Winged Boots Interviews: Claire Baker, Luxury Concierge for Winged Boots

Her expansive expertise and carefully cultivated network of contacts around the world elevate already exceptional travel experiences into something truly extraordinary by facilitating bespoke experiences, exclusive restaurant reservations, personalised tours, and VIP airport services.

Basically, from A to B; reservations to romantic proposals, she’s got you covered.

We sat down with her to get the inside scoop on what makes a trip magical, her own memorable travel moments, and how she builds and maintains lifelong bonds with her clients – many of whom return to her throughout the different seasons of their lives, entrusting her with precious moments.

"We look at every aspect of our clients’ holidays to see how we can make it extra special. That can mean anything from ensuring that they get the best table in the restaurant, to securing them a flight upgrade or arranging bespoke experiences.

"It’s taking each component and giving it that added sparkle. For example, when you land in your destination, we can facilitate a meet-and-greet from the aircraft, where you’re then skipped through the airport and given that real VIP treatment, getting your holiday off to a seamless start."

"We have really amazing relationships with a lot of the top restaurants, bars, and beach clubs. This means we can reach out to them, maybe pulling a few strings, and often get you into a booked-out venue, reserve you a specific table with a view, or even request something off-menu. There are some restaurants where everyone wants to be on the frontline of the beach, for example, so we call in on our relationships and make sure we get a table in the prime spot for our clients."

"Four weeks before a client departs, we will contact them to say “let's have a look at what we can do to make your trip super special”. The earlier we can do this the better, and sometimes the personal travel managers will reach out to me and suggest some things that they think a particular client might really enjoy or appreciate, and I can start the ball rolling on that. We work alongside your travel manager every step of the way: from when you book your holiday right up until you travel and even after you arrive back home to arrange these special moments and ensure they go off without a hitch."

"The possibilities are pretty much limitless, and we’re always coming up with something new. For instance, if someone’s celebrating a birthday, we can make sure that they’ll have something in the room for when they've arrived, whether that's balloons, a cake, champagne, or something that’s personal to them. We’ve arranged the intricacies of proposals before, such as how the ring’s going to get delivered and even ensured someone is hiding out of sight, capturing the special moment on video for the couple to treasure forever. We’ve even arranged a private cinema screening before. We like to think that we can help plan something unique for every special occasion."

"This is when our services are especially important, because I always say you don't know how good your travel company is until something goes wrong. We're on hand 24/7 via WhatsApp and on the phone. So, when challenges do arise, we step in and make sure that we put right anything that's gone wrong. An example would be, when there was unprecedented rainfall in Dubai the airport was absolute carnage. Lots of clients were stuck and there was a three-hour queue to get a taxi. We were able to arrange private transfers for those who needed them, so they were able to bypass some of the chaos. Having a direct contact to reach out to makes a big difference."

"Absolutely. That's what makes booking with Winged Boots really unique because as you build a relationship with your personal travel manager, you also build a relationship with the client experience team.

"I love nothing more than seeing clients return time and time again. For instance, I’ve had individuals plan their engagement with me to come back and plan their honeymoon followed by their anniversaries. You build a relationship, and I understand what they want from their travels. So we've been there throughout every step of their travel experience as well as getting to be a part of them getting married. It’s humbling that people trust me with these big moments.

"Many of our clients now contact me directly as soon as they book their holidays to start planning the nitty-gritty of what they want to do – because that's just as important as the holiday itself."

"The Winged Boots team is passionate about travel and experiencing the same destinations that our clients do. This gives us the best insider knowledge that we can pass down to them. We might just pass on our top tips about some little hidden gem restaurants and first-hand information on things to do based on our experience. Or it might be that we take the time to research the best option for that particular client and present them with something we think they'll love.

"If you look on Instagram, sometimes it's flooded with where people think that they should be going, but not realising that if it's on Instagram, everyone will be doing it. So we offer people an equally impressive, unique alternative."

"I understand from both sides. So, for some of our clients, once the holiday is booked, the fun part is also researching where you're going and what you're going to be doing.

"On the other hand, some clients do not have the time or resources to research their destination. Instead, they really value our complimentary service where options are shared with them and they can tailor their holiday but with their travel provider doing all the heavy lifting.

"Therefore, we fine-tune trips alongside our clients; taking the stress out of the experience and giving them invaluable insights, without taking over. That way, you get the best of both worlds: less hassle but a hyper-personalised result and everything's planned before you arrive. The aim is to make things as seamless as possible and that takes expert knowledge – as well as some helpful industry connections."

The Winged Boots’ complimentary travel concierge service is available to all clients and totally customisable to their wants and needs. We understand that no holiday comes off the shelf, so our service offering doesn’t either. We work with our clients to ensure they have a wonderful holiday because that is what it is all about: crafting everlasting memories through travel with a little Winged Boots magic.

How long have you worked in travel?
"25 years now, including as cabin crew and luxury sales."

And how about for Winged Boots?
"Eight years."

What's your favourite part of your job?
"Even though I've been in travel for 25 years, I genuinely get really excited about planning all my clients’ trips—that, and obviously getting to travel myself along the way too."

What's your favourite place in the world?
"Well, that's really tricky. For adventure, I love Argentina. For a beach, it's got to be the Maldives."

Do you have a favourite hotel?
"Yes, I think I do actually. I mean I've been lucky enough to stay in lots of lovely hotels, but I love the Mandapa, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Ubud in Bali. It's phenomenal. It really is a special place."

Top three travel essentials?
"Over the years, I have mastered the art of packing light. Last year I did a three-week trip with just hand luggage. So, I’ve managed to get my travel essentials down to a bare minimum: One pair of flats, one pair of heels and some light linen bits to throw on."

Best travel experience?
"Ohh, so many. It's really hard to pinpoint but I would probably say stargazing at Uluru in Australia. That was pretty special."

Least favourite travel experience?
"I think there’s value in all travel experiences – good or bad – but I'd probably say being stranded in Bali and having to be smuggled on a boat in the middle of the night to the Gili Islands. That's up there as one of the worst travel experiences."

If you could pack your bags and go anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would you go and with whom?
"I haven't been to the Philippines yet and I would love to see them. And I'd have to take my partner."

And finally, do you have a number one travel tip?
"I would say when you're booking your hotel, book a room with a view. Then I always sleep with the curtains open. So, when you wake up in the morning, the first thing you see is the view of wherever you are."