Welcome to episode 123 of The Journey Is the Reward!

We're back to our regularly scheduled programming—or, as we like to call it, our regularly scheduled flight plan—as we track Brian's recent trip to the frigid but fabulous state of Minnesota. His itinerary was packed: he attended an unforgettable concert by the legendary Sir Paul McCartney and spent time performing essential Uncle Duties with his niece in St. Paul.

But first, let's check the cargo hold for some listener mail!

·       Listener Sharon wrote in, asking us to rewind the tape and explain how we got into this crazy, sometimes turbulent podcasting business.

·       Chef Kathy sent in an audio file where she was in utter amazement that Brian, somehow, someway, has never heard of Dubai chocolate. (We'll address this serious gap in his culinary education.)

·       And Listener Lu is back with a pressing question about United’s new flights to Europe, specifically asking if we would personally dare to fly across the pond in a single-aisle 737.

For the main event, Micah asks Brian about his flights to Minneapolis, which, let's just say, involved a couple of unexpected "holding patterns" (a.k.a., delays) with stops in Denver. Tune in to hear all the issues and details from his bumpy journey, followed by his smooth landing into the unforgettable Sir Paul McCartney concert.

Finally, after the bright lights of the stadium, Uncle Brian happily put in some work on the ground, helping his niece with some necessary yard work at her new home purchase.

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 122 of The Journey Is the Reward!

Hold onto your tray tables, folks, because in this episode, we're not just flying—we're doing a full 180-degree turn on our usual format! We've deployed the flaps for a fresh introduction, and Brian takes the controls to interrogate (er, interview) Micah about his recent aerial journey from Portland, Maine, all the way to Philadelphia for a very important mission: attending his niece's wedding. 

But first, we're diving into the mailbag! 

Listener Murilo sent in an audio message wanting the full story behind why your host refuses to check a bag—is it a matter of principle or just an overly large carry-on? 

Then, Listener Peter details a mid-flight issue with his seating assignment, asking for our expert guidance on how we would have navigated the turbulence of that awkward situation. 

For the main event, we get all the from Micah’s trek on American Airlines, dissecting the journey from the tarmac to his landing at the Marriott Residence Inn.  We also cover his ground haul to the wedding venue, including a key fuel stop to catch a football game. Micah took a deliberate detour to a local kosher deli, and the food was so utterly divine, it completely ruined his dining experience at the swanky Chase Sapphire Lounge. 

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 121 of The Journey Is the Reward!

All good flights must come to an end, and sadly, the incredible 15-day Southern Africa adventure of a lifetime is concluding! 

Join Brian and crew as their journey wraps up and they depart Botswana.  

Fortunately, he remembers to pull out the microphone at the airport lounge to capture a fantastic conversation with the rest of the crew: Barb, Jim, Gerrit, and Malin. 

It's a bittersweet moment as the group parts ways, with Gerrit and Malin flying off to Windhoek, Namibia, while Barb, Jim, and Brian head to Johannesburg for the final leg of their "flight plan." 

This last push includes important city sightseeing in both Johannesburg and Pretoria, one last chance for thrilling game drive, and immersive museum visits. 

Of course, the trip wouldn't be complete without a crucial stop for souvenirs! The crew made sure they filled their suitcases with treasures and gifts discovered at the Artisan Market at the Rosebank Mall for everyone back home. 

It seems like only yesterday the trip started, but a very quick 15 days later, the adventure was over, sealed with the memory of the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! You'll hear their poignant Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, adding pure magic to this final African episode.

Welcome to episode 120 of The Journey Is the Reward!

Prepare for the continuing high-flying stories and adventures across Southern Africa.

The episode begins with Ground Control Howie taxiing the group to the Cape Town International (CPT) for the next leg of their journey, a flight to Victoria Falls. Immediately, they encountered turbulence with Brian's Priority Pass access, resulting in a temporary grounding. However, quick thinking from either Gerrit or Jim bypassed the holding pattern. They successfully executed a rescue mission, allowing Brian to join the crew in the lounge closer to the departure gate, ensuring smooth sailing into their next flight.

With ground operations complete, the crew boarded their scheduled service flight with ProFlight Zambia on a CRJ-500, as they headed toward the mighty mist of Victoria Falls. They landed safely at the Victoria Falls (VFA) aerodrome where they logged three days at the Avani hotel and enjoyed the spectacular Victoria Falls and surrounding areas.  The group also explored the town of Livingstone with a very pregnant Connie was acting as their friendly tour guide. 

