Meet the Team

Meet the Team

Our team members are all highly knowledgeable and passionate about travel, from pilots to cabin crew to air traffic control as well as frequent flyers, we have a huge range of experience.

Eugene – Co-Owner

I didn’t have many opportunities to travel until I was 16, when I took my first holiday abroad in Spain. This experience revealed the vast world beyond my hometown and began a lifelong love affair with travelling. By the age of 21, I had taken my passion to new heights – quite literally – by earning my private pilot’s licence. Flying gave me a fresh perspective on the world and a ticket to endless adventures. It’s safe to say I’ve never looked back.

These days, my travel itinerary is full of luxury destinations: I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy safaris in South Africa, blissful beach escapes in the Maldives, and epic road trips through California’s stunning landscapes. I have a keen eye for the best hotels, business and first-class flights you can get through deals with air miles/Avios and credit card vouchers. Whether I’m soaking up the sun on a secluded beach or exploring the enchanting streets of Venice (a favourite I visit annually), my adventures are all about embracing life’s richest experiences.

• My top tip for travelling – Don’t over plan!
• One thing I’d never travel without – Antibacterial wipes
• The upcoming trip I’m most looking forward to? New York in First with BA and then Antigua.
• The best way to find the top places to eat in a new destination? It has to have a great setting and be backed up by positive reviews on TripAdvisor
• My dream holiday – Following the Formula 1 circuit around the world for a whole season

Katrina – Co-Owner

My wanderlust was sparked by my father’s job in the hotel industry, which took our family on exciting holidays all around the world. Those childhood adventures planted the seeds of a lifelong love for travel and a curiosity about the world. Thanks to my Dad’s career, I was lucky enough to experience some of the best luxury travel, and have learnt to appreciate the finer details that make a trip truly memorable.

As an adult, I seek out the perfect balance between relaxation and exploration. I’m a fan of laid-back beach days, but I also love the buzz of a city. My travel style leans more towards culture and cuisine than adrenaline-fueled adventures, and some of my favourite moments have been enjoying the stunning scenery and mouth-watering food found in my favourite spots like Italy and Cape Town. Whether it’s the rich history of Rome or the spectacular views of Table Mountain, I love to find the magic in every destination.

• My top tip for travelling – Research places to eat before you go
• One thing I’d never travel without – A good book. And now I travel with a toddler in tow, a pair of comfy shoes
• The upcoming trip I’m most looking forward to? Maldives…again!
• The best way to find the top places to eat in a new destination? Articles and reviews on TripAdvisor. Seeing pictures of the food is a must, presentation is a large part of the fine dining experience for me
• My dream holiday – Bora Bora

Michele – Founder & Contributor

My name is Michele and I have spent the last 23 years working in the travel industry, as do many of my friends. All this has fueled my travelling habit into something of an obsession! This, along with my taste for the finer things in life, has necessitated finding the cheapest way to indulge my habit. After spending years providing money-saving tips for luxury travel to friends and colleagues, I decided to share my knowledge with a wider audience. In 2018, I flew 144,000 miles on 85 flights and visited 18 countries. These were nearly all in business and first class, but I used miles, discounts and sales to make sure I never had to pay the normal high prices.  Over the years, I have visited over 65 countries and have lots more planned!

I am dedicated to bringing the latest offers and tips to my readers so they don’t miss out on a bargain.

Sylvie – Travel Writer

Sylvie is a newbie to the luxury travel scene, but definitely not the travel scene! After college, Sylvie did lots of backpacking in Asia and Europe and loved getting amazing travel deals, including a flight to Singapore from Athens for just £200. As well as luxury travel, Sylvie runs three family travel blogs focusing on her home county of Cornwall (Cornwall with kids), City Breaks in Europe for Families (European Cities with Kids), and travels in Greece (Island Hopping in Greece). She also completed a BA Geography degree in 2022.

“My love for luxury travel started with upgrading to first class on my journey to university. After signing up for an AMEX credit card and travelling on British Airways Club Europe to Munich, my world was opened to the world of Turning Left for Less.”

Hotels wise, Sylvie spends hours searching for the best deals and loves the brands of Ibis Styles, Raddison Blu, Novotel and Crowne Plaza.

Jason – Contributor

Jason lives in Manchester, but is originally from Australia.  He has always been an avgeek and loves trying out different airline’s premium cabins.  He’s always on the lookout for deals on an airline he hasn’t flown. 

Jason worked as Cabin Crew for BA from 1997 – 2020 both on Eurofleet and Worldwide Fleet as well as a few secondments to other areas of the airline, which definitely gave him an insight to airline operations.

• My top tip for travelling – When booking flights/hotels/trains/car hire ALWAYS use a credit card versus a debit card as credit cards offer additional protections.
• One thing I’d never travel without – my iPhone loaded with flight tracking apps. It’s my camera, my means of communication, my music and my heads up of delays, cancellations and aircraft changes!
• The upcoming trip I’m most looking forward to? Home to Sydney to visit my mum which will also involve first time travelling on ANA, China Airlines and Garuda Biz.
• The best way to find the top places to eat in a new destination?  I generally will stick to the cuisine of the country I am in and ask hotel staff where THEY love to eat.
• My dream holiday – I have never been on one of the luxury rail journeys nor one of the luxury small ship cruises and would love to try both!

Callum Elsdon – Contributor

Callum is a relative newbie to the luxury travel scene but has flocked to it since first turning left in 2018. An avgeek since childhood, he is passionate about the products offered by airlines and is willing to go out of the way to try new aviation experiences. Many of his luxury travel escapades have been inspired by the advice offered on websites, including TLFL.

Callum maintains status with Finnair Plus Platinum and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold, both earned through enticing offers and BA Silver, a holdover from before 2020, enabling plenty of opportunities to try some of the world’s best airlines and lounges. Hotels and accommodation are a tiny bit less exciting to Callum than aviation, but of course, he won’t say no to a luxury hotel anywhere in the world. When not travelling for fun, he works as a Marketing Manager in the broadcast industry.

• My top tip for travelling – Before you’ve even left the country, get yourself an eSIM set-up. Either from an aggregator like Airalo or by checking the local network providers, there’s no reason to pay extortionate airport prices for a SIM on arrival! Be sure to research the local apps to get around or to contact locals since the world doesn’t all run on the likes of Uber and WhatsApp – examples include Grab Taxis in South East Asia, Didi Taxis and WeChat in China or Line in Japan and Korea. 
• One thing I’d never travel without – I always carry a lot of tech when I travel. One of the best purchases for travel I have is an Anker multi charger that can charge my MacBook (at 100w) alongside up to five other devices at the same time. Even better, the power cable detaches so you can get a native plug to connect to the local power outlets without a converter. 
• The upcoming trip I’m most looking forward to? – I always look forward to going back to Japan (Hokkaido) and exploring some new destinations that are off the usual Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto tourist trail. It’s an incredible value at the moment and it is one of the places where it genuinely feels like a different world.
• The best way to find the top places to eat in a new destination? – Chat with some of the non-front reception staff in your accommodation for local, non-touristy recommendations. Try a food walking tour. Or, at last resort, just walk around if the weather is good and stumble into somewhere unexpected – that can often be some of the best food experiences!
• My dream holiday – Less a dream holiday, but I’ve yet to experience any of Central or South America. I would love to do an extended trip through one of the many large countries on the continent to feel the culture. Perhaps a sabbatical in a few years could be good for this…