A Rocky Start and a Fantastic Finish: ACIS Trip Spotlight with Group Leader Peter

Over years of travel, ACIS Group Leader Peter D. has learned to expect the unexpected. This spring, while traveling with students to London, his group definitely encountered a surprise when a fire broke out at Heathrow International Airport. Read more about his experience and how ACIS stepped in to make things right.

1. First tell us a little about yourself!

I teach Economics at Buffalo Grove HS in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. I have been here since 1999.

2. And you had previously traveled with ACIS, correct?

This is my 6th trip with ACIS that I’ve led. It is my 10th trip overall as I was an assistant for trips since 2011. We’re scheduled to go to Italy next year. 

3.  What are the top provider qualities you look for when organizing an educational tour abroad?

ACIS has been our choice because I have asked Tour Managers and other teachers about their experiences with other companies. We look for centrally located hotels, direct flights, and support when something comes up.

4.  What classroom goals did you have for your trip?

We run the trip yearly, but we switch where we are going. This trip was our “World Language” trip. We have our Spanish and French teachers join. Last year we went to Amsterdam, Germany and Switzerland with our German teachers included. In 2026, we are going to Venice, Florence, and Rome. This will be for our history and social science teachers.  

5. You had a rocky (pun intended) beginning to the trip: What happened and how did ACIS rectify the situation?

We were 2.5 hours into our flight and had not reached the Atlantic Ocean. I had already told the flight crew when we boarded that I was the leader and to let me know if any of the students were a problem. The crew turned the in-flight entertainment off and told us to “wait for an announcement from the captain.”  At that point I was concerned that there was an issue with the plane. A few minutes later, before the captain’s announcement, a flight attendant whispered to me “Heathrow is on fire. I am telling you this first so you can prepare for your students’ reaction. We will be returning to Chicago.” I was actually relieved it was not an issue with the plane. I then purchased the Wi-Fi and messaged the parents what I knew at that point. I also saw the news that a substation was on fire and Heathrow would be closed down for 24 hours. I then made a Wi-Fi call and called the ACIS 1-800 number for support. I knew it would be a challenge to get to Europe anytime soon but was hopeful.

Parents arrived at O’Hare promptly and I told them I would message at 9:00 AM on Friday any updates. I then messaged them every 2 hours if there was an update or not. By 4:30, less than 16 hours later, ACIS had a plan. They ran it past me. I conducted a Zoom with our 38 families and 5 chaperones at 7:00 PM. We would fly to Philadelphia on Saturday evening. Stay in Philadelphia on Sunday when ACIS would hire a bus for the day for us to sightsee and reimburse student food purchases. Sunday at 8:00 PM we arrived in Newark for a flight on an airline called French Bee. The plane was new, the crew was great, and there were so many empty seats that kids laid down to sleep. We arrived in Paris on Monday by 11:00 AM and began to tour. We were originally scheduled to fly to Madrid the next morning and fortunately we were able to fly out on Tuesday night, so we had almost two full days in Paris. In Paris Peter Jones, the President of ACIS, met us in Montmartre and assured the students that ACIS would do everything possible to make this a great trip. On Thursday in Madrid, ACIS paid for a bus ride, walking tour, and Alcazar Castle entry. It was a great day. Friday ACIS paid for a day trip to Toledo. We were able to have a great walking tour and a cooking demonstration of Migas and the students helped prepare the meal. It was a great experience. The next day we were in three groups to get back to Chicago.

In the end ACIS made a great trip for 45 people at the last minute. It was never their fault that Heathrow was shut down. I was told by a few people that most companies would have cancelled the trip. 

We realize that ACIS is not the least expensive, but they proved that we are paying for a superior service. 

Previously, the Iceland volcano pushed our trip back a day to Italy and ACIS fixed that by reversing the trip. When Brussels had a safety issue, ACIS rerouted us from Versailles to Charles de Gaulle and flew us to Barcelona safely. 

6.  How did you feel supported as a group leader on tour?

I was able to contact ACIS Tour Consultant Diana Kerrigan in Chicago for help. I also met Peter and Heidi, Director of Business Development, in Paris for help. We also met ACIS Spain operations manager Javi in Madrid, and he talked to the kids and they gave him a round of applause for his efforts.  It was great to not only get emails and texts with support but also to see the faces of the people that were extremely helpful in the background. 

Jon Brahms and I have been on about 10 trips together. He is a great Tour Manager. He made sure the group was taken care of. He made our roommates and accommodations work as we had many different room allocations. Jon did say that he did manage over 150 trips and this was a first because of all the changes. He managed it with great communication and leadership. 

7.  Which aspect of the trip do you think your students enjoyed the most? Which aspects did you like best as a traveler and as an educator?

I know that they were thrilled to still have a trip and then to get the extra days in Spain made them love the experience. Some were disappointed to trade London for Philadelphia, but ultimately, they understood. They seemed to really enjoy the cooking demonstration and the food in Toledo. Additionally, they were enthralled with the Flamenco dancing and dinner in Madrid on our last night.

8.  Any fun stories you would like to share from the trip?

We always have some fun getting 38 students from the suburbs of Illinois on and off the Métro in Paris. At one point, on the RER, the doors closed quickly and four of us did not get on the train. As we tried to board, a student’s bag of macaroons was stuck in the door and traveled to the next stop without the student. 

9. Where would you like to go next?

We are heading to Italy in 2026. We have done this trip before, and it is great for our history and social science teachers. 

10. In 15 words or less, why would you recommend ACIS?

ACIS will find great hotels, a detailed itinerary, and will support the trip no matter what.