Dan's Munich Airport Nightmare

0:02 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm Dan and I'm Alex and welcome back to on air how are you doing Alex good how are things very good It's been a very exciting week for me in all screw. [SPEAKER_01]: We've got more to come on that soon on our channel But you know the secret Revolving around sorry starting off the episode with so-called news of a very exciting week So you know all of us just leaned in and then you're telling us [SPEAKER_01]: Further, we'll be announced on your channel.

0:33 [SPEAKER_01]: How dare you? [SPEAKER_01]: Singlessly. [SPEAKER_01]: Polakio channel. [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, no, that's the point of this podcast. [SPEAKER_02]: To make people go watch our YouTube videos, right? [SPEAKER_01]: It should be the other way around your YouTube videos should be making people listen to the podcast.

0:47 [SPEAKER_01]: I know that's what it should be like. [SPEAKER_01]: Speaking of the audience, wow, what an amazing welcome back from everyone who got in touch with tons of comments, who are delighted that we were back in the podcast feeds. [SPEAKER_01]: That's really, really really nice. [SPEAKER_01]: And especially loads of people commenting for the first time, so they're like, they're like the secret listeners, the secret loyalists who, you know, it was just too good, so they had to comment for the first time, which, by the way, we loved.

1:13 [SPEAKER_02]: It is so fun because I think we both tend to forget that people actually enjoy listening to us y'all, at least I do. [SPEAKER_02]: So then when people start commenting, I miss the podcast. [SPEAKER_02]: Where's the podcast? [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, oh, you want that back? [SPEAKER_02]: All right.

1:26 [SPEAKER_02]: Okay. [SPEAKER_02]: We're coming back. [SPEAKER_01]: Also, you know how we're like, this is a podcast. [SPEAKER_01]: We just thought it was a phone call. [SPEAKER_01]: We just drew a different platform to save each other. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, a free great platform that bypasses all the PN restrictions.

1:40 [SPEAKER_02]: So it's great. [SPEAKER_02]: Or maybe not on the level. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, well, we need that in our increasingly unstable world with everything that's going on. [SPEAKER_01]: It's mad, including all of this. [SPEAKER_01]: We've just got a note here about fin air to publish that into and report for January to September.

1:57 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's so weird because I was talking to a friend the other day about they was saying to me, oh, you know, Alex aviation, wow, you know, how difficult, difficult, most of this year globally for aviation, you know, how are the elements coping, you know, financially? [SPEAKER_01]: And I was kind of like, well, that's sort of super profitable again, at least the majority of airlines.

2:22 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, and at least considering the circumstances as well. [SPEAKER_02]: You know, like higher oil prices, but they've most of them have managed to raise their prices enough to basically mitigate that, which is crazy. [SPEAKER_01]: Exactly. [SPEAKER_01]: And also, I feel like these circumstances had they had been the reality 15 years ago.

2:43 [SPEAKER_01]: We would have been seeing just airlines go bust. [SPEAKER_01]: That was happening 15 years ago without everything that's happening now. [SPEAKER_01]: So there is definitely resilience built into the sector. [SPEAKER_01]: You know, far and wide, which is great because that means stability, it means jobs, it means someone.

3:00 [SPEAKER_01]: So it's an interesting perception. [SPEAKER_02]: We had a Michael O'Leary in the spring, of course, predicting that two airlines in Europe might struggle to survive after the summer. [SPEAKER_02]: One of them being airbultic, which indeed has declared bankruptcy now. [SPEAKER_02]: The other being was air, which hasn't yet, but were barely out of Euro summer season, so to speak.

3:23 [SPEAKER_02]: So it will be interesting to see if Michael O'Leary's prediction comes true for both of those airlines. [SPEAKER_02]: What did you think we saw that Erbaltic declared bankruptcy? [SPEAKER_01]: Erbaltic has been on that kind of shaky journey that included the removal of that CEO Martin, who we've had here on the podcast and just [SPEAKER_01]: a lot of anger in Latvia for different reasons over the decisions that were made at a Baltic at the time and also longer-term decisions that will affect the financial health.

3:56 [SPEAKER_01]: So I wasn't so surprised for anyone monitoring the airline that the little Latvia and airline that could, as we were referring to it, you could see how this was potentially on the cards, and of course it's not [SPEAKER_01]: able to cause operating, they initiate such financial protection measures to ensure that they continue operating.

4:17 [SPEAKER_01]: However, the weaker players in Europe are vulnerable. [SPEAKER_01]: That is the case every single year specifically at this time of year. [SPEAKER_01]: So September, October is that time where airlines have to demonstrate. [SPEAKER_01]: have enough to get through the winter. [SPEAKER_01]: They've got enough cash flow, they have enough food, bookings and so on to ensure that they can make it through the quieter winter months.

