Layovers - Air Travel podcast
137 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 112 ratingsThe Air Travel podcast — an aviation and travel show, created by Paul Papadimitriou @papadimitriou, hosted along with Alex Hunter @cubedweller — top #1 in 47 countries and counting.
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Episodes
136 DXB - Vegan First Class, lounge bouncers, jet stream rush, intermittent flying fasting, improper JFK
March 07, 2024 16:44 - 2 hours - 112 MBIs Emirates low key encouraging membership to the high mile club? (And how Alex and Layovers saved Paul's Emirates First upgrade. The controller goes "oh that sucks", or why Alex keeps listening to ground whilst traveling (but he always gets the last bag delivery ever). Lounge bouncers (not exactly, but lounge double dipping is a thing). Going against the jet stream when it reaches record speeds (and against an unbelievably bad customer representative at JFK). Wife or work wife, who gets lou...
135 RAK - Epic tropical lounge, composite burn, full row downgrade, going veg, MAXed out Boeing rant
February 01, 2024 16:21 - 2 hours - 118 MBQatar'd? No, that new Al Mourjan Lounge at Doha is stunning — one thing we can't say about that RAK one. Turkish'd? Not really, when a downgrade gets you full emergency exit rows — though that 333 seat made Paul act like an animal. Boeing has gone full MAX for its windows openings (ok, ok, poor one, but come on Boeing, do better!) — the new 350-1000 goes for a dimmable shade instead. The JAL 350 crash, a miracle for many (but not all), a testament to the crew, the industry, that aircraft, an...
134 HKG - All business class 321neo, biometrics AI airports, Qatar 2.0, boarding group 0, IFE gold standard
November 29, 2023 22:31 - 2 hours - 114 MBAlex tells us all about his return to Hong Kong, with Cathay setting a new gold standard in IFE over Emirates (Greg flew China Southern, and, errr, well). Paul flies the all business class 321neo from La Compagnie from Orly to Newark (road traffic was key to that story, but traffic there is none to board, how crazily fast is that, kudos La Compagnie!). Choose your BA seat on Jordanian (neat trick), but it might come with a free infant for you. After 27 years, Qatar Airways replaces Al Baker ...
133 ALA - Bundling the unbundling, Condor Brewdog, BER secret door, overhead bin booking, inaugural JetBlue, LH sneakers, with Alex Vukolova
October 22, 2023 18:00 - 1 hour - 104 MBSo small, cozy, cute, a very special airport, that was Tegel, not BER: can the finally (nearly) finished Berlin Brandenburg measure up to the "poor but sexy" German capital? At least the cleverly named lounges have an even cleverer backdoor (and, hey, it's not a poor bus station like Schoenfeld). Bundling the unbundling: a (great) rant by Alex (Hunter, but Vukolova chimes in, and Paul got confused having two Alex on the show). Do the Adidas Lufthansa sneakers give you extra status (you can...
132 BLQ - Finnair hippos, IST hugeness, fast track lounge, Super NES passport, Midfield Tom Cruise run
September 30, 2023 11:06 - 1 hour - 102 MBPaul tries multiple Italian airports, Alex finally visits the new Istanbul (and flies Turkish for the first time!). The passport blowing border official trick (it doesn't work better than the Super NES cartridge blowing). BA will soon introduce water bottles the size of mini bar vodkas (at least it seems so). The Magical Finnish hippos, another first in a long line of firsts by Finnair. The perma-scaffolding of a rather joyful Birmingham airport. Italian really do duty free differently (from...
131 NRT - The Amazing Zipair Race from London to California to Tokyo to Osaka and back
August 18, 2023 18:41 - 2 hours - 123 MBCombini, tamago sando, Skyliner, vending machines, ekiben, baseball Suica cards, yes we discuss Japan, where Alex was earlier this summer. And yes we talk (err, Alex talks) about air travel too, British Airways, Southwest, Hawaiian, ANA, and, drumroll, Zipair — not in that order, and with hops at London Heathrow, San Jose, San Francisco, Tokyo Narita, Osaka Itami, and some shinkansens (and lots of Pocari Sweat, Alex is a fan, Paul isn’t), on a few 787s, a 777 (should have been a 380, but …B...
