Tag Archives: American Airlines

Podcast #129 — Airport Fight Club; The Bourdain Effect

Posted by mark on April 27, 2017 Comments Off

Difficult to do a travel podcast without talking about this month’s incidents on United and American Airlines. The videos that hit social media were damning, but as more of the facts came out, the stories around each incident became more complex. On a much lighter note, we also talk about the explosion of food tourism, […]

Podcast #129 Uncut — The Video Version

Posted by mark on April 27, 2017 1 comment

Pulled out the GoPro again for the recording of the latest episode. The GoPro is a bit too far from me for good audio, so I cut in the podcast audio from the Zoom recorder when it was available, hence the change in audio quality. I’ll post the final audio on Saturday. Did you like […]

Podcast #127 — Critiquing My Top 10 Travel Tips; Reviewing VPNs

Posted by mark on February 20, 2017 Comments Off

In this episode, I talk again about digital security on the road, especially the use of a VPN. I review three VPN products, including NordVPN which is giving away a year’s subscription to a TravelCommons listener. I dig into the process of generating the Top 10 Holiday Travel Tips listicle I do every couple of year, […]

Podcast #121 — TSA Lines, My Luggage is Where?

Posted by mark on May 30, 2016 Comments Off

After two vacations to Europe and some full-contact business travel in-between, I found my way back into the TravelCommons studios. I talk about these recent trips — the awful timeliness of an American Airlines‘ regional jet partner, an incredible string of lost luggage, a meaningless baggage strip tease with Wow Air, and being surprised to […]

Podcast #120 — Where Do Guidebooks Fit In? I Hate Shopping for Suitcases

Posted by mark on March 12, 2016 3 comments

Where do guidebooks fit in the world of apps, review websites, social media, and podcasts? Planning for a trip to Iceland got me thinking about how to make sense of the explosion of travel tips. And then, after giving my thoughts about my new Bluesmart “smart connected suitcase”, I talk about how idiosyncratic frequent travelers are about […]

Podcast #110 — Regional Jets Ruining My Life; Visa Hassles

Posted by mark on August 12, 2014 Comments Off

Even though the weather hasn’t been bad this summer, I’ve endured a rash of flight cancellations. Digging deeper, it’s been regional jets operated by small airline “partners” that’s causing me grief. Service to mid-sized cities has moved to regional jets, making travel to these cities more problematic. Traveling to China or India can catch US travelers […]

Podcast #106 — Summer Vacation in Amsterdam; Restaurant Trends

Posted by mark on September 6, 2013 3 comments

Back in front of the mic after summer vacation, I’ve continued the heavy travel schedule — New Orleans mostly with a week in Amsterdam for a family vacation. I talk about the exposure of staying in a houseboat on an Amsterdam canal and run through my personal “Best of” list. Flying out of the Gulf […]

Podcast #105 — Traveling in Spain; Return of the Hotel Lobby?

Posted by mark on May 30, 2013 Comments Off

Been traveling non-stop since the last episode. One destination was a family Spring Break vacation split between Madrid and Barcelona. I talk about our experiences with booking a vacation rental and how I’ve learned to give up complete spontaneity and enjoy a couple of guided tours. I also do a mea culpa for bitch-tweeting about […]

Podcast #101 — Future of Mileage Tracking Tools; Searching for Local Food and Craft Beer

Posted by mark on October 25, 2012 2 comments

Back in the TravelCommons studios after a couple months of summer break. We open up with thoughts about skipping rental cars, sharing listener comments on the Chicago Layover Excursion video, and the current state of American Airlines — great new airplanes, deteriorating on-time stats. Michael Komarnitsky, the founder and CEO of GoMiles, talks about why […]

Podcast #100 — Southern Road Trip; Breaking Up with American Airlines

Posted by mark on July 31, 2012 1 comment

Back in the TravelCommons studios after a 2,100-mile drive through the Mid-South. We genuflect quickly to the milestone episode number and then move onto the topics at hand — best piece of hardware schwag from Google I/O 2012, a slightly icky subway ride from downtown San Francisco to SFO, a grab bag of observations from […]