Best Cranky Flier Podcasts (2024)

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234- Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany 34:36

1d ago34:36

34:36

This week: Jay Sorensen, President, IdeaWorksCompany; Loyalty program values; Delta Q1 numbers; Spirit woes deepen; Breeze shows a profit; Huge payday for AA CEO Robert Isom; Listener Q on new Boeing aircraft.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#172 Freeloading to SFO 40:38

3d ago40:38

40:38

We three fly (well, they left behind 1/3 of the podcast on the first flight! 😃) to San Fran! We came to podcast in the phone booth in the lounge. We also wanted to use the Priority Pass restaurant amenities before they go away in July! Would you do Home Exchange? Tyler accuses Lara of being OCD 🙄 Bye bye Snowbirds! Passenger bags and Day 2 Syndrome…

1
233 - Kevin O'Toole, Chief Strategy Officer, Cirium 40:11

9d ago40:11

40:11

This week: Kevin O'Toole, Chief Strategy Officer, Cirium; Data on 2023 Airfares; Airline C-Suite compensation - who's on top? Oakland CA airport wants San Francisco name; Listener input on passenger security screening, crew bases and scheduling.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#171 Home Swapping Non-Revs 49:57

10d ago49:57

49:57

We have a returning guest Broadway Tina, and her husband Meade join us to talk about some of their recent travels and also tell us all about Home Exchange! Catch up with Tina Upgraded Athens Cruise Buying tickets to see the Eclipse What is Home Swap The three different ways to do a swap Six weeks in NYC Hospitality and ultra-luxury If interested ch…

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232 - This week: It's In The Bag - A Focus on the Business of Bag Fees 30:49

16d ago30:49

30:49

This week: It's In The Bag - A Focus on the Business of Bag Fees; Breezy Rewards Valuation; Listener input: Feedback on John Heimlich, American shifting to more domestic flights, United's overhead bins.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#170 Credit Card Depression and Southwest Non-Rev Gets a Felony 28:34

17d ago28:34

28:34

The three of us talk about some of our Spring break Travels. Short and sweet enjoy. Monique visits the Grand Canyon Southwest Buddy pass ends up in Jail Hyatt Club and Glass-blowing Lara bids HNL for a warm toilet seat The Chase Sapphire Reserve cuts Resturn access Outtakes (Pilots, tip more than a dollar) ✈StaffTraveler is a great app that can ass…

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231 - John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist, Airlines for America 37:45

23d ago37:45

37:45

This week: John Heimlich, VP/Chief Economist, Airlines for America; Boeing searching for a new CEO; FAA moves EWR TRACON to PHL; JetBlue cuts routes; Is cutting costs ultimately more costly? Listener feedback: Public charter security, Rudy Maxa's destination judgements, Maintenance techs in the future.…

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#169 I Will Have a Double Woodford on The Rocks 45:14

25d ago45:14

45:14

This week, we are joined by Monique's son Zack and by Tyler's son Jake, and we talk about travels and some work stories. Check back for show notes ✈StaffTraveler is a great app that can assist your non-rev travels! Use it to find the loads for your non-rev travel! Use this to sign up: https://stafftraveler.com/nonrevlounge ✈️Don’t forget your PERX.…

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230 - Rudy Maxa, Travel Journalist 51:49

30d ago51:49

51:49

This week: Rudy Maxa, Travel Journalist; Positive comments on Ben's NVO; Airlines: Biggest? Most Profitable? Biggest airline crown; Southwest expects fewer new planes; Concerns around lack of Boeing paperwork/security video; Empty middle seats on Frontier; Listener feedback on Doug Parker interview.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#168 Spring Break Aviation Woes 44:32

1M ago44:32

44:32

We three discuss our jobs at this time of the year! Isn’t it interesting how the people from different cities have their own flavors? Boeing has their own woes Control tower vs pilots What the heck happened to Catherine, The Duchess of Windsor? Captain retirement flight….does his non revs get priority seats; jumping the list?? It pays to know peopl…

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229 - This week: Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines with TSA safety concerns. 57:39