130 MSP - Cheap travel and the hamster wheel of miles and status in the post-Covid devaluation times, with Kyle 'Hello Kitty' Potter
July 20, 2023 15:16 - 1 hour - 102 MBKyle Potter, Executive Editor at Thrifty Traveler, all-around awesome(ly smart) dude, Hello Kitty enthusiast (well, it's that EVA Air flight, you'll see!), and (very) long time Layovers listener and friend, tells us all about why MSP is the best thing ever, like everything in Minnesota — but also whether cheap travel is still possible in the current era of airfare inflation (yes!), whether passenger rights will ever be a thing in the US (maybe), whether boarding groups will ever be abandoned...
129 GVA - Attaché bromance, Air Force Ones, 777X windows, fly with film, Covid weight, Vomit Pro, Brian Shul
June 19, 2023 18:00 - 2 hours - 118 MBWe flew to Geneva to record an episode of Attaché (now on YouTube, link below), so how were our flights, and what did we think of the airport (the new C-Gates are excellent, the time at immigration not always). Does too much info add unnecessary travel stress? (Aka Flighty is Paul's IFE of choice in lounges). Is Covid wear and tear a thing? Some aircraft interiors look older than they should. Dublin airport can be frustrating, but it's pretty much forgiven when you can see one of the most fa...
128 AUH - Etihad 2.0, Midfield mirage, Swiss cheeseboard, 40000ft silent floating, Louis Vuitton lounging
June 02, 2023 18:13 - 2 hours - 112 MBDo you have a number? The saga of Alex trying to beat boarding time at Lisbon (you won't believe he, of all people, made that mistake). A completely charming SWISS cheese board on-board (and cows in the Zurich airport train). Etihad 2.0 are quietly great, a tasteful experience we appreciate (and flying over the Arabian Gulf is a sight to be seen), plus they're now about making money (err, shouldn't it have been the case since the start?). The "Etihad Lounge, The House of the Name of the Hous...
127 JFK T8 - Mint Studio wow, airfare inflation, BEY dual time, increased turbulences, why do you go to a lounge?
April 27, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 111 MBAlex gets lost at JFK T8, only to encounter crazy turbulences over the Atlantic (a future worsening trend). But how did he get there? Finally testing what Paul did in 2021, the Mint Studio — a hope for the future of long haul narrow bodies. Airfare prices are way up from 2019 (more than inflation!), is that temporary, or what prices will be, and should always have been (that's the opinion of AirAsia's founder), so, please, JetBlue, don't Norwegian it! When you call BA, you will get quoted di...
126 MAD - Mad dash at MADrid, skip the JAL banana, BA/LHR chagrin, Lufthansa seat Tetris, Emirates is Apple
March 09, 2023 00:00 - 2 hours - 113 MBHow is it we had never actually done MAD as an episode title? This ends today, however the mad MADrid dash from T4S to T4 never does. Alex has lots to say about BA and it's …not great (he's not alone to think like this). Paul calls it, the better London airport is definitively Gatwick (stop being a wannabe posh by preferring LHR). Lufthansa introduces a grand new First Class, and a super complex Tetris business class with 14+ options (Swiss introduces the same, but in bordeaux). Will Dolomit...
125 CDG T2 - The 747 is forever, a London NY bridge at JFK T8, Air France lounge joie de vivre, 777 guillotine, the airport game
February 18, 2023 13:49 - 2 hours - 121 MBThe airport you think is overrated, the airport you like, the airport you love, the airport you feel yourself in, the airport you need to visit — play the airport game with us (and feel free to tweet us your answers!). The new Air France lounge at CDG T2F is beautiful, as can be CDG …when it works (you'll probably need to taxi on a country drive to get there haha). The new lounges at JFK T8, the new of BA in New York, feel like a success (and clever naming!). The end of the 747 production...
