Show notes
Recorded 18 September 2020 Written by: Geoff Dahl & Vinod Viswalingam Listen to this experience wherever you download your podcasts - including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, Google Podcasts, and Overcast. Listen to it on Apple Podcasts. Stream by clicking here. Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing "save as." In this special edition we look at the current status of aviation and travel. Our travel habits that we grew so accustomed to have either entered a state of hibernation or a world of surrealness. We look to when we last flew in 2020 and Vinod shares nostalgia of seeing 747s and L-1011s out the airport window and boarding from the tarmac. Pandemic restrictions have seen new flight routings that did not exist before, and regrettably we have seen airlines struggle and go under but not at this scope. Vinod shares a story of how airline bankruptcy affected job prospects earlier just after university. To everyone in the industry, we wish you nothing but the best through all of this. The effects are felt across all sorts of industries – including rental cars. Airlines will take a number of years to return – Vinod shares the story when Singapore left Vancouver. Geoff shares his 2019 experiences of airport expansions that may not be filled for years – this has been repeated through history. Vinod comments on recent cancelled capital projects at Vancouver – what's next? If and when the airlines return, their fleets will look different as many planes are being retired. And with those retiring planes, many staff have more than just a job loss – it's a lifestyle change. We at Seat 1A will evolve as well given the current situation and the unknown future. What new innovations are going to come from this current situation? What will happen as travellers discover their own countries again? If you are travelling enjoy the shorter lines, and cleaner aircraft while the industry comes back. This epidemic will lead to changes in travel policies including with credit cards and insurance. How can you best play the game during periods of uncertainty? We're going to try to stay on top of the changes for you. Other means of travel have seen a renaissance – including night trains in Europe and subscription travel. Meanwhile, we'll see how the travel guidebook evolves after all of this. Will travellers want a more experiential travel experience in the future? Do destinations get a chance to breathe and reset? We're looking forward to interesting content in the future. If you have a story about your travel experiences during the pandemic, your thoughts about where you think travel is going to evolve, a question, or other experience that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Patreon. Show notes are available online at http://podcast.seat1a.org/ SELECTED LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE EXPERIENCE Lonely Planet AvTalk Podcast Flights to nowhere Qantas seven-hour flight to nowhere sells out in 10 minutes (cnn.com | 18 September 2020) Seat1A Instagram Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) Terminal 3 (bharchitects.com) NEXUS Boeing 747-200 (airliners.net) Auxiliary power unit (APU) (Wikipedia) Lockheed L-1011 500 TriStar (airliners.net) Edmonton International Airport (YEG) London Heathrow (LHR) Regina International Airport (YQR) Calgary International Airport (YYC) Flightradar24 Air Tahiti (VT) Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Faa'a International Airport (PPT) Seat 1A Experience 013 - Bankrupt airline experience (show notes and audio) Air Canada (AC) Monarch Airlines (ZB – ceased operations 2017) (Wikipedia) Thomas Cook Airlines (UK) (MT – ceased operations 2019) (Wikipedia) French bee (BF) South African Airways (SA) Airbus A340-600 (airliners.net) Christchurch Airport (CHC) El Al (LY) Austrian Airlines (OS) Lufthansa (LH) Lima Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) Scandinavian Airlines (SK) Singapore Airlines (SQ) Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Göteborg Landvetter Airport (GOT) Qatar Airways (QR) Frankfurt Airport (FRA) Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) Subang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB - former KUL until 1998) Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) British Airways (BA) Qantas (QF) Aircraft boneyard (Wikipedia) Twentynine Palms Airport (TNP) Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) Teruel Airport (TEV) Denver International Airport (DEN) Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) Banff National Park (Parks Canada) Lake Louise (banfflakelouise.com) Delta Air Lines (DL) BC Ferries Deutsche Bahn [German Rail] (2A) OeBB [Austrian Federal Railways] NightJet Vienna Hauptbahnhof [Main Station] (OeBB) ALPEN-SYLT Nachtexpress VIA Rail Canadian Lonely Travel Magazine (UK) Wanderlust Sunday Times Travel News UK planning to close standalone Sunday Times Travel magazine (pressgazette.co.uk | 21 August 2020) Condé Nast Traveler Mount Fuji (Wikipedia) Prague (Wikipedia) Kraków (Wikipedia) Bali (Wikipedia) Riviera Maya (Wikipedia) Cabo San Lucas (Wikipedia) Louvre Angkor Wat (Wikipedia) Sugarloaf Mountain (Wikipedia) Christ the Redeemer (statue) (Wikipedia) Fernweh 10 Magical German Travel Words You'll Wish We Had in English! (solosophie.com | 16 July 2020) PODCAST CORRECTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, CONFIRMATIONS Air Canada was granted bankruptcy protection in April 2003. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/02/business/air-canada-is-granted-bankruptcy-court-protection.html (nytimes.com | 02 April 2003) South African Airways lands in Christchurch for first time, with 300 repatriated Kiwis aboard. