From springbok biltong and A380 landings to navigating the world solo as a woman, this episode packs in travel chaos, comedy, and a whole lot of smart advice.

🧳 This Week on Landings and Layovers

We're back with a packed episode featuring travel misadventures, smart gear upgrades, some very real talk about traveling as a woman, and a jaw-dropping fare from Vancouver to Aruba that's making us rethink our summer plans.

Here's what's inside:

• 🛫 Marty's VIP behind-the-scenes tour of United Airlines' Denver ramp (yes, there's an A380 involved)

• ✈️ What really happens when your budget flight turns out way better than expected

• 🧍‍♀️ Tracy joins us to talk solo female travel, hostel hacks, and why Vietnam tops her list

• 🧳 The truth about backpacks, broken roller wheels, and what travel gear is actually worth your money

• 🔄 Why you might want to stop planning every second of your trip

💸 Fare of the Week (Sponsored by Notiflyr.com)

Vancouver → Aruba | Summer 2026 | ~$500 USD roundtrip ☀️ Book a tropical escape from the Pacific Northwest to the Caribbean with this long-range fare. ✔️ 10-hour journey ✔️ Operated by United (with Air Canada likely to follow) ✔️ Perfect for beating the summer fog or Canadian winter in advance

📌 Tip: Watch for this to go live on both airlines as schedules expand!

🎙️ Guest Spotlight: Tracy

Tracy's been everywhere — from high school in Singapore to backpacking Southeast Asia to living in China. She joined us to talk:

• What it's really like traveling solo as a woman

• How safety strategies change based on country, community, and culture

• Why having your own private room at a hostel can be worth every cent

• How not to get stuck zipping and unzipping your top-loading backpack 12 times a day

• Why you should leave room in your itinerary to get lost (literally)

"Travel doesn't last forever—stop trying to micromanage it like it does." – Tracy

✨ Packing Picks

Here's what we learned (the hard way) about packing gear:

• 💼 Backpacks with full zippers > top-loaders

• 🛞 Cheap $15 suitcases may last one trip (but you better be going home)

• 🔒 A door lock or travel latch for solo travelers adds real peace of mind

• 🎒 You don't need to prove anything. Wheels are your friend.

Want the links? Find everything in our Packing Picks roundup [Add affiliate or blog link]

💬 Travel Talk: AirTags, Gate Check Chaos, and Roller Bags

Matt and Marty get into:

• Why AirTags are essential gear, even for diaper bags and strollers

• What happens when your six bags and toddler don't fit in one car

• The hidden dangers of gate-checking your gear with expensive tech inside

• Marty's photobomb in a Vietnamese airline commercial (you have to hear it to believe it)

✈️ Final Boarding Call: Travel Like a Human, Not a Spreadsheet

Whether it's a free checked bag promo on Frontier, a canceled flight, or a last-minute mac and cheese in Tennessee, every journey is different. As Tracy puts it, "Don't panic when you get lost. That's half the fun."

🧭 Get More from Landings & Layovers

• 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @landingslayovers

• 💌 Join the crew at brieflydistracted.com/landingsandlayovers

• 🌍 Share the pod, write a review, and help more travelers discover smarter ways to wander.

📌 Tags

#SoloTravel #WomenWhoTravel #BudgetTravelTips #VietnamTravel #AirlineDeals #LandingsAndLayovers #TravelHacks #HostelSafety #PackingTips #NotiflyrFare