Welcome to episode 128 of The Journey Is the Reward!

On this episode, Brian and Micah discuss the trek to the Singapore Airshow 2026, but first, the guys have some listener feedback to clear from the runway. Listener Eric writes in about his luggage choices and why "Team Carry-On" sometimes hits maximum capacity for his lifestyle, while Listener Mark issues a "correction notice" to Brian regarding the Auto Train. We also hear from Listener Tanya, who gives us a nice climb in altitude with a compliment on our last episode featuring Carlos of Plane Talking UK.

As we reach cruising altitude, the guys dive into the industry radar. Listener Lu wants to know about the potential mergers of Sun Country and Allegiant, along with the rumored "hookup" between United and JetBlue. As usual, Brian and Micah have a different flight path than the rest of the pundits. Then, Micah shares a cautionary tale about his cousin who decided to ignore "Air Traffic Control" (Micah’s advice) for a long-haul flight to Thailand—proving that sometimes, ignoring the pre-flight briefing leads to a bumpy ride. In much happier news, Connie’s baby finally has a name! We are officially cleared to welcome Chepego as our newest (and youngest) listener.

For the main event, listen in as Brian and Micah discuss the potential turbulence of booking through Chase Travel and the pitfalls of third-party manifests. While United didn't disappoint on the long haul to Singapore, the flight was so empty that Brian discovered the "Poor Man’s First Class"—where a full row of coach seats might have actually been a better value than a premium pod. Regardless, Brian made a safe landing in Singapore just in time for the airshow.

As always, our ears are blessed by the soul-stirring sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir. Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded at the Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia, are the perfect way to bring this flight to a close.

You can always find the audio recording at www.thejourneyisthereward.org