1M ago57:39

57:39

This week: Doug Parker, Fmr CEO, American Airlines, outlines serious TSA safety concerns. Ben's AI "New Voice Option" (NVO); Spirit & JetBlue go it alone - Next moves? New proposed rule for handling wheelchairs; Fare fact errors made by Tim Wu on CNBC; Listener Qs on useful life of a commercial aircraft, business model for airport lounges.…

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#167 Andrew from Flying Smarter Podcast Joins the Crew 45:27

1M ago45:27

45:27

We are big fans of Andrew and his Aviation Potcast. Tyler and Lara have been guest on Flying Smarter and now we get to have Andrew on our podcast. Andrew and his love for Aviation Getting private pilot licene in high school Andrew writes for AirlineGeeks.com Visiting every Disney Park Lara starts singing elevator Aviation Regulations Pikachu Dreaml…

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228 - Zane Kerby, Pres & CEO at ASTA - American Society of Travel Advisors; 44:40

1M ago44:40

44:40

This week: Zane Kerby, President & CEO at ASTA - American Society of Travel Advisors; 2023 numbers show safest year in aviation; Boeing supervision; AA same-day standby changes; What's with all the new Brisbane flights? Catherine & Richard Dotson remain at SAV; Listener Q: Overhead bin utilization, and a Flight Attendant asks how management really …

1
#166 Network Awards in OAK and Saying Good bye to Grandma 56:08

1M ago56:08

56:08

The three of us each share a recent story from work, a trip to OAK, and heading to Idaho Falls for Grandma's funeral. Turblance on PVR flight Pounding on door to jet bridge Plane clothes officers want to see checked bags Delays into SFO Crime in Oakland Attending Network awards is like nonreving Prize Getting home Bereavement and saying good by to …

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227 - Maya Leibman, Fmr. EVP/Chief Information Officer, American Airlines 47:21

2M ago47:21

47:21

This week: Maya Leibman, Fmr. EVP/Chief Information Officer, American Airlines; It's in the bag - increased fees and a bag revenue rundown in the billions; Delta's Amex credit limit for fuel; Shakeup at Boeing not what was expected - puts women in charge of rescue; AA changes agency ticket policies; Listener Q: Decision process for serving a new ai…

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#165 The Cranky Flier, Aviation Expert Brett Snyder is Back With Speed Dating! 35:37

2M ago35:37

35:37

Tyler and Lara work this year’s The Cranky Network Awards ceremony and dinner! By far the aviation industry’s leading event! Almost every US and Canadian carrier is represented along with executives from Boeing and Airbus!! All the major airlines send their network planning teams to this event for the award ceremony! Brett Snyder enjoys The Non Rev…

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226 - Brett Snyder, President & Chief Airline Dork, Cranky Flier 51:53

2M ago51:53

51:53

This week: Brett Snyder, President & Chief Airline Dork, Cranky Flier; Delivery and backlog numbers for Boeing & Airbus; Carl Icahn picks up two JetBlue Board seats; The Atlantic article on carry-ons reaches a questionable conclusion; Listener Q on skipping a leg; Why did Spirit focus on A319s?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#164 LAX for #LarAAfest 53:56

2M ago53:56

53:56

We’re celebrating Lara’s birthday! Same day as a great aircraft…Airbus A220! The podcast group chat termed the LAX meet up #LarAAfest! Lara has been flying with the singing Capt Pete a lot! He’s such a nice man! Naked man in ORD! Did you see the videos? Airports are stressful for a lot of people When did LaGuardia become such a nice airport? Tyler …

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225 - Jay Sorensen, Ancillary Revenue, A la Carte Pricing, Frequent Flyer (FFP) Consultant 43:25

2M ago43:25

43:25

This week: Jay Sorensen, Ancillary Revenue, A la Carte Pricing, Frequent Flyer (FFP) Consultant; Marty St George returns to JetBlue as President; Spirit's average passenger fare drops, CEO Ted Christie comments on Spirit's future; Administrator Mike Whitaker outlines Boeing actions including FAA inspectors on site; Sen. Ted Cruz requests special TS…

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#163 Bridget Turns to a Life of Flying to Escape Her Mothers House. 37:16