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/south-african-airways-lands-in-christchurch-first-time-300-repatriated-kiwis-aboard (tvnz.co.nz | 08 September 2020) El Al Sets Record for Longest Continuous Flight by Israeli Airline, Rescuing Travelers Stranded in Australia Due to Coronavirus Crisis https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/04/02/el-al-sets-record-for-longest-continuous-flight-by-israeli-airline-rescuing-travelers-stranded-in-australia-due-to-coronavirus-crisis (algemeiner.com | 02 April 2020) Austrian Airlines Flies Nonstop To Australia, Longest Flight In Company History https://onemileatatime.com/austrian-airlines-australia-flight (onemileatatime.com | 29 March 2020) Mission Accomplished - Lufthansa Group concludes successful repatriation flight program https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/newsroom/media-relations-north-america/news-and-releases/mission-accomplished-lufthansa-group-concludes-successful-repatriation-flight-program.html (lufthansagroup.com | 20 April 2020) SAS Flies Its Longest Flight Ever Using An Airbus A350 https://simpleflying.com/longest-sas-flight-a350/ (simpleflying.com | 4 April 2020) Singapore Airlines and its 2009 suspension of Vancouver flights https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/singapore-airlines-to-suspend-vancouver-flights-1.849916 (cbc.ca | 15 February 2009) Singapore Airlines launched flights to Seattle effective 03 September 2019, but as of October 2020 service has been suspended. https://thepointsguy.com/news/singapore-airlines-is-now-flying-nonstop-from-seattle-to-singapore/ (thepointsguy.com | 03 September 2019) https://economyclassandbeyond.boardingarea.com/2020/09/09/singapore-airlines-prepares-october-november-timetable-changes/ (economyclassandbeyond.boardingarea.com | 09 September 2020) As of 01 October 2020, Frankfurt Terminal 2 is still closed Information on the Coronavirus https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/news/information-on-the-coronavirus.html (frankfurt-airport.com) Singapore Changi Terminal 2 is closed for 18 months from 01 May 2020 for expansion work. Terminal 4 operations are temporarily suspended from 16 May 2020. https://www.changiairport.com/corporate/media-centre/newsroom/consolidation-of-terminal-operations.html (changiairport.com) "Here's the @yvr US and International departures board for today until 1800." https://twitter.com/HowardSlutsken/status/1305161682302283776 (Twitter @HowardSlutsken | 13 September 2020) British Airways retires entire 747 fleet after travel downturn https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53426886 (bbc.com | 17 July 2020) There appears to be no boneyard at Twentynine Palms Airport, Victorville is the airport that was not mentioned. Grounded Airliners in Storage During the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak. https://www.airplaneboneyards.com/grounded-airliners-in-storage-due-to-covid19-2020.htm (airplaneboneyards.com) Airlines Feeling a Lift from Rocky Mountain Hubs https://airlineweekly.com/airlines-feeling-a-lift-from-rocky-mountain-hubs/ (airlineweekly.com | 14 September 2020) Subscription Travel Models Offer Encouraging Pandemic Resilience to Inspirato and BeRightBack https://skift.com/2020/09/14/subscription-travel-models-offer-encouraging-pandemic-resilience-to-inspirato-and-berightback/ (skift.com | 14 September 2020) SHOW NOTES Show introduction. [00:00:14] This is a special edition. [00:00:38] Vinod's travel soul has died and crawled into hibernation. [00:01:27] "The last time I flew was…" [00:02:12] Vinod's last flight was February 24, 2020. [00:02:56] Vinod was supposed to be Japan for two months in summer 2020. [00:03:08] Geoff flew in August 2020 and had a surreal experience at Toronto. [00:03:21] No need for a NEXUS pass these days. [00:03:58] Anyone who got on a plane prior to March 2020 remembers the golden age of aviation. [00:05:06] Vinod's childhood memories of tarmac boarding a 747. [00:05:43] A lot of waiting to figure out if flights are going to depart as intended. [00:07:00] Changes in flight routings due to politics or COVID - Tahiti from Vancouver for example. [00:08:34] We've seen airlines go under before, but never at this scope. [00:09:01] Vinod felt the side effects of airline bankruptcy in 2003. [00:09:25] Current situation is general anesthetic...with a chainsaw. [00:10:53] Flight staff, we wish you nothing but the best through this. [00:11:47] Vinod has dozens of former colleagues in various job situations due to COVID. [00:12:24] It's not just airlines being affected. [00:13:14] The realities Vinod has seen with the rental car market. [00:13:53] There aren't as many planes to see as before, but there are interesting routings. [00:15:16] Switchover from passenger flights to cargo flights. [00:16:42] When Singapore Airlines left Vancouver in 2008. [00:17:12] Airport expansions may sit unused for years. [00:18:37] There is a long history of airports building beyond their capacity. [00:19:42] Capital building project at Vancouver. What's going to happen? [00:21:08] Demise of fleets of aircraft. [00:23:28] It's more than a job loss, it's a lifestyle. [00:25:32] Taking off from the crowd, Seat 1A will evolve. [00:26:24] What innovations are going to come from the pandemic? [00:26:57] Travel these days - people are rediscovering their backyards. [00:27:58] Travel in the US to mountain national parks. [00:28:28] Enjoy the shorter lines, cleaner aircraft while the tourism industry comes back. [00:29:15] Pointing fingers at travel companies becomes very difficult since we're all in the same situation. [00:30:18] Credit card companies and what's happening with cancelled flights. [00:32:27] Make sure you know what you're booking, how your booking it, and keep copies of everything you've booked. [00:32:58] Playing cancellation chicken with travel companies. [00:33:30] The rules didn't change how the game gets played due to COVID. [00:35:28] Travel insurance did not guarantee monetary refunds. [00:36:09] There is so much uncertainty right now. [00:36:37] We're trying to stay on top of the changes for you. [00:37:23] Means of travel have changed. [00:37:47] Resurgence of night trains. [00:38:02] Subscription travel steady presence. [00:39:52] Print guidebooks when no one is travelling. [00:40:17] Will travellers want to have a more experiential travel experience in the future? [00:42:38] Do world destinations get a chance to breathe and reset? [00:44:07] We're going to come up with some interesting content. [00:46:45] Show Wrap-up. [00:48:01]