Episodes
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Two tales of adventurous (and at time turbulent) travels: Paul embarks on a long train ride to Ukraine, while Alex soars above the Himalayas.
One ventures into the heart of a conflict-stricken Kyiv, the other navigates the heights of Annapurna aboard a Ukrainian-built plane.
A blend of sobering exhilaration and uplifting challenges that come when traveling in unique and sometimes demanding circumstances — we were both taught lessons in resilience and perspective.
This could very well be our favorite episode ever.
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Alex tells us all about flying to Okinawa's Naha airport (via Tokyo), Hawaii (717s being flown like NYC cab drivers), the Philippines (that loop to Clarke airport), and more. We have one more Concorde to visit (next, a Millenium Falcon), we dream of Japanese airlines on-board experience (that "Italian" food, though?), we calculate the length of DXB concourses (it can be a long walk), we ponder the future of Manila airports (they'll end up with no less than THREE massive international airports), we wonder if selling guitars in an airport yields any results (Cebu has seen a lot of improvement though), we discuss legroom (bulkhead FTW), and admire Emirates' consistency (the new business class is the old business class?).
Here's Ed Parsons photo store, check it out: https://store.edparsons.com
More travels to come, more episodes to come (if Paul makes it back), but we won't promise when (SORRY!)
Happy travels!
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Episodes manquant?
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What's next for the aviation industry?
The post-pandemic rejigging of air travel with less business travel, and more leisure travelers in the front (who want, like most of you, to experience the full array of premium travel), more often off-season.
Will fares keep increasing (it's the economy, stupid!), the unstoppable rise of ancillary revenues (gotta keep those nice margins), and were airlines underpricing their miles up to the pandemic (Emirates believes so)?
Where is the next aircraft, it seems neither Boeing nor Airbus has anything on the drawing board (the great Embraer might not dent the market, Comac on the other hand?), and Airbus softening's stance on the future of the 380 (the Emirates pressure could be working).
What about single pilot aircrafts (touchy subject!).
Greener tech for greener aircraft, and the question of incentives versus punishment (do you know where the term carbon footprint come from?) — and more from the great Hakan Yilmaz (Paul, meanwhile, just spends his time quoting Tim Clark).Everything you wanted to know about the intricacies of flight planning (choose your wind provider right!).
Did you know what purpose does the seemingly abandoned T1 LHR serve? (the guys at the new IST could really teach a thing or two to Heathrow…).
BA Fly no more (well, you'll see), and European Single Sky not yet (or ever?!).
Flying down under to Brisbane and Auckland, and an Air New Zealand who punches above its weight.
And we should really do an episode about the best business seats for tall people (the "old" Turkish one is fabulous for that, we both agree).
Oh, and what's your favorite aerobatic display team? (A loaded question, Paul goes for the lunatics).Follow Hakan on X/Twitter: @LAFlyr
Follow Paul on X/Twitter: @papadimitriou, Instagram: @papadimitriou
Follow Layovers on X/Twitter: @lay_overs, Instagram: @lay_overs
Layovers will return ;-)
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Ever wondered about the life of a flight attendant (and ground crew)? This is the episode for you. Paul welcomes his good friend Vinod for an episode full of fun aviation and travel stories — a long episode, with the laughs taking quite some of that length.
From Edmonton to Vancouver, via Calgary (and its keys!), the many airports he worked at (Paul still hasn't been to Canada), Martinair, British Airways, Air Berlin, or WestJet, amongst the many airlines he worked for (and in a world of crew camaraderie around the world, BA really seems like a big family).
Is there something about the uniform that transcends trends? And Vinod's secret to treat cabin crew well (Paul is inspired).
The experience of turbulences in the air (and yes, we discuss that fateful Singapore Airlines flight), but also the video game of driving a jet bridge.
Can you get Covid from an aircraft wing: flying during the pandemic to (and working at) Tokyo 2020 (NRT, a game of chairs) and Beijing 2022 (PEK, calcifying under sanitizing spray).
Does each airline have a specific smell, or is that a neurotic avgeek thing? (dried fish seems like a bad omen though).