2M ago37:16

37:16

Remember when Lara was at a bday party and that guy randomly kissed her and then immediately ran to Lara’s husband to apologize?? This is the girl we were celebrating! How do you dress like yourself? How did you get into aviation? Another America West Airlines story! Flight attendant = friends Personalities make the difference🤪 Our airline picks wi…

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The Cranky Flier Interview #34: Southwest SVP Network Planning and Network Operations Control Adam Decaire 27:34

2M ago27:34

27:34

Southwest has done something unique, bringing its Network Planning group -- the people who decide when and where to fly -- under the Chief Operating Officer instead of the Chief Commercial Officer. I spoke with Adam Decaire to learn more about the decision and see how it's going.By Cranky Flier

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224 - This week: Mike Leskinen, EVP/Chief Financial Officer, United Airlines 50:32

2M ago50:32

50:32

This week: Mike Leskinen, EVP/Chief Financial Officer, United Airlines; Boeing's situation in 2024; JetBlue's new plan includes a new fee; Frontier introduces a Biz fare bundle via agency GDS; AA adds #1989, and Taylor is scheduled to make the big game; Listener Q: Basic Economy threat to ULCCs? Focus Cities, Hubs, Fortress Hubs.…

1
#162 Brittany Lands on a Lake and New Air France Route 42:56

2M ago42:56

42:56

Brittany the Flight Attendant from overseas joins us as we discuss all things aviation!! Passengers tooting and drinking 🤮 True or False story Taylor Swift flight numbers! What’s that all about and it makes Tyler 😡 Phoenix Is The Friendliest Airport?? Another airline beats our airline for a non stop to Paris! If you’re interviewing for a flight att…

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223 - Dorothy Robyn, Public Policy Consultant/Writer 54:11

3M ago54:11

54:11

This week: Dorothy Robyn, Public Policy Consultant/Writer; The latest Wall Street Journal Airline Rankings; Additional earnings reports; Has Amelia Earhart's plane been found? Frontier adds new routes to other's hubs; Listener Q's on pilot opportunities, plus an explanation of the LOPA.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#161 Hotels and Clothing Optional? 51:11

3M ago51:11

51:11

No guest today but we talk about our week and Lara’s trip to Cancun ❌👙 Lara FINALLY flys with her son Drew the Pilot Instructor! Listener letter questions us about how to find a hotel when non reving! Our tips and tricks on that! Passenger tried to board with a cat that WASN’T a cat 🤔 🐍 Avgeek friends meet up in DC! Dinner with Drew from Next Trip …

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222 - Marian Boyd, Boyd Group International 42:53

3M ago42:53

42:53

This week: Marian Boyd, Boyd Group International; A review of the Judge's ruling against the JetBlue - Spirit deal plus listener input on the deal that isn't happening, for now.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#160 Winter Storms and LAX Meet up Plans 42:49

3M ago42:49

42:49

We talk about our LAX meetup on Saturday, February 3 rd, from 12pm-4pm at the Proud Bird restaurant by LAX ! Come have lunch and plane spot with us while we watch the big ole jet airliners come and land! Lara is on Reserve 😡 AGAIN! What is an ODAN? Why is Monique such a hard ass with passport signatures? Monique’s son Zach non revs to ORD 😱 in incl…

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221 - Jon Ostrower, Founder, The Air Current 51:18

3M ago51:18

51:18

This week: Jon Ostrower, Founder, The Air Current; Focus on the JAL Evacuation, the Alaska Door Plug, and the current Boeing fiasco; Joanna Geraghty named new JetBlue CEO; Earnings season update; Listener Input: Spirit should be buying JetBlue, United's Andrew Nocella comments that ULCCs are "doomed".…

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The Cranky Flier Interview #33 - Porter EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Kevin Jackson 26:31

3M ago26:31

26:31

Kevin and I sit down to on an airplane to talk about Porter's big expansion plansBy Cranky Flier

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#159 "Out With the Old in With The New" Retiring Pilot to New Hire FA Chrissy 1:01:23