124 LAX — In and out LAX, the rise of Turkish Airlines, frequent flyer free agents, airline consulting, LA celebrity handling, with Hakan aka LAFlyr
January 21, 2023 00:05 - 1 hour - 98.8 MBFriend of the show, and very long time listener (since episode 1!), Hakan Yılmaz, aka @LAFlyr on Twitter, grew up wanting to go early at the airport to see the planes, and collect avgeek paraphernalia, and never stopped being a kid, by still going early to the airport to see the planes, and a career that led him to American Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Atlas, etc., with millions of miles under his belt, and tons of stories to share — from the admirable rise of Turkish Airline...
123 BRR — Flying the Concorde, visiting all the Concordes, accessing the Concorde Room, a Concorde episode with GGL Ed Parsons
December 31, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 100 MBEd Parsons, the Google Maps guy, is our guest today. He's heard the Concorde prototype noise as a kid, flown on the Concorde before it got retired, explored all the Concordes in existence around the world since — a true fan — and we discuss it all, from the history to the conspiracy theories, to a certain nostalgia about a future that's now in the past. He is also a GGL, Gold Guest List, the (almost) top tier British Airways status, which gives him access to the exclusive Concorde Rooms (...
122 FLR — Joyful Norse, Doha Changi Gardens, in-flight 5G, A380 returns, Avios loot boxes, limitless UK liquids, nacho cheese lounge
December 15, 2022 14:34 - 2 hours - 117 MBAlex has a joyful experience to Oslo with Norse Atlantic Airways (he flies to Stockholm too, the Nordics know how to handle snow, whilst the UK clearly doesn't). Finland sees record traffic to meet Santa Claus, whilst Air Greenland celebrates a new 330neo. France says NO short haul flights, the EU says YES to mobile networks in flight, the UK says NO MORE to liquid security limits. Doha opens a massive new airport garden, says Singapore stole their idea. Can someone remember Florence Airport...
121 JED — Flying to Saudi Arabia to see AlUla, Jeddah airport aquarium, Emirates cost cutting, desert driving, Indy travel philosophy
November 22, 2022 20:47 - 1 hour - 103 MB"What are you going to Saudi Arabia for?" asked the puzzled flight attendant — Paul was flying to Jeddah, to then drive 8 hours, to reach one of the places of his dreams: the Nabataeans tombs of Al-'Ula. From sand to copper, the massive new Jeddah terminal is impressive, and big, and really big, and has the highest airport tower in the world, and they even built an …aquarium (!?) No champagne, broken seat and flimsy IFE — is Emirates still what it used to be? (Yes, and no). An X never mark...
121 JED — Flying to Saudi Arabia to see AlUla, Jeddah airport aquarium, Emirates cost cutting, Indy travel philosophy
November 22, 2022 20:47 - 1 hour - 103 MB"What are you going to Saudi Arabia for?" asked the puzzled flight attendant — Paul was flying to Jeddah, to then drive 8 hours, to reach one of the places of his dreams: the Nabataeans tombs of Al-'Ula. From sand to copper, the massive new Jeddah terminal is impressive, and big, and really big, and has the highest airport tower in the world, and they even built an …aquarium (!?) No champagne, broken seat and flimsy IFE — is Emirates still what it used to be? (Yes, and no). An X never mark...
120 YUL — World Cup flights, Avios stash, Alaska royalty, Nein to AirTags, Upper First Class, Trudeau Dorval or Mirabel
October 31, 2022 18:47 - 1 hour - 110 MBAlex needed to be in Quebec City, so he obviously flew to Montreal — that made him try Air Transat (is that a controversial airline, Canadian friends?). Our friend Greg sadly never got to fly WestJet however …and Paul still hasn't been to Canada. Qatar is getting ready for a massive amount of daily shuttle flights for the FIFA World Cup (1.5 million fans expected, they're a country of barely 3m!). IAG wants Avios to go beyond BA and QR, but would any other airline be really interested? No Ai...
