About Guy
I am sixth generation Australian of mainly English, Scottish and some Irish descent with several convicts thrown into the family tree for good measure.
During the May school holidays in 1982 I passed the Qantas office in Chiffley Square on my way to doctors appointment in Macquarie Street. On my return to dad's office I showed him a flyer that I picked up. Unknowingly, I offered him a way to quieten the house so that my older siblings could study. Fortunately the passport office was across the road from the Qantas office in Chiffley Square and the next day Mum, Dad, my little brother and I were flying economy class to Hong Kong and staying at the Park Hotel for a week. I loved the whole travel experience, was entirely hooked and have not looked back.
After completing the HSC in 1984 I was strongly encouraged to go to university and become a school teacher, an idea that did not enthral me. On the successful completion of a cocktail and mixed drinks bar course in January 1985 I was given an ultimatum; find a job or go to university. The travel bug won and I started working at Commonwealth Bank Travel in March 1985. I happily threw in my Thursday night and Saturday morning job in the frozen food section at Woolworths to stamp brochures and run errands while learning my trade. Ten years later I was a senior corporate consultant with top sales stats. The Bank decided it was time to sell Travelstrength and I decided that it was time to move on. I left with a knack for complicated airfares and a passion luxury hotels.
I spent the next two years at Ursula King Travel as senior international corporate consultant and really enjoyed the change to a small, family owned, boutique agency.
It was, however, time for a change and I took a break to help mum and dad set up a bed and breakfast in country New South Wales. Falling in love I spend three years crossing the Pacific to San Francisco and back again. The short stints in Sydney were filled with temp jobs at a number of agencies including, Ursula King Travel, Leggett World Travel, Mary Rossi Travel, Japan Travel Bureau and Jornada to name a few.
We moved back to Sydney in late 1999. In mid-2000, Alan Leggett told me that he fully intended to make me settle down and become an honest man. It was really good to be back at work in a small, family run agency. Leggett's had a strong Italian heritage and were agents for Cuendet villas and apartments in Italy. In early 2006 I terminated my employment with the company and started up my own business, working with them from home as a contractor. I stayed with them through the change of management and associated name changes to LTM Travel and then Concierge Traveller.
I joined MTA – Mobile Travel Agents in September 2013 and now really enjoy working for a slightly larger family run company.
I enjoy sitting with my clients, working through their individual needs and desires and coming up with the best options for them. I have a love for puzzles (could complete the rubik's cube in less than 60 seconds) and enjoy matching the right airlines, hotels, tours, cruises with each individual guest. To hear that they have enjoyed their vacation time is pure joy.
I was unsure about what to expect when I was first induced to take a seven day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands in 2002. Now I have to sit down and think about how many ocean and river cruises that I have taken. I rather look forward to the sea days and look for itineraries with a good balance of port and sea days.
In recent years I have hosted small groups of twenty or so cruise curious clients on short week end coastal voyages form Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane. It is a great way to see if they like cruising or maybe try another line. We have also taken a small group of clients on a Queen Mary 2 Trans Atlantic crossing and an Amsterdam to Barcelona cruise with Celebrity.
Of the many training courses that I have taken over the years, of note I completed the advanced passenger tariff training course Lufthansa in Seeheim, Germany in 1989.
In August 2010 I completed the necessary studies to become a cruise Master with the International Cruise Council Australasia (now CLIA).
Previous experience
Commonwealth Bank Travel, Ursula King Travel, LTM Travel, Concierge Traveller
Areas of specialty
Personally I love travelling to Europe, the United States and Asia and have covered these areas extensively over the last thirty years. I have touched on South America and look forward to seeing more soon.
I love working through airfare options and matching the best hotels and cruises for your needs. Then fine detailing your itinerary with fast track immigration clearance, limo transfers, dinner reservations, theatre tickets, golf tee times and massages.
