Travel Tales from the #nerdbirds

This episode is best viewed on our website! Go to https://nerdbirds.co/episode88 Although barely registering a thought among most travelers, many airlines spend a great deal of detail into the very vessels in which food, drink, and other comforts are provided onboard. #nerdbirds David, Kai, and Rachel debut the first video podcast with a show-and-tell of individual collections and experiences, hig...

Talk about sustainability is all the rage, but will pent-up travel demand push sustainability to the wayside when the pandemic ends? #nerdbirds Kai & Rachel chat about the issue facing sustainability right now – who really cares? They also chat about a surprising find that connects our motivations for travel to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - safety, relationships, prestige, or even self-actualizati...

In the last of three introductory parts, #nerdbirds Rachel & Kai revisit, discuss, and introduce the Destination Series episode surrounding Nordic culture, a follow-up to an episode recommending things to do and places to see across the Nordic countries. In the flashback, #nerdbirds Jeremy, Rachel & Kai all discuss Nordic culture, their values and norms, and how to understand and respect a culture...

In the second of a third-part recap of upcoming podcast themes, #nerdbirds Kai and Rachel revisit one of the first Design Series episodes that looked at what makes an airport an enjoyable experiences. This episode featured David, Jeremy, and Rachel exploring design features at Everett Paine Field (Washington), Zurich (Switzerland), Singapore, and Portland (Oregon) -- and considered how the hotel/h...

We're finishing this flashback series with a look at our three themes going forward: Sustainable & Regenerative Travel, Design, and Destinations from a Traveler Perspective. In this May 2020 episode, we start to explore the idea of sustainability: Before the pandemic, the global airline industry was facing a race to the bottom for employee wages and customer experience. #nerdbirds Rachel, Jeremy,...

Pilot Sarah joins the #nerdbirds crew starting with this July 2020 episode. She has been a flight instructor and startup, corporate, cargo, and commercial pilot. Through lightning rounds and submitted questions, learn about Sarah's favorite airports, where to sit on the plane when she's not flying one, and her offer to help Harrison Ford brush up on his flight skills :)

In this July 2020 flashback, #nerdbirds Charlie, Jeremy, and Rachel and listener Allen share tips on navigating cancelled, delayed,  and missed flights through a variety of stories from around the world.

In this flashback episode from June 2020, #nerdbirds Rachel, Jeremy & Brendan discuss two ways people vacation, either working in some work while on vacation or drawing a line in the sand and completely disconnecting.  They talk about how COVID-19 blurred the lines between work and play, and what vacations might be like post-pandemic.

#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai reminisce on airline celebrations as they introduce the flashback to episode 8 which recorded all the way back in April 2020 with #nerdbirds Rachel, Jeremy & Eric. Airline celebrations take many forms, including route inaugurals, captain's final flights or, as in the case of Virgin America flight VX1948, the final flight for an airline before they cease to exist. Listen in...

With so many episodes and new viewers, we're bringing back classic moments during the holiday break. How Airports Work (#10) featured #nerdbirds sharing their experiences and surprises from working and volunteering at airports. Co-hosts Kai and Rachel introduce the episode with an update of airport life since the episode first aired.

Last-minute flight cancellations, hazmat suits, and a turkey dry rub tribute to a COVID victim: #nerdbird Sebastian and Pilot Sarah answer questions on 2020 travel dreams, the subsequent reality of the year, and their hopes for 2021 -- including designing RVs to resemble First Class airplane cabins and turning a gigantic Airbus A380 into a museum/home.

It was supposed to be simple this holiday season: preview and rerun classic episodes, starting with an April 2020 debate of hotels, hostels, and homestays (Airbnb, Couchsurfing). But then #nerdbirds Kai and Rachel started to wonder what's happened in these industries since the pandemic started, and poof! A new episode emerges instead, with news updates and even some travel coping tips for introver...

In years past, late December would find frequent travelers making those final desperate flights and hotel stays to keep elite status. Whether flying to Boston for lunch or Atlanta for dinner, dragging a spouse from New York to New Zealand, or walking less than a mile for a hotel staycation, #nerdbirds Charlie and Rachel share their adventures, observations, and thoughts on airline, hotel, and car...