3M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

This week Cleveland -based flight attendant Chrissy joins us to talk about her aviation career. She talks about being hired as a flight attendant in two different mainline airlines as well as working on getting her private pilot license. Monique and Lara work on a pilots retirement flight Chrissy applies to be a Flight Attendant twice Looking at po…

1
Cranky Talk:Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and the Boeing 737-9 Max 15:24

3M ago15:24

15:24

We're dusting off the podcast to talk about Boeing, the Max, and what we know about flight 1282. Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick or injured while traveling.By Cranky Flier

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220 - A Rough Start to 2024 38:56

3M ago38:56

38:56

This week: An aircraft fire and a depressurization; 2023's top on-time performance carriers; The MAX-9 Door Plug issue adding to Boeing's challenges; Listener input: United becoming the largest airline & does Boeing need its own Manhattan Project? Plus, more about Block Time.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#158 Marcy Works In Da Club! 1:00:28

3M ago1:00:28

1:00:28

Tyler goes on an adventure! Spirit and Frontier differences with our own airline 😆 Marcy the gate agent starts in Aviation in Da Club Want to Rev Non and Save Traveling with 9 people!! Family trip to Spain 🇪🇸 Working in da club she drives celebrities to their gate Stop for people to see them ZED for 16 hours. Philippines How to pay: get a little lo…

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219 - 2024 Predictions 33:42

4M ago33:42

33:42

This week: 2024 Predictions; Southwest system fixes worked; Goldman Sachs cancellation stats; The issue with Chicago Midway; Hollywood takes note of airlines; Possible 2024 merger candidates; Listener Q on leg room vs seat pitch.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#157 Non-Rev Drama Queen Monique Takes Her Kids to Paris and Makes them Cry 1:10:14

4M ago1:10:14

1:10:14

The three of us discuss Monique’s family’s adventures of holiday traveling! Tyler’s Stats but truly he is really flexing 🙄 6 new airlines! Tyler is not allowed out of the country! Is Tijuana really worth celebrating as a new destination? Monique’s 5 stressful flights. One not so stressful! Monique gets asked by her FA to give up her Business Class …

1
#156 BNA Bachelorette Party and Breeze Upgrade 36:12

4M ago36:12

36:12

Merry Christmas 🎄 All three of us went somewhere and we discuss those trips and wrap up the year! Happy New Year Everyone! Nashville is the bachelorette capital of the USA! Drag Bus No cover charges Priority Pass Perks Can’t get a cocktail 🍸 on Sundays Tyler and Lara were both in Richmond at the same time! Charlotte Admirals Club has prepackaged fo…

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218 - Andrew Watterson, COO, Southwest Airlines 40:27

4M ago40:27

40:27

This week: Andrew Watterson, COO, Southwest Airlines; Stephanie Pope promoted to COO at Boeing; Delta beefs up Austin TX schedule; Listener Q on high speed rail LA-Vegas. Happy Holidays. Next episode: Jan 3 with 2024 Predictions.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#155 Tyler makes most of trip after being banned from EU 1:04:28

4M ago1:04:28

1:04:28

Part Two of the Tyler Debacle! Chester and Pualani are getting hitched! 💍💒 SNA, Orange County, Santa Anna, John Wayne airport is limiting the amount of passengers when really they should whittle the airport names down to one 🙄 London Christmas markets for Tyler and Katie! Priority Pass lunches and breakfast PRO TIP: Ensure your passport has at leas…

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217 - DHL, Santa, and Other Holiday Adjustments 32:14

4M ago32:14

32:14

This week: A DHL acquisition of Santa? + other holiday adjustments ;) - Digging into the Alaska-Hawaiian deal & SWA's role; Closing arguments made in the JetBlue - Spirit case; Listener input on the shape of DCA, Pluses of Amtrak, and you won the Powerball-what type of airline would you start?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#154 Tyler Is An Idiot and The Girls Visit Germany and Amsterdam 1:17:36

4M ago1:17:36

1:17:36

This week we talk about our trip to Europe and how Tyler may not be as good of a non-rev as he thinks. Lara and Monique go to Frankfurt and Cologne for Christmas Markets and spend a day in Amsterdam. Man plans and God laughs!! The ever going quest for the pod seats How we all got to LHR Tyler is in massage heaven London Christmas Market Angels on R…