119 KHI — Flying in and around Pakistan, Queen NOTAMs, Japan rush, United x Emirates, ticket inflation, Virgin plusgrade, Argo escape
September 28, 2022 18:11 - 2 hours - 117 MBKarachi, Lahore, Islamabad, three cities, three cultures, and three airports that correspond them well — Paul flies in and around Pakistan (flying out was not a given on one of those trips!). The retro liveries of PIA and QR. Japan opens up on October 11th, ticket prices skyrocket, also as the USD rises against pretty much every other currency, making flying more expensive to many. The NOTAMs for the Queen passing (LGW went full radio silent!). United and Emirates integrate, and Virgin final...
118 LAP — Victorville overfly, 2bn Emirates refresh, Star losing Lufthansa, taxiing EWR for 9hrs, Windsor Suites, smuggling McMuffins
August 25, 2022 15:18 - 1 hour - 110 MBNo, the other La Paz — the Southern/Baja California Alex Hunter 2022 Tour, with Megan as a VERY supporting avgeek act (aka Alex is the supporting act, Megan is the star, but you all knew that already). Emirates refreshes its fleet on a crazy tight clockwork upgrade schedule. Air France reveals its PORTE FRANCAISE* business seats (*French door). Lufthansa loses a star, and its general shine in a summer of strikes and chaos (those Philippines Airlines aircrafts won't be enough, guys). Don't tr...
117 VLC - Summer of discontent, Alitalia hit-and-run, AirTag anxiety, A380 comeback, so long Comair, Vuelinggedon
July 08, 2022 16:30 - 1 hour - 110 MBAlex lives and sweats the travel chaos, trying to get to Valencia with Vueling (what was he thinking?!) with an epic (FAIL) journey that ended up with Easyjet saving the day. Paul develops some Apple AirTag anxiety. The A380 is back with a vengeance, though Tim Clark wishes he had a two-engine 380, or a 350-2000, or anything BIG (meanwhile his ticket prices are soaring faster than aircrafts). COVID is kinda back too (it never left) but the travel world won't use that C-word to not jinx it al...
116 MDE - Brace for travel chaos, turbulence forecast, Medellin missed approach, 747-200m fine, air-bus routes, cascading wet leases
June 23, 2022 15:17 - 2 hours - 118 MBBrace brace brace, travel chaos ahead — from staff shortages, to strikes, to supply chain issues, to a global recession, it's going to be a messy year (and more) ahead. The mess will however make for an interesting wet-lease global puzzle (Mel Air for Air Nostrum as Iberia??), and the experience of using buses instead of airplanes (not sure how we think about that one). Tim Clark is becoming increasingly impatient with the ever-expanding delays at Boeing, and Al Baker wishes he didn't have t...
115 RTW - Mark Vanhoenacker: Imagine a City, a (787) Pilot Sees the World
May 12, 2022 06:00 - 2 hours - 179 MBA Round the World conversation with our friend Mark Vanhoenacker for the launch of his new book 'Imagine a City, A Pilot Sees the World', a sequel to 'Skyfaring'. We talk about our love for cities, the small ones of our birth, the big ones of our dreams, the ones visited once (even only at the airport), the ones we feel home at, the ones that shine bright, afar from an aircraft window or from a walk on their streets. We even geek out on public transport (including the Yamanote Line, whilst...
114 UVF — Losing Virgin(ity) from sunset to sunrise, SLU, Airbus Ecureuil, ever late 777X, who pilots Air France?
April 29, 2022 17:12 - 2 hours - 172 MBFrom sunset to sunrise: Virgin Atlantic to the Caribbean and back, Paul is finally no longer a Virgin virgin. Flying from SLU over St Lucia, its Pitons, in an Airbus Helicopter (well, Aerosptiale). The (mysterious) Cathay white liveries. The 777X is delayed for the 500th time. Who's flying the Air France 777? Also, Paul has an echo, Alex has trees being trimmed — just pretend those sound artefacts are aircraft engines :-)
113 MLE - Seaplanes, A380s and (not) remembering DXB. A220 flying through the biweekly BA IT mess.
April 06, 2022 14:14 - 2 hours - 116 MBEmirates, Emirates and more Emirates, in First, in Business, on 380s or 777s. To Male and seaplanes for Alex, to Dubai with a blank at deplaning for Paul. But also some SWISS (the savior), some BA (when it's not cancelled), the new longest route in the world (who's currently flying it??), the QR Airbus saga, Athens airport (Alex, not Paul, this time!) and more. And yes, Alitalia, because it was never going to be ITA, wasn't it? Thank you all for still listening to us, everyone, we REALLY do...