4:41 [SPEAKER_01]: And if they can't demonstrate that, for example, to their regulators, [SPEAKER_01]: and sometimes they lose now license, and that's what causes them and I like to clap. [SPEAKER_01]: So it's not just their botic, it's what I would say, but I wasn't surprised. [SPEAKER_01]: Do you want to see a question?

4:53 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, they're still giving us entertaining TikToks on the right on a very unserious right side. [SPEAKER_01]: But there's been like everything's become a bit unserious, don't you think? [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, but can we just recognize, okay, and I don't want to get political, but I want to speak about, [SPEAKER_01]: public speaking because you and I have a podcast so we're kind of well versed in this area and you're a YouTube sensation as I recently Just so it pain me to describe you to someone like that recently Yeah, yeah, I subscribed to you in June.

5:27 [SPEAKER_00]: It's been a great summer No, just who did I meet someone to say to me? [SPEAKER_01]: Who do you do the podcast with and I said down and they said As in non-asid yes YouTube sensation non-stop down with an arrow [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I thought God if he heard me be that nice that would be really For the relationship.

5:48 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, if you're scared Yeah, I thought I literally said don't don't repeat that that's it Don't ever admit like what do my YouTube decision anyway. [SPEAKER_01]: Why was I saying this? [SPEAKER_01]: Oh? [SPEAKER_01]: So about the public speaking thing so I was in hysterics when I watched that new US Press Secretary appear for the first time and [SPEAKER_01]: and speak about like, uh, then as Swayva, and like, Luzel Haroudians, when she said, good morning.

6:19 [SPEAKER_01]: And then she fell flat and everything. [SPEAKER_01]: And I was thinking about, you know, how no matter what, no matter the ambitions, no matter the whatever. [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, that that role is not for everyone. [SPEAKER_01]: And then two days later, or three days later, like, she's out.

6:35 [SPEAKER_01]: And then the world quickly moves on and blah, blah, blah. [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_01]: And everyone was chiming in like, oh, she should have looked up, she should have raised her voice, she should have stood up a kind of more confidently. [SPEAKER_01]: And then I was like, in the airline world, and the aviation world and so on.

6:53 [SPEAKER_01]: Who are the speakers that are like, whoa, they're captivating, you know, they get you from the hook, you can't help, but know that it's going to be interesting. [SPEAKER_01]: And then who are the ones who you kind of struggle to listen to just because of that delivery? [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, most of the character's dry, right?

7:16 [SPEAKER_01]: So this is what I was thinking. [SPEAKER_01]: The industry's not very gifed it with with public speaking and that's potentially why the industry's so shit at telling the world, like communicating effectively to the rest of the world, right? [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think that Sir Tim Clark at Emirates because of his age and the reverence towards him is quite entertaining because he's very candid about things.

7:40 [SPEAKER_02]: It's in a similar way to Michael O'Leary where he, everything he says in the back of his mind, he's thinking, how can we benefit in my airline? [SPEAKER_02]: If he says something about another airline or about airbus or Boeing, it all comes back to how it can benefit my airline, but it's still always interesting to hear that especially when they take a jab at airbus or a jab of Boeing, and you try to think one step further and go, all right, so he's saying this, what does he actually mean?

8:07 [SPEAKER_02]: What does he want? [SPEAKER_01]: That's true. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, the industry often has that reputation of not being able to cut through to the public, right? [SPEAKER_01]: So like that's why on Twitter, you're still seeing people horrified about EES, for example, the long queues, currently it amps the damn of the sound and they're blaming the airline because they don't understand the full picture because the industry's not great of explaining it.

8:31 [SPEAKER_01]: And so many other things as well, it's amazing. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm sure there are listeners [SPEAKER_01]: But it is amazing to me that people still do not realize that, for example, if you have a British showers booking, let's say, and you're flying from London to Hong Kong back to London for a two-week trip.

8:52 [SPEAKER_01]: If you miss that first flight, let's say you don't need it. [SPEAKER_01]: Actually, your plans changed and you were being positioned out from work from New York. [SPEAKER_01]: But you think I'll still fly that flight back to London. [SPEAKER_01]: the ticket will be cancelled automatically both both sectors now you know that tiny fact that you will lose the whole booking sorry is this perhaps the greatest most unspoken policy of air travel that still shocks people when I [SPEAKER_01]: Just reconfirm this like at dinner and they're like, and it's what but I paid for You're right, and it is in theory.