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216 - Chris Sloan on The Airchive 1:00:06

5M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

This week: Chris Sloan on The Airchive; Initial thoughts on the Alaska-Hawaiian deal; Skift story on increased adventure travel due to weight loss: NY Times reports on serious FAA issues; Listener Q: Takeaways from other international agencies? What is the role of a CTO in undertaking change?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#153 Tonya Gets Her Groove Back! 48:09

5M ago48:09

48:09

We sit down with Tonya, she’s an executive assistant for an airport ops VP. She has an amazing aviation story, and we are lucky to share it with you! So sit back, relax and buckle up. This is a good one! Tyler saves the day and became Lara’s hero ❤️ Boise=Lara Chicago=Mo: last football game for Zacky, Mo’s son! PDX and LAX=Tyler and the boys What’s…

1
215 - Can't Make This Up & Other Items 37:06

5M ago37:06

37:06

This week: Thanksgiving travel recap; Can't Make This Up covers "dog food" in China Eastern Business Class & Striking an anti-strike law; New Saudi passenger rights; Problems with the author's ideas in the book: Why Flying is Miserable & How to Fix It; Was there ever a Golden Age of travel? Listener Q: Is the SWA model broken?…

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#152 Panama, Costa Rica and Non-Rev Lounge Birthday Week. 57:12

5M ago57:12

57:12

**We are going to record with the founders of StaffTraveler. Let us know what questions we should ask them when we record. NonRevLoungePodcast@gmail.com** Happy third birthday to The Non Rev Lounge Podcast!! We have a guest! Allie-Jo and she tells us about her girls trip to Costa Rica! She flew into the Liberia airport and drove to the beach. Our w…

1
214 - Rick Cotton, Exec. Director, Port Authority of NY & NJ 54:03

5M ago54:03

54:03

This week: Rick Cotton, Executive Director, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey; AMS slots update; Focus on the safety report & FAA training; Passenger ordered to pay for flight disruption/diversion; Listener Q: Do airlines shop around for better fuel prices?By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#151 Val the Dance Mom 47:01

5M ago47:01

47:01

Are all dance moms cray-cray?? Not this one! Meet Val the hot 🔥gate agent/dance mom that travels all over the United States to dance competitions! Happy Thanksgiving week to all! What we are thankful for! Gate agents share treats, flight attendants, not so much!! We dish on rampers, maintenance, and always flight attendants (divas) Stay at home mom…

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213 - Where Are The Next Generation Airplanes? 32:02

5M ago32:02

32:02

This week: Ben & Scott go in depth on next generation airplanes; United loyalty program revisions; Some business travel numbers; SUX and other interesting identifiers; Listener input on premium seat value.By Ben Baldanza & Scott McCartney

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#150 Gate Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 53:27

5M ago53:27

53:27

Shelly and Valarie join us and talk about their annual girls trip! This time they traveled to the Czech Republic . Shelly gets attacked in the jetway by Freddy Krueger It’s challenging to travel with 13 people Pub crawl with the bachelor party 🎉 Walking tours rock! The Dancing House The previous isolation of the country Who plans these epic trips? …

1
212 - Ginger Hardage, Fmr SVP of Culture & Communications at Southwest Airlines 56:01

5M ago56:01

56:01

This week: Ginger Hardage, Fmr SVP of Culture & Communications at Southwest Airlines/Founder of Unstoppable Cultures; Is ATC ready for the holiday season? JetBlue loses $153MM, is frozen out of AMS, and Spirit merger trial gets underway; SWA potential expansion in Dallas; Listener input: Sun Country, Scott Kirby & ULCC statements.…

1
#149 Broken Dishes & Places to Travel RN 45:28

5M ago45:28

45:28

We discuss our feelings for turkey since we are in November! Unbelievably, Tyler has an opinion! 😆 Is Lara stalking Shawn T or is he stalking her? Tyler has a first row seat to an inflight food disaster! Listener Justin writes in as he has questions for us! Tips for non aviation travelers! Lara explains the London Mafia/Cartel. Turns our each emplo…

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