Redpoint Travel Protection: The Safety Net Every Traveler Needs

When Shannon Sughroue and her husband, Harry, booked their getaway to Ireland, they felt a surge of anticipation.
 

"We’re from Nebraska, and we’ve always wanted to go to Ireland,” Shannon shared. “We finally saved up enough money… and I finally convinced my husband it’d be fine to be on a plane for seven hours.”
 

Prior to May 2025, the Sughroues had never traveled internationally. However, they were excited to journey outside of the United States for the first time — and especially thrilled to go to Ireland, as they have Irish roots on both sides of their families. With that goal in mind, the Sughroues started making plans for their first Holiday Vacations experience.

“We live four to five hours from one airport,” Shannon explained. “However, we’re between Denver and Omaha, and we have kids in the area. We thought it might be cheaper and more convenient to fly out from Omaha, so we can spend the night with the kids and have them drop us off at the airport.” After finding their terminal, the Sughroues waited to board their flight. Little did they know, their adventure held an unexpected twist.
 

"I think our flight was supposed to leave around 1 or 2,” Shannon recalled. “It kept saying the flight was delayed… and then delayed again. By the third delay, we were like, ‘There’s no way we’re making our connecting flight from Minneapolis to Dublin.’”
 

While flight delays are common, they’re a pain when you need to make a connecting flight. This is one of many reasons why Holiday Vacations partners with Redpoint Travel Protection — a plan built to secure your trip investment and provide support during unforeseen events
 

"Just as I was starting to freak out, you called me and said, ‘We’re watching your flight,’” Shannon shared. “You said, ‘We’re hoping you’ll make it, but we’ll keep an eye on it.’ And then Redpoint called right after you did… it made me feel A LOT better."
 

As the situation unfolded, Redpoint and a Holiday Vacations representative stayed in contact with the Sughroues and kept them apprised of every update. Additionally, Kay Naatz — their Tour Director — reached out. Despite dealing with her own personal travel obstacles, Kay was determined to support them.
 

"Kay was constantly updating me, and she told us to text her when we got a flight,” Shannon continued. “She told us she’d be in the air and wouldn’t have service, but she wanted us to text her anyway, so she’d know where we were once she landed.”
 

After monitoring the situation, it became clear that waiting for the delayed plane was no longer a viable option. At that point, Delta arranged a new flight from Omaha to Minneapolis, while Holiday Vacations worked to secure new flights from Minneapolis to Paris and Paris to Dublin. With Shannon’s approval, the original flights were canceled. Soon after, Redpoint followed up and encouraged them to accept the new flights.
 

"It was pretty smooth sailing from there… and we got a twofer!” Shannon laughed. “I’ve never been to Paris, and while we didn’t leave the airport, I picked up a magnet. We tried to make it a positive experience.”

With the help of the Holiday Vacations and Redpoint teams, that "twofer" turned into a fun memory rather than a travel headache. Looking back, Shannon said she felt reassured and relieved, noting everything was handled as it should have been. Having Holiday Vacations take care of the unexpected challenges gave her peace of mind and allowed her to focus on enjoying their getaway. In the end, the Sughroues made it to their destination just in time for the Welcome Dinner

"I don’t know if the rest of our group even knew we were missing that first day — everyone was so exhausted,” Shannon recalled. “So, when we did introductions, we were like, ‘We’re the ones from Nebraska who missed our flight!’"
 

As for the rest of the trip? The Sughroues had a blast.

"We loved every minute of it,” Shannon said. “Kay was great. The bus driver, Pierce, was amazing. If I could go on another trip, and he was driving and just talking to us, I would go in a heartbeat. It was a good group of people; you could sit at dinner with any of them and have a conversation with anyone.”
 

When asked whether she would travel with Holiday Vacations again, Shannon replied with an enthusiastic ‘yes!’ After seeing how smoothly their Ireland getaway came together, she knew guided travel was the right fit for their future adventures.

Wondering what trip they're dreaming of taking next?
 

"Autumn in New England!” Shannon exclaimed. “I have a huge bucket list, and that one has Niagara Falls, the Freedom Trail, and New York. Everything on that trip is on my bucket list, and I can knock a whole bunch of things off it.”
 

Additionally, the Sughroues want to visit all 50 states, including Alaska: a goal they feel confident pursuing with Holiday Vacations after their Enchanting Ireland experience.
 

It was the best trip ever,” Shannon reflected. “I’ve never been on a trip like that, and it convinced me this is the way to go.”