Three members of the NTM ACESS team cited by travelers for their patience and persistence. From l: Marie Lukkason, Kim Mohrland and Michelle Hanson

Beth Pedersen has been in the travel business for over 15 years; and has seen strikes and weather-related interruptions to air service. But Pedersen, the manager of NTM ACCESS 24-hour service, has never experienced the call volume processed the week following September 11. An average evening generates 200 calls. The days of September 11, 12, 13 and 14 saw up to 700 calls per night.

Calls came in from family and travelers looking for transportation to hotels, to and from airports, and ultimately, a way to get home. "We put on extra ACCESS agents starting the night of September 11. So amazingly, very few callers experienced excessive hold times," said Ms. Pedersen.

"The agents were happy to help people during those difficult hours. They said it was very satisfying. Our ACCESS agents said the callers were patient and courteous even though the callers were incredibly stressed. It made the whole thing so much better for everybody."
Beth Pedersen, Manager NTM ACCESS