He eventually came back and in work explained at length how it was AWFUL, how he had been stuck and could not get home. He said he and his wife had had a terrible time and were really upset about the whole thing.

It turned out his tour operator arranged for him to stay on at his hotel for a few days, then transferred him to a 5* hotel for a few days, then transferred him to a 5* hotel in Washington DC. Then they transferred him by coach to Canada where he stayed at two or three hotels for another couple of weeks, all 4* or 5* hotels. His tour operator confirmed early on that all accommodation, food and travel costs would be paid by them. They also paid for dry cleaning, fresh clothes, toiletries and even some trips to sightseeing sites.

“Hang on” I said. “You’ve just had an extra three weeks in North America in top class accommodation for free, our employer isn’t going to dock you for the extra holiday and you are complaining? Cheer up – you’ll be telling the story of this free holiday for the rest of your life!”

He has been really happy about the whole experience ever since.