November 14, 2023

TravelStories Episode 21: Travel Banter

41 minutes

Travel Stories Episode 21: Travel Banter

We’re trying something different today a different format for Travel Stories that we like to call Travel Banter. We start by exploring aviation-themed films and series that have impacted us over the years. From the beloved cult classic The Terminal to Up In the Air, we cover a wide range of air travel themes and tropes. Trevor shares his unique Southeast Asian travel itinerary, why he hasn’t visited Vietnam yet, and Tom shares his experience with pricing in Abu Dhabi. We also speak about our experiences with kid-friendly and kid-prohibitive rules at Hyatt and Marriott hotels around the world, sharing our opinions on their convenience and comfort levels for everyone involved. Finally, we explore the impact of deregulation on international airlines and the period in history where Southwest Airlines was the number one distributor of liquor in Texas. Join us for a casual conversation about all things travel. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

[00:00] Famous films about aviation and how good they may or may not be.

[03:15] The comedic retelling of View From the Top available on Audible.

[05:51] Why The Flight Attendant is misleading in its content, which is not really aviation-related.

[06:38] The French film, Jet Lag, and why it’s fun to watch.

[09:33] Airport disaster movies of the 1970s.

[12:10] An unconventional travel itinerary from Singapore to Malaysia, and then to Bangkok.

[17:48] Why Vietnam is not included in this particular travel itinerary.

[19:13] Selecting a hotel based on credit and previous experiences.

[21:41] Returning to Abu Dhabi and a comment on its pricing.

[24:19] Thomas’s biggest problem with the Middle East’s luxury hotels.

[26:36] Trevor’s experience at the JW Marriott in Cairo.

[28:24] Why no kids are allowed at the Marriott in Jordan.

[28:37] Singapore Grand Hyatt’s rules around children and adults.

[32:06] Singapore’s relationship with rules and how it differs from the USA.

[35:27] The time when hijackings were extra common pre-9/11.

[37:15] When Southwest airlines was the number one distributor of liquor.

[38:10] How deregulation affected international airlines including KLM.

Quotes:

“Chinese food is expensive and luxury hotels are cheap; both are true in Abu Dhabi.” — @TktweetsKim [22:37]

“In the Middle East, families traveling is so much more common. Not that people don’t travel as families in the US, but I just think it’s even more common than it is here in the US.” — @TktweetsKim [27:50]

“I would gladly accept the occasional ruler on my hand in the event that I made a mistake with my phone on speaker in an airline lounge, if I knew that everyone else had to succumb to the same fate.” — @tmount [33:41]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Up in the Air

The Terminal

Airplane!

Passenger 57

Plane

Air Force 1</

...more