Vinod attempts to convince Paul that Frankfurt and Heathrow are great airports, and he nearly succeeds (his definition of LHR is just the best, and Paul softens on FRA), and we (kinda) agree on Singapore's carpet.
And many more stories (Vinod's most memorable flights are quite something).
Listen to Vinod Viswalingam's podcast (hosted along with the great Geoff Dahl), Seat 1A:
Seat1A on Apple Podcasts
Seat1A on Spotify
Seat1A (website with more links)
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It's Alex and Paul, and it's another Alex (you've met her in 133!). She tells us all about BeOnd, the new all business class airlines that flies ex-EasyJet (!) 319s (!) to get you to the Maldives (did she enjoy the plane more than the beach?!). Humane versus non-humane low cost carriers: a new definition for IATA? The MAX flying challenge, or how to overcome the unhealthy relationship with a plane. Airport design and signage, another potential unhealthy relationship (it shouldn't be that hard!). Backpack travel, the way to avoid being made to check your carry-on. Make airport buses great again: do not put stickers on windows, do not darken the windows too much (WE WANT TO SEE THE APRON VIEWS!). Wifi naming: has anyone who implemented them actually flown an aircraft? Etihad 3.0, a new growth chapter (there will be doors in the forthcoming EY business class, but Paul does not think doors are very necessary). The new AUH is gorgeous, and a success: was its design process so long thought that it led to some quirks though? (whilst the path to the Etihad lounge is awkward, the delicious design of the gates is a win!). Lavatories breaks with the airline wireless headphones (and PLEASE add green noise—rain and thunder—as a feature on IFEs!!!).
Follow Alex on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/alexandravukolova
Listen to her podcast, Sky Lounge: Apple Podcasts, Spotify
And since Paul mentions it, here's the very good Air Show podcast (weekly and short, the opposite of this pod haha): Apple Podcasts, Spotify
See you in 2-3 weeks for another episode (hint: closer to where Paul has never been)
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Paul is joined by Paolo, one his best friends, to compare notes on a big tour of Cambodia and Vietnam (Paul flew to Cambodia, Paolo flew to Vietnam and Cambodia) with many airports, and airlines along the way (not sure about the water on-board a Cambodia Angkor Air). Paul had his worst fly ever (it was no fault of Etihad, just his own!!) and circles the 380 lounge table forever like an animal, whilst Paolo has the most epic security check experience at Sihanouk International Airport (he's a giant, after all). Cambodia is building huge airports, the future Phnom Penh (still in construction), and the just-opened massive Siem Reap International which we both were pretty staggered with. Are turbulences getting worse, and should the pilot give more explanation when we hit them (Paolo compares them as being rock cradled to sleep in business class!). Does landing at SGN remind you a little of Kai Tak ("dodging the washing lines across the apartments"). Paul and Paolo disagree on BKK, but, yeah, a bit of window cleaning would be good (but the Thai government agrees with Paul, it needs a refurb!). Do you really want to board a Wamos Air?
- Cambodia Tuk Tuk driver in Siem Reap, Angkor Wat: Mr Kat, tuktukcambodia.com -
Is 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 lounge access? Plant-based food choices are increasing in quality, Emirates saw the trend early (and why some flight attendants have had enough of special meals). BA is investing billions, but could they spare some to fix their Manage My Bookings on the app? No more miles or status for non-direct bookings, a new trend?
Happy flying to you all!
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Qatar'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, and Airbus.
Alex and Paul agree, the best eye masks stays the Emirates F one (the previous version!).
Go around grinning? YES.And Happy New Year to all (this was recorded on Jan 31, just in time!)
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Alex 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 (would some call him the Jeremy Clarkson of the airline industry?). Can reward/award finders help you spend air miles faster than they devaluate? The biometric airport experience is upon us, and AI is rising (but robots do strike in London when they drive trains). Is British Airways' customer service seeing a renaissance after having listened to Layovers? (at least they're investing quite massively in it, hopefully in IT -capital letters- too). Will we see boarding group -2 arise (group 0 is here)? ExTime, beautiful third party lounges thanks to a je ne sais quoi (the French flair surely). The bucolic murals at that -4 walkway.
We did travel quite a lot, pardon the delay in getting this one out. We'll be back in December!
Happy flying, all.