112 JFK T5 - JetBlue Mint Studio, SFO for 3 hours and back, powered 747 relic, non-reclining Finnair, Airpotle
February 17, 2022 17:54 - 1 hour - 108 MBWe're back, Alex having taken the time to hack a 747 seat belt sign, Paul having played too much Airportle. We talk about the non-reclining business class from Finnair (it's divise, but we think it might be a winner), the new Qatar Q suite which isn't a Q suite, and the big winner of this pandemic world: premium economy (non-operable seats notwithstanding haha). Whilst there's no love between Airbus and QR, there is love in our show: Paul with the JetBlue Mint Studio (but where's the butter...
111 LIH - Touring the US in the pandemic-ish era, the MAX is back, the recovery not yet
September 29, 2021 14:51 - 1 hour - 94.3 MBAlex tours the US, from Denver to San Francisco to Las Vegas to Oakland to Hawaii, and gets to experience his first 737MAX, and the Great Pacific (aka lyrically talking about ZOA KZAK Oakland Air Route Traffic Control Center). We discuss the state of travel in this weird era, not yet post-Covid, still pandemic-ish but not yet endemic, a weird middle where international flying is depressed, but with clearer skies ahead for some. We're back (again!), still in a live format, thanks everyone f...
110 SIN T4 - Vaccine tourism, supersonic Boom, Mi(g)nsk detour, Covid passports, plague terminal
June 09, 2021 15:55 - 2 hours - 114 MBAlex gets cancelled (not him, the flight!). Duty free to nowhere (and no good pricing anyway). No kidnap fee, a new product by Ryanair. Plague terminal at LHR. Amber, the color of confusion. Genomics quarantine. Digital health visas (aka Covid passports, what a silly name). The travel bubble that refuses to happen. BOOM, our supersonic hopes, the PR reality. The timing of corporate travel taking off. Chicken broth cocktail (try it!). Recorded live, no edits, with a pinch of static (but hey,...
109 DIVERSION - Storminess reroute, Steampunk Singapore, (AL)ITA(LIA), pandemic fleets
May 12, 2021 14:27 - 2 hours - 113 MBAlex outsmarts a diversion, using all the on-air WiFi. Paul talks Scrabble (he clearly spent too much time on the ground). Flights to nowhere and airplane food to your door are not for us, even if it's BA First. 2 Boeing 2 Airbus, Pandemic Drift. ITA, Italy's Troublesome Arrangement (we've come up with a better acronym in the episode). The Singapore Airlines 380 First STEAMPUNK experience, before all the 380s disappeared. Recorded live, no edits, aka "podcast vérité" (or whatever you call ...
108 WFH - We Meet Again
April 28, 2021 18:40 - 1 hour - 96.9 MBPaul and Alex meet again. They haven't seen each other in a year. Recorded live, no edits, no music, no notes. Mentioned in the show: Seat 1A podcast, episode 038, with Paul
107 - A Golden Era of travel ends, another will rise
April 02, 2020 18:08 - 1 hour - 108 MBFlight 107. We might have been in a Golden Age of travel, and didn't see it — it's now time to reflect, and think about the next one, a different one, with perhaps more friction, and certainly some pain in the process. From the economical hurt, the airlines at risk, to the new borders to travel (green zones versus red zones of infection?), from health as the new visa to less interaction (more automation?), all the travel futures we might see. For now, we're in this together. The World won't s...
106 OGG - The 2020 Virus Crash, the world is shutting down, keep healthy, cheer up, we will beat this (and, guys, that Kahului final will make you smile!)
