver, you can have a reliable companion by your side. Shelly-Ann Cawley, founder and CEO of Travelers Care, ensures clients are matched with experienced carers who meet their individual needs.

The story of Travelers Care began in 2001, as Cawley, a former flight attendant and in-flight and safety manager, found herself handling many situations involving vulnerable travellers, such as: unaccompanied minors, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, persons with a fear of flying, and more. With first-hand knowledge and experience of the airline industry, in 2019, she incorporated Travelers Care to assist people who may need a little extra assistance when they fly.

“At Travelers Care, we provide travel assistance for vulnerable travellers and persons who prefer to not fly alone. With over 20 years airline and aviation experience, Travelers Care provides a professional travel companion to fly with and care for you or your loved ones when you use air travel. The aim is to alleviate the potential nightmares and mitigate the risk associated with the rigours of travel, from drop off to pick up, creating inclusion for all,” Cawley told GoodHeart.

Her organisation, she says, supports people with mobility limitations and neurocognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s or dementia. “We also fly with and care for children through an airline unaccompanied minor programme that starts between the ages of 5 and 7 years. Travelers Care will fly with a child as young as 3 years old,” Cawley said.

“Many times, our Caribbean families would like to send their young children home to Grandma but, their mom or dad may not have the time to fly with the child. Travelers Care will fly with the child, ensuring comfort, safety, and peace of mind,” she added. Cawley said they pay attention to the finest of details because they know that it is the little things which can make all the difference.

“We involve Jamaica and Jamaicans in everything we do, because Jamaica is a big travel market for us, especially with our returning residents who fly back and forth from Jamaica to the United States and Canada. We also fly with children, especially during holidays, as most airlines do not allow unaccompanied minors on connecting flights,” she said. She also noted that they also provide travel assistance to pets.

Over the next two years, Cawley said, they want to continue growing their presence in other countries. “Our travel companions have flown with customers to Jamaica, United Kingdom, China, South Korea, Australia, Cuba, Laos, Canada, Zimbabwe, Philippines, Germany, Mexico, and all over the United States. We also want to expand our service to include extended services, for example, a customer going on a seven-day cruise, the travel companion would accompany the customer for that entire time and get them back home safely,” she added.

There has also been a jump in traffic from Jamaica to Florida and New York. Jamaica, she said, boosting the move to offer services quicker to the other Caribbean islands than anticipated, based on the positive response for the service.

“The Jamaican market is growing and we want to ensure the other islands benefit as well. We want to ensure our Caribbean people are treated with dignity and are safe when they use air travel.”

People, she said, are always supportive of what they do, because they know it is a well-needed service. “The gratitude and praise we receive are heartfelt. When I started Travelers Care, a part of my vision was to ensure my team and I provide exceptional customer service, treating each person we meet with dignity, humanity, and kindness.”

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com