—Paul is on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.
Alex is on Instagram, and Twitter.
Layovers is on Instagram, and Twitter.
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So 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 now buy them, unlike the staff limited editions that Paul bought off from an employee a few years ago, in order to pair them with the Family Mart socks he just got).
Condor offers you a branded beer (another Brewdog airline brew!), but also booking your …overhead bin?? (Alex tested it, and we look at everything that could go wrong).
JetBlue and the inaugural massive dog.
The admirable journey out of fear of flying.
Air Astana is amazing, Almaty airport not so much (the former gives you amenity kits, and slippers, in economy, for 3 hours!! The latter does not have free water in its lounge WTF).
Thanks a million to Alex Vukolova for having joined us (and for having waited FOREVER to be on our podcast).You should follow Alex on LinkedIn (she posts great avgeek stuff!): http://linkedin.com/in/alexandravukolova
On Instagram (Paul messed up her username all this time!!): https://www.instagram.com/avixalex/
Give a listen to her aviation podcast, Sky Lounge: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/sky-lounge-podcast/id1678045129
And here's the Ladies Beyond Flying group she mentioned: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12451302
(See, there are links in our show notes for once).
Apologies for the audio quality, we had to work around a ton of glitches, and preferred recording than postponing.See you in the next one! Happy flying!
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Paul 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 currency to cars). Alex visits what is easily the biggest third party lounge he's ever seen in his life. Tom Cruise runs over the new Midfield Terminal at Abu Dhabi (and of course, WE ARE TOP GUN MAVERICK). When the fast track is in the lounge. Creatively naming the airline Wifi (send us your favorites). Imperial Airways lives on (on the IFE). Luton LOL. Do airlines realize people usually need to have a bag when they fly? Are Ryanair pilots of drinking age? Don’t ask Apple Maps for Bologna Airport.
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Combini, 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 …BA), a 737, a MAX (and Alex has thoughts on that one), and a 717 (a great beat up commuter bus!).A new acronym for BA, Belated Airways (are they ever on time these days?). JAL used to advertise: we don’t economize in economy, so what about their long haul low cost ZipAir, the “new basic airline”, do they economize? And would you ditch your luggage completely, and rent your clothes at destination, for the duration of your trip? Jerks being jerks, but, really, do you need to complain for hours to no end (aka, the rise of disruptive passengers, Alex had one, could have been two). ANA domestic is like flying United in the 90s, golf highlights included, only announcing turbulences are coming in exactly 30 seconds. Would you rather be clocking in and out of lounges, max duration 30 minutes, or looking at nothing but the Pacific for 10 hours? The beer robot at lounges, the perfect good bye to Japan (or is it the soothing sound of Live ATC?). The two dings, the ominous two dings, they will make robots of people.
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Kyle 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 (forget it). We debate the wilderness where having no status means real freedom (that status, the warm blanket you're sure you need, right?), the crazy valuations of US loyalty programs (and airlines wanted to spin them off? HOW WOULD THEY MAKE MONEY lol, it's as if they're banks that happen to own planes), the devaluation of those programs (non-travel Covid has something to do with it), the importance of alliances and joint ventures in the current air travel era. And yes, for once, we touch upon the world of air miles programs a bit more, and its nearly MLM-esque ecosystem in the USA. As Kyle is a Delta fan (and captive!), we ask him: Why are they so good (that padding!), and how is that new Delta One seat (hint: we're all aligning in saying doors aren't really something we value).
Oh, and ORD doesn't get a lot of love, LOL.Nearly two hours of great fun, whilst learning quite a bit (Alex and Paul learnt a lot).
You can follow Kyle on Twitter (please do):
https://twitter.com/kpottermnHis writings are on:
https://thriftytraveler.comOf note, he wrote about the EVA Air Hello Kitty flight he took here:
https://thriftytraveler.com/reviews/flights/15-hours-eva-air-hello-kitty/and a great guide on how to find cheap travel via Google Flights:
https://thriftytraveler.com/guides/google-flights/Layovers will return in August (when Alex does).
