Former agent Kaylee Starkey recently joined Premier Holidays as Business Development Manager for the South. Travel Gossip found out a little more about her…
The famous person (dead or alive) I’d most like to sit next to on a plane is… Steve Irwin, I loved how passionate he was about animals. I bet he had some brilliant stories to tell.
If I had a tattoo, it would be… I already have one, a panda. I’ve been obsessed with pandas since I was a child. I’ve even been to China to see them, so getting a panda tattoo just made sense.
The next place I’ll visit is… Canada. I’d love to go bear watching and travel through the Rockies, ideally in a motorhome so I can take in as much as possible along the way.
The last place I visited was… Borneo. I travelled from Kota Kinabalu through Sabah and saw all sorts of monkeys and incredible birds. Seeing the sun bears is an absolute must, along with seeing the orangutans.
My most memorable travel experience was… swimming with turtles in the Galapagos. Being that close to them in the wild was just incredible and something I’ll never forget.
The worst thing I ate or drank abroad was… a super-spicy cashew pad Thai. I clearly underestimated the spice level. I’m not sure I could actually taste anything after the first few mouthfuls!
My bucket-list destination is… Antarctica. Amazing scenery, incredible wildlife and somewhere completely different from anywhere else… although I’m not sure how I’d cope with the cold.
Born and brought up in… Milton Keynes.
Live in… Milton Keynes, I didn’t venture too far.
The best piece of advice I’ve been given is… treat people how you’d like to be treated. It’s simple, but it goes a long way.
If I could eat one thing/meal for the rest of my life it would be… potatoes. They’re so versatile, mash, roasties, chips, jackets… you can’t go wrong with a potato.
The thing I miss most while travelling is… my dogs. I have three Jack Russells, Jac Jac, Calcifer and Jiji. As much as I love going away, I always miss them and can’t wait to see them when I get home.
When I left school, I wanted to be… cabin crew. I’m only 4ft 11 and unfortunately couldn’t pass the arm-reach test. My cabin crew career was over before it even started!
The thing I’m most proud of is… my ability to retain completely random knowledge about people. Tell me something about yourself and there’s a good chance I’ll remember it years later, although I probably won’t remember what I walked into a room for.
In my new role, I’ll be… out and about working with travel agents, building relationships and helping them get to know Premier Holidays and everything we can offer. A big part of being a BDM is being there to support agents, whether that’s with product knowledge, training, events or helping them find the right options for their customers.
What attracted me to the job was… wanting to see the other side of the travel industry and understand how it all works from a supplier’s perspective. Before joining Premier Holidays, I spent three years as an independent agent with Sunlounger Travel. I loved selling holidays and working directly with customers, but I wanted to experience the supplier side of the industry.Â
Outside work, you’ll usually find me… walking the dogs or quizzing with friends. I love a good quiz, all that random knowledge has to be useful somewhere.
The first thing I notice about a person when I meet them is… their personality and whether they can have a laugh. I’m a people person, so I love getting to know what makes someone tick.
If I won the Lottery tomorrow, I would… buy a big house, a new car and book an amazing holiday to Australia and New Zealand, probably all before lunchtime.
