Bobby Laurie
| Bobby Laurie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Robert Edward Laurie August 22, 1984 Staten Island, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
Pennsylvania College of Technology St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School |
| Occupation |
Travel Correspondent Writer Travel Journalist Former Flight Attendant |
| Home town | Staten Island, New York |
| Television |
Weekly: CNN Airport Network Bi-Weekly: The Daily Buzz Past Appearances: Daytime The Better Show MORE Good Day Oregon Sonoran Living Good Company Smart Family FOX News Extra Great Day St. Louis Daybreak Good Day San Diego |
| Website | |
| http://www.bobbylaurie.com | |
Bobby Laurie (born 22 August 1984) is a travel correspondent and TV host for various media outlets in the United States. Laurie appears weekly on CNN Airport Network[1] and bi-weekly on the national morning show The Daily Buzz.[2]
In addition to his regular appearances, Laurie is continuously tapped to lend his opinions on the ever changing travel industry by MSNBC,[3] ABC News,[4] NPR, The New York Times,[5] The Washington Post,[6] and The Wall Street Journal among others.[7][8]
Bobby's previous experience includes serving as a travel correspondent on the nationally syndicated show Daytime (TV series),[9] being a member of the "Panel of Experts" on the now cancelled MORE Good Day Oregon[10] and he maintained the travel blog for Instinct Magazine.[11]
Career & Biography
Travel Industry Background
Laurie's background in the travel industry dates back to November 2005 when he was hired as a flight attendant for Republic Airlines. After a four-month stay at the company where he was based at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport he moved to Phoenix, Arizona to work as a flight attendant for America West Airlines who had recently merged with US Airways.[12] After flying for six months Laurie had started his move up the corporate ladder and held various positions within the company before ultimately landing as an Analyst in the airline's InFlight Policies & Procedures Department. A year and a half after being hired Laurie left his post to return to life as a flight attendant at a United States Low-Cost Carrier.[12] On March 31, 2015 Laurie resigned his position as a flight attendant to focus on his various television projects.
Connecting Travel to the Media
In 2009 Bobby Laurie created the travel blog Up Up & A Gay.[13] The website was designed to collect and journal the experiences Laurie encountered while working as a flight attendant. In 2010 a collection of his most popular articles and journals were published into a book titled Planely Speaking: Inflight Insight from Thirty Thousand Feet.
Later that year, Laurie posted an article to his website about an outburst from a flight attendant at JetBlue Airways, Steven Slater, which gained national attention and sparked conversation. Laurie provided insight into the career and lifestyle of a flight attendant and also offered his sympathies to the JetBlue employee. The media immediately took notice and booked Laurie as a travel correspondent because of his insider knowledge and means of explaining the industry.[13]
Savvy Omnimedia
Savvy Omnimedia, formed in 2011, is a joint venture between Laurie and business partner Gailen David. The company was created because of the increased fascination with flight attendants after the jetBlue Steven Slater incident. The duo branded themselves as "The Savvy Stews" and had been appearing on various talk shows nationwide providing travel tips based on their extensive industry background, and later, formed Savvy Omnimedia as a production company and content provider to translate their experiences into original travel themed programming, talk show segments and print content for various outlets and clients.
SavvyStews.com
Savvy Omnimedia's first project was creating an Internet home for Laurie and David's travel knowledge and follow up information for their television appearances. SavvyStews.com was created July 2011. The website is designed to ease the stress of traveling by offering insider tips and tricks, destination focused videos, reviews of trending travel products and also information on the newest travel destinations and venues.
Four months later, in November 2011, the website became the largest independent travel network on the Internet by traffic and they grew by adding additional bloggers and affiliates to their portfolio.[14]
Travel Television
Talk Shows
Over the years, Laurie has appeared in over 75 different morning talk show segments. The following shows were pivotal to his career:
- Daytime: The first television talk show to book Laurie after his initial media attention was Daytime (TV series), a national lifestyle and entertainment show filmed out of Tampa, Florida. Laurie first appeared on Daytime October 2010 offering travel tips based on his experience as a flight attendant. Since then Laurie has appeared on the show monthly providing viewers with insider information, insight, industry trends including destinations, products and deals. Today, Bobby Laurie & Gailen David appear together with new travel segments monthly.