During this layover, Malin, Gerrit and Brian also completed a cross-border transit—a quick international hop—gaining another Passport Stamp as they walked across the Victoria Falls Bridge to enter Zimbabwe. 

Following the successful layover, the crew transitioned smoothly into Botswana. Here they engaged in specialized safaris conducted by both land and rivercraft. Treating themselves to First Class Amenities, they enjoyed therapeutic massages by CasLea Beauty Spa. Brian, ever the charismatic traveler, found a lifelong friend in his favorite masseuse, Cassandra! 

The show closes with an announcement: a special recording with the whole flight crew was captured inside the airport lounge. However, listeners will have to wait for the next episode to hear the full crew banter from the terminal!

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 119 of The Journey Is the Reward!

Get ready to ascend to cruising altitude, because this episode is a first-class ticket straight into the culinary and cocktail world of the skies! Brian takes you along as he walks the Airline Passenger Experience trade show—an entire show dedicated to what fills those little metal carts... and Brian ate and drank everything he could.

We kick off with some listener correspondence from Listener Aavi who asks if we've ever requested a special meal. Did we navigate the complexities of "low-sodium" or "kosher," or are we happy with the standard "chicken or pasta" approach? Find out our preferred inflight dining strategy!

Listener Lu wants to know our take on the serious incident involving a passenger who made a direct threat to the safety of an aircraft in Seattle. It begs the question: Have we ever been on a flight where a passenger tried to open the emergency exit before the jet bridge was attached? We share our least favorite inflight passenger stories.

In the Shoutouts section, Brian delivers a truly high-altitude promotional idea for Emirates, involving a second version of The Sphere. It's so creative, it might just require a NOTAM of its own.!

Buckle up! The main event is the series of interviews Brian conducted while sampling the latest and greatest products destined for a seat tray near you. 

Undercover Snacks, Quinoa chocolate cookies, their new flavor is preparing for Gate Release!
Mission Craft Cocktails, Premixed, large-format cocktails, A high-stakes operation—their profits help those in need.
Snack Box to Go, Great bread & airplane french fries, perfect for when you need a smooth, non-spicy landing.
Just Enough Wine, Canned wine that’s actually good, A woman-owned business providing perfect altitude-friendly pours!
Brett and Cranky Dorkfest, Aviation geek gathering, Brian had a missed approach on the date. Micah, your boarding pass is waiting!
Sheps Bakery, The best stroopwaffle, This is the Superior Flight Level of stroopwaffles; United, time for a vendor change!
Gin and Juice, Great mixing gin, Brian's "Watermelon Drink" is still stuck in a holding pattern for licensing.  Rocco liked the mix but wasn’t sold on the licensing deal.
Egal Pads, Feminine hygiene on a roll, The most unique ground support equipment at the show, and Brian needed put it to use after a gear-down deployment (aka blowing out stitches)!

After all that taxiing around the show floor, Brian sadly experienced a Missed Connection—he wasn't able to land an interview with United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby!

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 118 of The Journey Is the Reward!

We want to dive right into the main topic this week, but first, let's address the elephant in the control tower.

We have zero listener feedback, the best part of the show when you write in. No questions from Listener Lu, the second-best part of the show. So it seems like the digital winds are calm, or maybe everyone is too busy packing their bags for our next adventure.  Who knows…

While the feedback section is experiencing a bit of radio silence, our listener audience is absolutely booming! We have a new listener in Zambia!

Seriously, huge congratulations to friend-of-the-show and all-around super-helpful listener, Connie, who has given birth to a beautiful 7.25-pound baby boy! That's right, Connie, you've successfully completed the most demanding international flight of all, and landed a perfect new human. Welcome to the world, little one! We thank you, Connie, for helping us grow our audience!

If you'd like to help Connie and the baby with a small fuel surcharge contribution, please send an email to Brian at [email protected], and he’ll give you the information for a contribution via Remitly.

Forget the gate agents, we are skipping the pre-flight checks and jumping right into the main event: The Journey Is The Reward listener trip to Southern Africa!

The journey began with a bit of a turbulence warning courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines, but your intrepid host, Brian, was able to level the wings and resolve the issues before taking a United flight to Johannesburg. A quick stop to visit Momma Coleman in New Jersey for some essential pre-flight nourishment (and probably a very stern warning about remembering his fleece and passport), and then he was officially airborne.