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We 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 famous airplanes in the world next to you. The 380 is an absolute winner in those times of constraints, the 777X could be too (come on, when???), but its new window dimming is what we'll have to settle for now. The new security machines are awesome, unless you shoot film (yes, you know, rolls of film in cameras, the youth won't know what we're talking about), and a photographer friend has some update on that front. Some LCY & Cityflyer love, but "that stupid goddamn piece of crap building that I'm sure is really important to the operation of the airport blocks the view" (HAHAHAHAHA). We both sing in unisson: BA is improving. Undercover flight attendant CEO, whilst Starlux's saves the day (but might get a fine). Did passengers gain weight during Covid? We have the answer (for Europe at least). Apple Vision Pro, the new IFE (Vomit Pro or not?). Remembering Brian Shul.
Lots more stories, from Japan to terminal pubs (morning beer anyone?).
And whilst we always forget to link stuff in those show notes, for sure go watch Attaché with Alex and Paul:
https://youtu.be/0z4pNTXEN3U
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Do 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 House of the Lounge of Etihad and Other Airlines that are associated with us, but not really, and we are a good lounge, Lounge" is no more, but Alex isn't sure where he was anyway. A prescient Careem driver takes Alex to the Midfield Terminal, a mirage in a Star Wars movie (will it finally open this December??), but for the moment, the 1970s airport stays your only choice (T3 was opened in 2009, but feels way older). Saudi Arabia is launching a second flag carrier, and another airline, and expansion of airports, and like wow. Floating at 40'000 feet in silence (but with Flightradar). A new A380 UK-based carrier, are they for real? A lounge within a lounge, but it's Louis Vuitton. Super Mario Bros Warp Zones in Madrid.
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Alex 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 different fees and taxes every time, just keep calling (but who calls in 2023??). Also, DO YOU KNOW WHAT AIRLINE YOU WORK FOR?
Our proposal: play musical chairs in lounges and every five minutes, you have to get up and give somebody else your seat (just keep the ceiling intact, unlike in Paul's sound studio).
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How 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 Dolomiti be folded into ITA (the ever growing Lufthansa Group realm of the European skies). Emirates is the Apple of airlines, you might not love them but they offer incredible consistency at massive scale, truly admirable (DXB could do with a bit of a refresh though). You know what, you can fly the 747-400 to Palma (BE QUICK, BEFORE THE 744 ERA ENDS).
We mentioned (and promised to link) those two:
The worst airport in the world (by Jo Ellison, in the FT, paywall possible, I'M SORRY, JO, FOR MISNAMING YOUR LAST NAME!!!!), andThe DISGRACEFUL State of British Airways (by Nonstop Dan, on YouTube).See you again for 127, and, in the meanwhile, please give us any feedback on Twitter or Instagram (and Apple Podcasts if you're inclined to give us a nice review).
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The 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 line triggers memories for the both of us (a crazy typhoon for Alex, a cramped Combi for Paul, a sense of place for both).
A renewed joie de vivre by flying Air France (is Transavia the legitimate child of KLM though?).
Flying the OG Norwegian, riding the good old Acela, and a French guillotine in the 777. -
Friend 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 Airlines (fascinating SAS story on the invention of the hub and spoke model), to the celebrity stories at Virgin (do you carry money when traveling but nothing else? Or lots of LV luggage instead? Reach out to us!), from over-complicating airline operations (which airline is it, do you reckon?) to the uncomplicated life as loyalty programs free agents (the three of us are becoming so, though it's a mental fight to let go), we geek out and rant and laugh, we get the in and outs of LAX (that's Hakan's pun), and thank you all for still listening to us in 2023.
Follow Hakan on Twitter: @LAFlyr
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Ed 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 (yes, there's more than one), and we learn about more the extra perks, whilst we discuss the not-exactly-great state of current BA, and Heathrow.
Ed tells us about the many Air Shows he's toured (and photographed!), and of the amazing BRR beach airport (Otter it is, but no Maldives temperatures). Thank you SO MUCH, Ed!
You can find Ed on:
https://www.edparsons.com
https://twitter.com/edparsonsAnd check his photographs on:
https://photos.edparsons.com
https://www.instagram.com/edparsons/Thank you all for your graciousness in 2022, we love having you as listeners.
Happy New Year, and see you in 2023!! - Montre plus