March 13, 2020 20:45 - 1 hour - 90.1 MBFlight 106. The 2020 Virus Crash, the world is shutting down, no one is flying — this could become the biggest downturn ever in aviation history and perhaps the biggest global recession since World War II (we certainly do not hope so, we all need to beat this damn Covid-19!). Our thoughts are with all the people in the wider travel industry. Tons of airlines are now at risk around the globe, with bankruptcies and bailouts a certainty, following absolutely massive drops in demand, insane bord...
105 DCA - Covid19, 787 raffle, LHR Volunteers, business+, Ben's Chili Bowl, with Elizabeth, Dan & Ed
February 28, 2020 18:37 - 2 hours - 118 MBFlight 105. Everything you wanted to know (or not know) about the coronavirus (aka Covid19, Sars2, or World War Z) and its short-term effects on the world of air travel — from the hassles to the precaution to think about. Followed by the fan episode, with longtime listeners Elizabeth, Ed & Dan. Two out of three agree FRA is a disaster (not Elizabeth haha). The Heathrow volunteer program. The battle of the travel apps (and the bizarre TripIt strategy, and UX, as Dan knows very well!). Do you...
104 MSP - KC-10 flying gas station, cheese cubes and hummus, why Delta, alliances no more, A220+
February 08, 2020 20:01 - 1 hour - 105 MBFlight 104. The cheese cubes and hummus episode, with Doug Zschoche, aka OfficerWayFinder: everything you ever wanted to know about why flyers love Delta so much. What it is to fly the KC-10, the flying gas station, and to play with flight simulators (the serious ones!) around the US. Who owns the window? Airbus goes 787 dimming, and pulls a book (too many scandals?). A 737 MAX update, from revelations, crazy quotes to management reshuffle (what will come first: the re-certification or BE...
103 DEN - Fish, Chicken, Beef, Lasagna, the flavors of the airlines …and the lizards conspiracy
January 16, 2020 18:42 - 1 hour - 94.7 MBFlight 103. It's always fish, chicken, beef and lasagna, airplane food, airport food and more food: airline Christmas menus, First class samplings, FRA hunger games, fake meat, Air Yoshinoya. The healthiest US trays, the best global airline for your taste buds. The Bali pigs could lead to the next airline epidemic, its epicenter actually being US catering. From airline beers (yes) to jet lag powder drinks (nope). The lizards übermensch that took over the hidden bowels of Denver airport (and h...
102 DFW - United Jedi Force, 380 misjudgment, coffee pan pan, BA door review, mad MAD, BLLegoland
December 19, 2019 22:42 - 1 hour - 78.8 MBFlight 102. Paul reviews the BA Club Suite (no door was hurt in the making of this podcast). Alex and the secrets of meeting rockstars in flight (mark them down!). The A380 misunderstanding: it should live on (and don't listen to the French, they just strike anyway). United will decide your fate: dark side or light side of the Force (United also ghost Force'd Munoz). Food pan pan, coffee pan pan, but chocolate delight (edible cup though?). BLLegoland. Paul kneels down in front of Madrid e-gat...
101 HAN - Emirates plans, Vietnam meat, Miles & Less, Aeromexico noise, Norwegian LHR coup
December 07, 2019 17:25 - 1 hour - 94.3 MBFlight 101. Everything you wanted to know about Emirates future. Vietnam Airlines has pizza, 350s, 20 million fines and some undefined (but good) meat. The 777X wings are automated. Lufthansa mulls rebranding its program Miles & Less (meaning, the new program rules are stupid). Aeromexico noise, can it be damped by the PowerBeats Pro (or pretending to be on the phone to enter the DXB First Class lounges?). KUL was hacked (they say they haven't, but come on…) time to call BA's IT department :-...
100 LON - Thank you everyone for being such great listeners, happy 100 to you all!
November 03, 2019 19:48 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBFlight 100. To all of you, thank you so much for tuning in repeatedly, we couldn't have done any of this without your help, your feedback, your reviews, your comments, your corrections, your criticisms (and yes, Delta fans, we're again on your case in this episode haha), your photos and incredible stories you share back with us. Thank you whether you started listening last week or in 2015, whether you always listen, or just once in a while. Thank you as well for bearing with us between episod...
