Vinod's Olympics adventure: Flagship lounge, Flagship upgrade, Flagship Wifi (err), Flagship chicken, Flagship plane (well…), all the hopes and expectations of American Airlines Flagship were placed into that trip. And that Black Card! That vintage boarding pass!

Does the British Airways return compete with that? Yes (that shortbread biscuit does a lot of heavy lifting).

Milan finally gets the airport it deserves, with a tasteful redesign.

Flighty introduces Airport Intelligence (Paul had to bight his tongue for so long on that one). Get that on the biggest TV you can buy.

Dallas DFW, where you can cosplay as crew and confuse everyone (what's a jump seat?).

And yes, we are entering the era of "Bring Your Jet Fuel".

Plus many questions, such as:
How do you expect to be recognize for your loyalty?
Do you leave your stuff unattended in the lounge?
Where do you put your trash when aboard?
Would you like to get cleaning on demand in an aircraft? (Lufthansa does, but not in the way you might expect).

Mentioned in the show -
Flighty Airport Intelligence: https://flighty.com/airports
Stardrift Starlink search: https://stardrift.ai/starlink

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A show created and hosted by Paul Papadimitriou
Links:
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Reach out to Paul:
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For video, subscribe on YouTube or Spotify (video on Apple Podcasts coming soon)

Review on Apple Podcasts
and search for 'Layovers' wherever you get your podcasts

More links on the website

Ever wondered what it’s like to fly 17+ hours straight? Matt Drinkwater comes to share his experience with Qantas on the near-Kangaroo route to Perth (we talk the past and present of that route), and more, onto Brisbane.
Matt and Paul share a deep bond with Japan, and discuss the beauty, and quirkiness, of flying within Japan, from small airports, to the smell of Kansai International (yes, airports have a smell!).
Qsuite to Bali, it doesn't get much better than this (especially with that chocolate ganache).
There's a certain allure in epic journeys, a remnant of our forefathers' explorations, this also requires you to get lost, something that Japan or China still offer (don't resist, do let go).
Do you research the food you'll have on-board? Matt does (that salt and pepper squid at the Heathrow Qantas lounge!).
Can one love British Airways in 2026? Matt does, and makes a great case why it stays relevant, in spite of its IT woes (but, do you smash into people at Heathrow?!).
When technology meets emotion (Star Wars, anyone?), and when it doesn't (that gimmicky hologram… IYKYK).
The same goes with crew uniforms, and Matt works in fashion (also, American Airlines, please watch Forks, the episode of The Bear).
The global tensions, jet fuel woes, and the inflation of air travel fares in the very near future (a sensitive topic …and book that trip now!).

Follow Matt on his instagram: @matthewdrinkwater
Learn more about his work
(Matt, let go, and learn to love The Last Jedi!)
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Follow us on Instagram: @lay_overs
Or on Facebook

Reach out to the creator of Layovers, Paul
On Instagram: @paulpapa.io and @papadimitriou (for his photography)
Or on LinkedIn

For video, subscribe on YouTube or Spotify
Listen on Apple Podcasts or search for 'Layovers' wherever you get your podcasts

More links on our website

The road that Lufthansa took to get to their new business class seemed somewhat long and convoluted, Paul is finally able to tell you if it was worth the wait (choosing a seat on Allegris might be as long and convoluted a process though).
And hey, there are no less than 5 outside cameras on their 350!
How to strike gold after gold at JFK Terminal 1 and be faster than fast-track.
Vinod finally gets the satisfaction of flying aboard an Air Canada A330, do the nuances of in-flight service and crew dynamics hit him then?
We opine on a few anniversary liveries, there's one we love ("DEADLY"), there's one we're not sure about.
Ever wanted a flight tracker on your desk? Jetclock is a pretty cool one.
What Vinod prioritizes when he chooses a seat in business class (which he kinda goes against when he chooses a seat in premium economy!)
Tasting thousands of wine for an airline? Where do we apply?
Air Canada, please introduce those lesley stowe raincoast crisps on-board (and for the love of God. someone import them to the UK, says Paul!)

We mentioned: JetClock
(The link Paul promised is here, but the live ATC feeds sadly do not seem to work anymore: https://listentothe.cloud/ )

See you in the next one, happy flying!
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For video and commenting: YouTube or Spotify
Social: Instagram - Facebook (we're everywhere else too)
Listen and review: Apple Podcasts - search for 'Layovers' wherever you listen

Reach out to Paul on Instagram (his photography Instagram), or LinkedIn

More links on our website.