Podcast #46 – Long-Distance Guilt; Overheard in Bars
Recorded in the TravelCommons studios after a 3-day Chicago-San Francisco-Boston triangulation, I left behind some torrential rains in Chicago, which flooded our basement, causing me a good bit of long-distance guilt as my wife was left cleaning up the mess solo. We continue the thread on solid toiletries — even with the recent relaxation of...
Podcast #45 – Waiting for Luggage, Enjoying Travel
Recorded in the Renaissance Madison Hotel in downtown Seattle, we have some good stories about missing luggage. I have some problems with Orbitz’s live customer service, as well as an over-zealous TSA screener. I recalculate my fly-vs.-drive threshold given the added hassles and airport time caused by the TSA’s no-liquids security rules. Looking back at...
Podcast #44 – Dump Bucket of the Vanities, Leaving Behind the PC
Recorded in the Courtyard in Northwest Houston, we look at the decisions forced on travelers by the TSA’s restrictions around carry-on liquids and gels. Is it a trade-off between safety and vanity? Are frequent travelers really that shallow? Also, I talk about how “luggage economics” made me trim my technology load when packing for my...
Podcast #43 – Here We Go Again, Old World vs. New
Recorded in the TravelCommons studios, I look back on my trip through SFO as I try to navigate the new TSA rules on the first full day of the new regime and gird myself for 4 trips through the gauntlet this week. A listener tops my Heathrow lines (queues?) story, and we compare and contrast...
Podcast #42 – Waiting For A Good Time, Paying Attention to Boarding
Back in the San Francisco Marriott after my Swedish vacation, we play an ode to SkyMall magazine, talk about the amazing number of lines in Heathrow airport that were between us and the start of our vacation, and how with all these new boarding schemes, airlines are paying attention to the wrong things. Here’s a...
Podcast #47 – Listener Travel Stories
Recorded in the TravelCommons studios after a quick Chicago-San Francisco up-&-back and a 4-day getaway to London with my mother and daughter. We talk about the adjustment from BA Club World to AA domestic coach, the increased security precautions in London, and my continuing travails with tooth powder. Then, we devote the rest of the...