099 ARN - Facial boarding, Airways board game, epic Qatar, Emperor 747, AA flagship, Betsy beer 2.0
September 29, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 95.3 MBFlight 099. Airways, the board game & softball, an avgeek game. Food galore, from the AirMos burger manual to the LHR AA chorizo hot dog, to the not-really-parisian Admirals baguette. UA Polaris confusion and AA absent service (ok, more like hit-and-miss): Paul and Alex compare their US travels (there's also AeroMexico, JetBlue, and Paul flies the longest possible AA route with a pajama). From windows shades (down) to wearing shades at facial boarding (and we debate facial recognition at air...
098 DTW - Extraordinary HK, experiencing Delta, AA B&O, mad MAX, Gran Class, LAX Eagles Nest, e-NRT
September 12, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 107 MBFlight 098. Shinkansen Gran Class, Four Seasons Mexico and Popeye Chicken sandwich, are we still an aviation podcast? The Eagle's Nest at LAX. Aer Pluto Lingus. SFO goes stupid with plastic. The 777x decompressed explosively. The 737 MAX is still wingless. Alex gets BA at the top of their game for an almost-diverted flight. NRT gets e-gates and Tokyo will get aircrafts over it (point your finger at HND). Qatar insists on business buses. Norwegian could get WOWd. WOW is reborn by the way of ...
097 FAO - TWA love, underwater 747, Virgin Pride, Del(icious)ta, RIP Airbus father, AA MD80, BA cats
July 09, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 86 MBFlight 097. The TWA hotel is everything we wanted. Long haul narrowbodies, a new old debate. USB-A versus USB-C, a new new debate (we just want good power!). Delta goes all in for good economy food, the US goes all in for the Open Skies (fifth freedoms, please!!). The cool Virgin Pride flight. The not very cool alone-in-the-dark-forgotten-by-Air-Canada experience. The under water 747 (and a few others to dive into, pun intended). The Brussels airport Stella, the 747 Microsoft simulator cockp...
096 IST - Emirates rejig, airport Lambo, Skytrax porn, Sunrise 4th zone, BA bubbly, Embraer nickname
June 25, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 85.9 MBFlight 096. Emirates fleet rejigging, 787 trashing, and basic business. The airport Lambo is nicer than the new Air Force One. What's in a name, MAX or no MAX, and other Boeing decisions. IAG steals the Paris Air Show PR. The A321XLR is amongst us. After beers and whisky, BA goes sparkling. What does Embraer actually stands for (it's a fun one). Space Jet gets a mystery sale. Do you need a door in your seats? Qantas retires its 747, pushes the 380 to its end. The Sunrise 4th zone, after the ...
095 YYZ - Jewel WOW, EVA pizza, chipped E140, Airbus 50, Kulula, Finnair whisky, De Havilland, A220+
June 11, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 96.2 MBFlight 095. EVA bakes pizza. Finnair does whisky. Airbus goes 50. Uber goes NY copter. Alex flies to South Africa, misplaces stuff (angry breakfast and angry lounge shower follow). Paul flies the Q Suite to Singapore, marvels at the Jewel waterfall (rain vortex!). United goes green. AF/KLM goes V plane. Alex survives a chipped E190 with rocky suspensions to Toronto. Paul falls in love with Singapore Airlines (again!) but damages a bin. The future of Changi T5. The A220 becomes enhanced. De H...
094 TLV - RIP Niki, First beer, Boeing distrust, 747 record, SWISS 77W, JetBlue treason, fly Nando's
May 27, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 93.1 MBFlight 094. Niki Lauda the legend who pushed death aside. Beers and more beers: Betsy makes a come back, BA adds a secret First Class bottled beer, and more on the Speedbird 100 (toilet clog, anyone?). From Nando's to Taco Bell, zeitgeist food in travel (and debating whether there is one or two Michelin star airport restaurants worldwide). BA goes whisky, JetBlue opts for treason (I mean, Pepsi, really?). United goes Spiderman, Avianca and women liveries. Alex flies the SWISS 77W, in 7A (Pau...