- MORE Good Day Oregon: One of Laurie's regular shows was "MORE Good Day Oregon" filmed in Portland, OR. He was appeared on the show monthly from December 2011 until the show was cancelled in January 2013.
- The Better Show: In January 2013 Laurie & David signed with The Better (TV series) Show as travel correspondents, and as part of the deal, they took their travel segments out of the studio and on the road to destinations around the world. In June 2013 they ended their contract and left Better (TV series).
- The Daily Buzz: On the heels of their departure from The Better Show, The Savvy Stews landed on The Daily Buzz, signing their agreement in July 2013 with their premiere segment airing on September 10, 2013. Laurie & David decided to keep their segment out of the studio and on the road, allowing them to showcase their expert tips while traveling to various destinations around the world, interviewing master Chefs and business owners in each locale, and visiting the best attractions each city has to offer. Though their initial contract was set to expire in August 2014, five months earlier in March 2014 Laurie & David signed an extended agreement to continue their segments on the national morning show through August 2015.
Where to Watch
Bobby Laurie appears regularly on television as a Travel Correspondent, Expert and Host.
| Year | Show | Air Date(s) | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | TAKE OFF! with The Savvy Stews | Premiered October 2, 2014 | Host | Bobby Laurie & Gailen David appeared together in their own 30 minute travel show on Discovery Networks' Destination America. The show now airs on Hulu |
| 2014–Present | CNN Airport Network | Segments Air Every Weekday | Travel Expert | Bobby Laurie & Gailen David appear on CNN Airport Network with travel tips and information for travelers on the go. |
| 2014 | My Trip From Hell | January 15, 2014 | Travel Expert | Laurie appeared as a travel expert lending his opinion on airline related news events. The show routinely re-airs on Destination |
| 2013–Present | The Daily Buzz | Segments air every first and third Tuesday | Travel Correspondent/Segment Producer | Laurie & David premiered on The Daily Buzz September 10, 2013 and have been signed through August 2015. Their segments are filmed on-location from destinations around the world. |
| 2010–2013 | Daytime (TV series) | Segments air monthly | Travel Contributor | Bobby Laurie & Gailen David appear together monthly with travel tips, tricks and industry insight |
Books & Publications
Planely Speaking: Inflight Insight from Thirty Thousand Feet was published by Savvy Omnimedia on July 18, 2010. The book is a collection of Laurie's stories from his blog, an autobiography of how he began his career as a flight attendant and offers tips to getting hired in the field. The publication is available through LuLu.com and Amazon.com.
Awards & Nominations
- In 2014, Laurie was nominated and won a Telly Award in the TV Program/Segment - Travel Tourism category for a Daily Buzz segment he hosted and executive produced in Mazatlan, Mexico[15]
References
- ↑ "Savvy Stews on CNN". CNN (CNN). Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ↑ McGuire, Troy. "The Savvy Stews and Buzz Worthy Integrations Announce an Exclusive Content Sharing and Marketing Partnership". PR Newswire. PR Newswire. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ↑ Elliott, Christopher. "Plane angry: Air Travel at a Breaking Point". MSNBC. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ Marikar, Shelia. "Steven Slater: From JetBlue Quitter to Latest American Folk Hero?". ABC News. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ Negroni, Christine (06 May 10). "Packing Tips From Professional Travelers". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2012. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Hesse, Monica (11 Aug 10). "Coffee, tea, or flee?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 May 2012. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Laurie, Bobby (11 Aug 10). "Confessions of a Flight Attendant". The Daily Beast - Newsweek. Retrieved 15 May 2012. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ Wilson, Benét J. "A Code of Conduct for Passengers?". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ "Daytime". WFLA-TV (Daytime). Retrieved 16 August 2013.
- ↑ "KPTV.com". KPTV FOX12 Oregon. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ Wood, Mike. "Welcome Our New Travel Blogger Bobby Laurie!". Instinct Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Laurie, Bobby (2010). Planely Speaking: Inflight Insight from Thirty Thousand Feet. Los Angeles, CA: More News Later Media, LLC. pp. 30–33. ISBN 978-0557477135.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Laurie, Bobby. "BobbyLaurie.com (Official Website)". Bobby Laurie. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ Fello, Julia. "Tips to Make Your Next Flight Easy". WKOW-TV (ABC). Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ↑ ""Savvy Stews" Win 2014 Telly Award for Talk Show Travel Segment". NBC Right Now. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.