In the final episode of season three, #nerdbirds Jeremy and Kai discuss United's ambitious commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050, a game-changing solar-powered automobile coming out in 2021, and the troubling end of duty-free shopping in the UK. In part two, they provide even more virtual travel opportunities, just in time for the holidays.

Rachel asks her friends to come up with questions for a gate agent -- which conveniently, #nerdbird Kai was for two different airlines -- and found there were exactly 20, ranging from the universal "how do I get an upgrade" to the best and worst types of travelers. Listen in as they discuss all the strange, wacky, and fun moments of getting people, baggage, and cargo on board for an on-time depart...

In this week's travel news roundup, #nerdbirds Jeremy and Kai discuss special send-off celebrations for the beloved Boeing 747, the end of the "emotional support animal" loophole, and British uncertainty about post-Brexit travel to and within the European Union. In part two, they dive into the DHL/NYU Stern "Global Connectedness Index" and talk about how a decline in travel doesn't necessarily mea...

The Palm Springs region has become an even hotter destination in recent years, with mid-century modern vibes, music festivals, and the one-of-a-kind Joshua Tree National Park. #nerdbirds David and Rachel share stories of arriving in the Coachella Valley by road and air -- including encounters with dinosaurs, wildflowers, and windmills -- along with quirky places discovered on their various trips....

In this slower news week, #nerdbirds Kai and Jeremy discuss Delta's Thanksgiving performance meltdown, train connections to Walt Disney World in Florida, and Emirates' enticing "Dubai Connect" program which will pay for your stopover in the City of Gold. Afterwards, they take a dive into the realities of work-from-anywhere and "half-tourism," but does it live up to the hype?

From military styles to porange dresses and everything in between, #nerdbirds Brendan and Rachel review the amazing Fashion in Flight catalog [https://issuu.com/sfomuseum/docs/fashion_in_flight_sfo_museum/4], which was an exhibit at the San Francisco airport in 2016. Follow along with the digital edition as they discuss the evolution of a flight attendant's uniform from the 1930s to the 2010s, inc...

#nerdbirds Kai and Jeremy discuss the pending merger between Korean Air and Asiana, the return of the Boeing 737 MAX, and the futuristic hyperloop transportation concept. In part two, they take a deep dive into study abroad: past, (virtual) present, and (hybrid) future.

I'll take some penguins with my holiday packages for $100, Alex! #nerdbird Rachel chats with Pilot Sarah about the strange and wonderful things that fly in the belly of a plane — or, in the case of cargo planes, the entire plane — and arrive at the cargo areas of an airport. Sarah also answers questions about crew sleeping on long flights, where your luggage and pets go on a plane, and the differe...

In this week's news roundup, #nerdbirds Kai and Jeremy dive into virtual tourism. From Christmas markets to the arts to destination-specific experiences, there's a virtual tourist attraction for everyone! Afterwards, they'll take a look at how travelers are taking longer trips than ever before, and how accommodations are trying to support long-term workcations.

What is FOMO (fear of missing out) and JOMO (joy of missing out) like eight months after the pandemic grounded most of the planet? Rachel chats with #nerdbirds Charlie and Kai about hustle culture, going deeper with familiar places, and the European reality check on (past) American travel habits.

In this week's travel news roundup, #nerdbirds Jeremy and Kai discuss travel-related election results, the chance to get married on a plane, and an unprecedented alliance between Cathay Pacific's pilot and flight attendant unions. Later, they dive into hospitality initiatives, including mid-week hotel closures in Las Vegas and brand-driven lifestyle hotels sprouting up all over the country.

In this unconventional look at travel photography, Rachel chats with Robin Davis from the Cortona Center of Photography [https://cortonacenter.com/]: "When you take a photograph, you have to be fully in the moment, and that's travel" -- which is also a mindset that can be created at home. She answers questions about getting meaningful shots, what gear you really need in the smartphone era, and mak...