093 INN - Speedbird beer, Superjet bounce, lavatory ratio, tricky airports, SQ farm, IFE privacy
May 14, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBFlight 093. Paul sounds like a robot (sorry, guys), Alex sounds authoritative (he's always right, no?). The BA Speedbird 100 beer (when need Glen to assess it!). Some on-board pop that foams too much (Alex is the worst passenger). On-board food: increasing portions, farm-to-plane, rooftop potatoes. After the on-board food: the toilet to passenger ratio revealed (but also how to cram gold in a lavatory). Don't get too much on-board food: getting weighted to board (do the 7 layers of clothing ...
092 KUH - United love, JAL Zipair, BA coronation chicken, shoddy Dreamliner, Star Wars 738, IFE 56F
April 27, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 93.4 MBFlight 092. Alex loves Innsbruck 3000. Paul loves running in CDG 3000. We adore the new TWA infinity edge pool 3000. We love the new United livery 3000. We love tiny airports that behave like big ones, 3000. We love the BA coronation chicken 3000, the best shot haul airplane food in Europe. We love Emirates and Qantas IFE data 3000, and luxury brands love Emirates 3000. We're fascinated by the post Jet Airways Indian market, 3000. We do not love United crew who resell ticket, Emirates First ...
091 DEL - Virgin half door, JetBlue Europe, BA First buttons, IST Big Bang, DME cheese, Grand STN
April 13, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 92.2 MBFlight 091. Warning, doesn't contain images of any aircraft in distress. BA pizza app delivery to Lagos (so many questions!). Risk of cheese smell upon landing at Moscow DME (does that make immigration go faster?). Virgin Atlantic unveils a half door (but it has nice colors). Paul flies BA First with round buttons (but fix that 789 IFE remote for Pete's sakes!!). Alex bids his Etihad way up (just to be jarred by the backward seating). JetBlue announces the worsts-kept secret in the industry:...
090 RIX - BA Club Suite, cockpit goals, bye WOW, Qantas cafe, bold StarLux, Sukhoi 380, 737 MAX bind
March 31, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 83.2 MBFlight 090. BA flies to the wrong destination (Ryanair mocks, but did worse) and introduces its shortest hop ever. WOW is gone, Jet Airways is close to be gone, but StarLux goes bold. AMS has a direct view on the luggage delivery system (WHAT?!). Astana is no more (just the name of the city, we recorded 079 just at the right time!). Cathay buys Hong Kong Express (did we call it?). ANA gets its first A380, and a very cute one. The Russia 860-seater double-decker escalator-filled plane that ne...
089 TSE - 737 MAX tragedy, A380 buyback, AirDrop WTF, skiplag fight, Air Astana joy, Southwest dress
March 16, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 85.8 MBFlight 089. The Ethiopian disaster, the 737 MAX grounding and aftermath. A dress, a baby and a stupid passenger enter aircrafts, who gets tasered? (Not the red badge!) Lufthansa fights skiplagging, on-boards doctors (amazing program!!), ditches four engines aircrafts (and Airbus is buying the 380 back!) The best wine and champagne in the sky (but where is Emirates?) Random AirDrop, the new in-flight game. United prepares a new globe (be careful, it's delicate!) and BA unveils its last vintag...
088 MEX - So long A380, identity error anxiety, AFKLM fights, ETAs everywhere, red wings, Aeromexico
March 07, 2019 00:00 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBFlight 088. The end of the A380. Color printing is key to enter MEX. The new world of electronic authorizations of travel. The delicate art and science of aircraft forecasting (and everybody gets it wrong). The real prices of aircrafts. Rolls-Royce is losing a ton of money. Toulouse, both a name and a city. Wings can't be red anymore. Alex flies to SFO, or at least tries to, gets humiliated on the way before experiencing a comedy of errors. Paul flies to SFO via the long route, navigating th...