The stress of international travel only continued with a tight connection in South Africa—the kind of connection that makes you wish you had an afterburner installed on your carry-on luggage. But thanks to the super-friendly airport staff, Brian was able to successfully navigate the terminal like seasoned ground crew, making his gate just in time. Upon final arrival in Cape Town, South Africa, Brian finally met up with Barb, Malin, Jim, and Gerrit for the start of three days of city sightseeing and country wine tasting.

Stay tuned to hear how Brian managed to keep his V-speeds in check while tasting all that excellent South African vino!

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 117 of The Journey Is the Reward!

We've got a full manifest for this episode. First up, we're taking on some listener feedback from Terrific Tanya. She's been listening to Chris Hutchins on the Tim Ferriss Show and says we're both right about points versus cash back. Sorry, Tanya, you can't be a straddler on this one! Just like you can't say you love both Airbus and Boeing equally, you've got to pick a side—Team Points or Team Cash Back.

As always, our listeners are the real experts on this crew, so keep those flight plans coming to [email protected].

Then, we’re getting into the ground-level drama. Listener Lu wants to know about the new technology American Airlines is using to fight the "gate lice" who try to cut the line and board before their group is called. It's a real pet peeve of ours, so you know we have some strong opinions on this one.

For our main segment, we're climbing to cruising altitude with our guest, Clint Henderson, from The Points Guy. We'll chat about his journey to becoming the managing editor, the tools he uses to maximize his points, and find out what team he's on. Though, as you might guess from his job, he’s firmly Team Points.

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 116 of The Journey Is the Reward!

We're cleared for takeoff on a great episode today. First, we're hitting the skies with some feedback from Listener Barbara. She’s asking about Clear Air Turbulence.  She is also curious if Brian is ever concerned about it while he's busy socializing with the flight crew in the back of the plane.

As always, our listeners are the real experts on this show, so keep those questions coming to: [email protected].

Then, Listener Lu wants to know about the person in Italy who threw a temper tantrum at the gate because of their luggage being a few pounds overweight and she refused to gate check her bag.  This passenger refused to comply with the gate agent’s request, so she and her bag got to take a different flight entirely. 

For our main segment, we've got a change of flight crew. Captain Dana is back in the cockpit, but this time, Brian's taking over the controls for the interview. It's a role reversal, so get ready for a whole new kind of conversation.

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 115 of The Journey Is the Reward!

We're getting right to the main event today. There's no listener feedback on the flight plan for this episode, and for a good reason. We’ve got an extended interview with our guest, Captain Armando, and his First Officer that you won’t want to miss. But as always, we want to hear from you, so keep those questions coming to: [email protected].

We did, however, manage to squeeze in a quick flight-deck discussion. Our listener Lu wants to know about passengers bringing smelly foods onto planes. As you'll soon hear, Armando and his co-pilot have a lot of relevant experience with this topic.

For our main segment, we're talking with Captain Armando and his First Officer about an absolutely wild journey: Mr. Beast’s 100 Day Challenge. The mission was simple, but the execution was not. Armando had to stay on Mr. Beast's plane for 100 days straight. If he could manage to stay on board, he would win the plane—a prize worth a cool $2.5 million. That's a daily rate of $25,000 for staying put! Listen in as Micah and Brian break down the challenge and find out if he was cleared for landing with the prize.

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.

Welcome to episode 114 of The Journey Is the Reward.

We're cleared for a jam-packed flight today. First, we've got some listener feedback from Mike, who's got the scoop on a new bus service for getting into Manhattan from the three NYC airports. He’s giving us a new approach to ground transportation. Our listeners are the real experts on this crew.

Next, Listener Jessie is asking about the real-world situation with the fire recovery in SoCal—it’s a topic the news has been ignoring. Brian is on the ground and will give you an honest update…and it’s mostly not great. Our listeners are truly the best part of the show, so please send in your questions to: ⁠[email protected].  

After that, Listener Lu wants to know a topic that has us fired up: the Airline Reporting Corporation selling our data to the US Customs and Border Protection. You can probably guess how Micah and Brian feel about that one.

For the main segment, Micah will interview Captain Dana from Acme Airlines again. Captain Dana was back up in Maine so Micah took the time out of his busy schedule to interview Captain Dana after they finished a wonderful meal at Becky’s Diner.  We are sure it was much better than airline food! 

And as always, our ears are blessed by the utterly soul-stirring, goosebump-inducing sounds of the Madalitso Youth Choir! Their Welcome and Goodbye songs, recorded straight from the Royal Livingston Hotel in Zambia, are pure magic.