In the final episode of the season, we talk to Immanuel Debeer from the website Flight Hacks to talk about what the Covid-19 pandemic has meant for the airline industry, and the future of frequent flyer programs.

You may also be surprised to learn that it remains possible to find great first class error fares, even at this time. But it certainly comes with a bit of a risk as we sit unsure of when the skies will open again…

In the fifth episode of the second season of Jetlag The Podcast, our ongoing series looking at how travel has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we sit down with Lisa Catron from Memphis Travel.

The International & Domestic Sales Manager provides a surprisingly positive outlook on the state of tourism for her city, even as international travel comes to a halt and they (temporarily) shift towards a domestic focus.

Catron reveals that only two hotels in her city actually closed down during the pandemic, with many figuring out new ways to operate to stay open during the shutdown, and that international bookings continue to come in for 2021. As for the rest of the year, they’re definitely looking at what role they play in the domestic market.

She also talks about what makes Memphis such a unique city, reminds us all about the incredible food the city has to offer, and explains why she’s feeling so positive about the future of tourism in her city.

It’s worth noting this interview was taped before numbers in the USA started to hit new peaks, however as we’re sure you can tell from the interview, we can’t imagine that this has dampened her enthusiasm for the city nor her outlook for the future. 

It may be a while before we in Australia can head over to Memphis, but when we can, it’ll be a city that is ready to welcome us with open arms. See more about the city at memphistravel.com.

Lizzy Plapinger of MS MR, who now performs as LPX – and is the co-founder of Neon Gold Records – is the guest on the fourth episode of Jetlag’s second season, “An Industry Grounded”.

Lizzy talks about what it’s been like releasing new music, including her latest single “Delayed Gratification”, and having to postpone tours with Carly Rae Jepsen, during the Coronavirus pandemic and quarantine.

We also talk about living in New York and attending the Black Lives Matters protests, and we find out if she’s any closer to getting a tour with Cage The Elephant.

LPX’s latest single “Delayed Gratification” is out now. Check it out on her official website: https://www.iamlpx.com/.

Photo by Remy Lagrange

On this week’s episode of Jetlag, we talk to radio presenter Nic Shields who has just returned to Australia after a stint living in the U.A.E.

He takes us through the experience of passing through the airport in Dubai, what the flight was like, what it was like landing in Australia and what happened when they shuttled everyone away to strictly enforced quarantine in a local hotel.

We meet Nic on day 11 of his quarantine in Melbourne, just moments after he received his second Covid-19 test.

We ask all the questions that will be on the mind of anyone who might have to go through this scenario: Do you get to leave the hotel? Do you have any windows? Can you order and accept deliveries? What is the food they provide like? Do they cater to dietary requirements? How regular are the government in touch with you?

And perhaps the most important question of all: how are you coping with the isolation and what’s the first thing you’ll be doing when you get out of quarantine?

We’ll answer all your questions here in this special episode of Jetlag.

Photos provided by Nic Shields (via Twitter)

In the second episode of Jetlag’s second season, Andrew Smith and Larry Heath sit down with Kodi McKinney from Marauder, a boutique music marketing firm with a focus on developing emerging talent within North America.

While he was at home in New York, we talked about how the Covid-19 Pandemic is affecting live music venues – with McKinney revealing that up to 90% of U.S. locations are at risk of closing due to their inability to operate. In some cases – like with Boston’s iconic Great Scott, which has closed after 44 years in operations – it’s already too late.

We ask why this is the case, what can be done to help and what NIVA (the National Independent Venue Association) are doing amidst all of it.

The travel podcast Jetlag has returned for a second season, its first episodes in more than two years, to bring to light different stories from an industry at a standstill due to a global pandemic.

In this episode, co-hosts Andrew Smith and Larry Heath are joined by Liam Clifford, the CEO and Founder of Howl Around Entertainment Group – someone who normally spends his year on the road heading up the production work for international touring acts.

Based in LA, Liam has worked with acts like Post Malone, Charlie Puth, FKJ, Hailee Steinfeld, Elle King, Bishop Briggs, Sheppard & more.

Clifford talks about his busy 2019, travelling around the world, and how until early March, his 2020 was shaping up even bigger – and how the collapse of his industry caught him off guard.

“We were the first industry to go…. we thought that the touring industry was the one recession proof industry. We were always under the impression that we would never get shut down ever. That nothing could affect us. And then this happened.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that 9 billion dollars is likely to be wiped from the sector third year due to a lack of normal ticket sales. In Australia, $340 million was lost from the sector in the space of a little more than a month – and that was only counting the people who registered their losses at site called I Lost My Gig.

And that’s not from just musicians, but that includes production, crew, hospitality workers, tour managers, ticket sellers, booking agents & many more…

Looking ahead to a post-Covid economy, we ask what live music touring looks like moving forward. How long is it going to be until we can get back to seeing our favourite bands in live venues around the world? And what will a company like Howl Around do in the meantime?

For more about Howl Around Entertainment, visit their official website.

Both financial support and mental health resources for professionals in the music industry can be found in Australia through Support Act. In Canada, contact the Unison Benevolent Fund. In the UK, there’s Help Musicians for financial support and Music Minds Matter for 24/7 mental health support. In the US there are initiatives like MusiCares, Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, and HAAM – which is specifically for Austin based musicians.

If you have the resources to do so, please lend your support to these organisations. And if you need the help, they’re there for you.

Photo of Howl Around Entertainment’s production work with acclaimed artist Bishop Briggs, provided by Howl Around Entertainment. 

In the first Jetlag for 2018, Andrew Smith interviews Matthew Vandeputte, a motion timelapse and hyperlapse photographer, and Larry Heath looks back on the lifespan of the Boeing 747, which recently had its last flight with a US carrier. He looks at the significance of the aircraft, explains why it was dubbed the “Queen of the Skies”, why it’s no longer in the air and how it changed the face of travel forever. But it’s not for the reason you think.

Learn more about our guest at his official website.

In the fifth episode of Jetlag, Larry and Andrew meet Coleman Collins, who has written a book – The Road Warrior – about how business travelers can stay healthy and sane on the road. We talk about health and fitness while travelling, and we get deep about craft beer, answering the question of the month: who are the biggest producers of beer in the world?

Learn more about Collins’ book The Road Warrior at his official website.

Jetlag is back for September, and this month Larry Heath sits down in Canada with freelance travel journalist Jennifer Ennion. Joined from the US by co-host Andrew Smith, the three talk about life on the road as a travel journalist, and we ask our question of the month: Which passport gives you the most visa-free access around the world? The answer might surprise you!

Check out Jennifer’s website The Adventure Journal.

In the July episode of Jetlag, co-hosts Andrew Smith and Larry Heath meet Steve Hui, who talks about his business iFLYflat, which helps manage the frequent flyer points of its many customers. We find out how he came up with the idea, and we get his advice for expertly gaining and using frequent flyer points. And for our questions of the month, we ask “Which country in the world has the most (and the least) number of vacation days?”

To learn more about iFLYflat, head to their official website.