The third generation reinvents itself .
WORDS / ANDREA SEDLACEK
LaMacchia : A name with a lot of history in the travel industry .
This legacy name is making moves and innovating once again ; this time as LaMacchia Jet Stream , a new host agency with the integrity and family feel that ’ s synonymous with the name LaMacchia .
Behind the slick new website and pro-level social media presence , LaMacchia Jet Stream humbly began in Tom and Monica Karnes ’ home in Kenosha , Wisconsin , in March 2020 . “ Right at our dining room table , that ’ s where it started ,” Tom says .
First , a quick history Tom and Monica are the husband-andwife team behind LaMacchia Jet Stream , as well as their travel agency , LaMacchia Travel , and their luxury romance division , LovinAway . LaMacchia Travel ’ s roots go all the way back to the early 1900s when Eugenio LaMacchia sold steamship travel to Italian citizens wanting to immigrate to the U . S . His service went beyond that , as he also offered things like translations and help with immigration matters . But LaMacchia Travel was formally founded in 1931 by Eugenio ’ s son Edmund who , with the support of his wife , Emma , became one of the first travel agencies in the state of Wisconsin to add air travel to the rest of its travel products . Edmund and Emma later welcomed their son Eugene to the family business . Then came Bill LaMacchia in the early 1960s who a few years later would go on to start The Mark Travel Corp .
Tom joined the family business in the early 1980s , working with the same focus on service and value the agency had always been known for . In 2009 , Tom and Monica purchased LaMacchia Travel , passing the family business on to the third generation of owners . LovinAway launched in 2016 and in late 2020 came LaMacchia Jet Stream , just before LaMacchia Travel ’ s 90th anniversary in January 2021 . Why a host agency , and why now ? “ We wanted to build a community ,” Monica says . In March 2020 , like many Americans , Monica and Tom were working from home , feeling the doom and gloom that was reverberating throughout the world and the travel industry . “ And we thought , why don ’ t we start a host agency ?” Monica says .
So they brought it to their team at LaMacchia Travel , who welcomed it with a lot of excitement .
But first , Tom wanted to ensure that everyone knew they were still an important part of the business . “ For our frontline agents , I wanted to make sure they knew that as LaMacchia Travel , we ’ re going to be there for them long term ,” he says .
The marketing and administrative side of the business was ready .
“ They were really excited to build it . Within 72 hours , Nolan Flynn , our marketing and operations manager , had a logo and a name . He was the one who came up with the name ‘ Jet Stream ,’” Tom says .
A jet stream is a strong and fast flow of wind — and the agents who make up LaMacchia Jet Stream will create their own collective force together , with the host agency offering “ the support the modern travel advisor really needs to soar in this industry ,” according to their website .
“ We want everyone who joins Jet Stream to be behind each other , to support each other and to provide their experience , knowledge and mentorship collectively ,” Tom says .
MIDDLE : COURTESY OF BROOKE ALFANO PHOTOGRAPHY ; BACKGROUND : JAG _ CZ / SHUTTERSTOCK . COM
42 / THE COMPASS / SPRING 2021 vaxvacationaccess . com / thecompass