A lost or worried student should never have to work out who to message. Ask the staff is a chat thread every traveler has on every trip. Whatever they write, every chaperone and organizer on the trip sees it, and whoever is free can answer.
For travelers
On the trip home, tap Need help? Ask the staff. It is also in the trip's Chat, on the website and on the phone.
- Use it for anything: where to be, what time the bus leaves, or if you need help right now.
- It is always open. Even when the trip lets only staff post in Everyone, and even when private messages are turned off, Ask the staff still works.
- It is your own thread. Other travelers do not see it. All the trip staff do.
For organizers and chaperones
Each traveler's thread shows in your Chat list with their name, as "Name → staff", once they have written something. Threads with no messages stay out of your list.
- Every staff member sees every thread. That includes chaperones you add later; they see the existing threads too.
- You get a notification when a traveler writes, like any other chat.
- It is never a private one-to-one conversation between an adult and a student. Because the whole staff team can read it, it is a safe default for schools that do not allow private messages with students.
- Read state is per person. A thread counts as unread for you until you open it, even if a colleague has already answered.
How it fits with the other chats
- Everyone is the whole trip, staff and travelers. You choose whether travelers can post there.
- Staff only is for organizers and chaperones.
- Direct messages follow the trip's rules for who can start them. Trip organizers can read direct messages on their trip.
- Ask the staff is the one way in that a traveler can always use.
The how-to-join handout you print for students mentions it too, so they know where to turn once they are in. See Chat channels for the rest of trip chat.