TRAVELLING in style and pandering to the whims of the rich and famous is all in a day’s work for Sara Duffy, founder of a multimillion-dollar travel concierge business in Los Angeles.
And from 7.30pm today, SABC3 viewers will be able to get a taste of this opulent lifestyle when the first episode of a new six-part series, FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY, takes to the air.
The programme promises to bring viewers into a world where champagne wishes and caviar dreams are reality.
For Duffy, an eccentric go-getter with a meticulous attitude, her luxury travel concierge business has her rubbing shoulders with billionaires, socialites and entertainment moguls.
All of them turn to Duffy and her team of travel experts to scour the world in search of the best one-of-a-kind experiences.
“Outrageous demands from their clients are nothing out of the ordinary as her team ensures there is no mission too great, no corner of the world too remote, and no experience too immense,” says a spokesman for SABC3.
“From private yacht to million-dollar villas and exclusive resorts, Duffy and her team make the dreams of the rich and famous come true.”
Viewers will get a first-class look as Duffy sends five wealthy housewives to Monte Carlo for a private tour of the Monaco royal family’s art collection and organises for them to meet Prince Albert.
Duffy also arranges a romantic getaway to the Amalfi Coast in Italy for actor Sam Page and his long-time girlfriend, as well as a private wine-tasting tour in the Napa Valley.
She also plans “the ultimate guys’ vacation” for Heroes star Leonard Roberts and his friends, who visit a private villa in Tuscany.
Duffy has worked in the travel industry since 1992. Having started in a small agency in Beverly Hills, and later worked at Paramount Pictures’ corporate travel department, she soon found her niche when her corporate clients, friends and associates began asking her to help plan their holidays.
“Today she sits at the helm of SRD International, which is generated entirely through word-of-mouth referrals and recommendations from satisfied clients,” says the SABC3 spokesman.
“A never-ending passion for her work and a genuine love of the travel business is what makes Sara unique. Her ultimate commitment to personalised service is what her clients have grown accustomed to.”
Duffy’s client roster includes the most discerning clientele. SRD International incorporates a travel agency, a yacht and villa division, and an international concierge service, into one.
“Her personal relationships with the most exclusive hotels, private jet services, yacht and villa owners, restaurants, clubs, wineries, private museums and one-of-a-kind destinations enable her to provide her clients with exclusive access and unlimited resources.”