9:29 [SPEAKER_02]: It seems logical until you understand the reason it's there is to prevent Mainly at least in my view to prevent hidden city ticketing so to speak so someone can skip the leg from Sofea to London and just fly from London to New York, but pay half the price. [SPEAKER_02]: That's why it doesn't seem possible It's not the same thing as a [SPEAKER_02]: How tell because if you don't show up on your checking data to tell they'll give up your room even though you've booked five nights You can't show up on the on the third night, but that's different because then they're releasing the inventory and airline has already sold the seat and they I mean, I guess it's the same that data if you skip the first one data No, if you'll be on the second one, but you've already paid so the seat is yours Exactly.

10:13 [SPEAKER_01]: Well again, it comes back to that communication issue that the industry has [SPEAKER_01]: But to go to the original point, I quickly want to say, I asked AI, okay, three different forms of AI, who were the best airline CO public speakers, who are the best and who are the worst, okay? [SPEAKER_01]: Who do you think they rated in first place?

10:33 [SPEAKER_01]: As categorically, the best airline CO public speaker? [SPEAKER_01]: Ed Bastion? [SPEAKER_01]: Nope. [SPEAKER_02]: Do you know the guess? [SPEAKER_02]: Hmm, Scott Kirby? [SPEAKER_01]: Nope. [SPEAKER_01]: There's no way, I mean, when I say you could tell me Carson's for I'm gonna. [SPEAKER_01]: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

11:09 [SPEAKER_01]: Interesting, all right, and it's funny because I associate Tony Fernandes as being a press conference with him and this French guy with quite out their hair raised his hand to ask a question and Tony Fernandes said you look like you've stuck your fingers into a plug socket The best airline CEO period, right?

11:39 [SPEAKER_01]: Willy Walsh for Authority Precision and Industry Expertise, I think you can get behind that. [SPEAKER_01]: Fifth is said the fifth best airline CEO, public speaker, in our version history, is Akbar Al-Bhakar, I always form a CEO who's commanding presence and memorable answers. [SPEAKER_01]: Did you not just have a talk about that?

12:00 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so tell us, so we're gonna do the full story of what happened when I met Afra Al-Bhakar. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, please, you have the floor. [SPEAKER_01]: Go on. [SPEAKER_01]: All right. [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't know you wanted this. [SPEAKER_02]: But here we go. [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's interesting because a lot of people because a lot of people aren't aware that he's currently advised that to the PMs, so he is in a different row outside of aviation.

12:23 [SPEAKER_01]: But you met him in Dubai. [SPEAKER_02]: I did. [SPEAKER_02]: I met him or we saw him because he was standing around the fly do buy it stand, which I thought was kind of funny with talking I think he's close friends to the CEO of fly do buy based on what I hear so they were chatting yep they were chatting a bit he's a very popular guy obviously but I was like I have to have a word so [SPEAKER_02]: I managed to sneak in and introduce myself, obviously, you know him a bit, so I said, hey, let's get a picture because I wanted to send one to you and he went, no, no pictures.

12:59 [SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, okay, quick, quick, like switch topic. [SPEAKER_02]: And then I remembered that someone had sent me a TikTok that was going completely viral. [SPEAKER_01]: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. [SPEAKER_01]: Before you come to that, didn't he tell you why he can't take [SPEAKER_02]: He said, yeah, uh, work because he's a minister.

13:19 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, yeah, because he, because he was in the prime minister's office, he's any contact with photo. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, exactly. [SPEAKER_02]: Some random excuse like that. [SPEAKER_02]: But, um, it's not random. [SPEAKER_01]: It's legit. [SPEAKER_01]: No, it's not. [SPEAKER_02]: Like put politicians and whatever take pictures with people all the time, but okay Anyway, I just think he didn't want to take a picture with me, so probably I'm like I'm like quick quick change subject So I thought of this tick talk that I'd been sent and it sent me down a rabbit hole of Realizing that aqua albaqra is going very viral on tick talk [SPEAKER_02]: You know, because in hindsight, some of the stuff he said, especially to Gen Z, seems kind of iconic.

13:57 [SPEAKER_02]: So I went, Akbar, did you see, or I might have said your excellence, he did you see or going viral on TikTok? [SPEAKER_02]: Like what? [SPEAKER_02]: That was a random thing to say, he's like, uh, no, I am not on TikTok, uh, Instagram or Snapchat. [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like oh and he's like which one is it and I'm like so it's the remember the one where you say I want to business with anybody even the devil and then he looks at me when you were using this [SPEAKER_02]: I used the voice to his face, yeah, and he's enjoying love it because Oscar got some sneaky photos You saw the photos.

14:39 [SPEAKER_02]: He was kind he looked kind of charmed. [SPEAKER_02]: He's looking up at me and I He tells the story. [SPEAKER_02]: I tell him the TikTok and he's go and he goes But it's true So So he agreed so that was my little interaction with [SPEAKER_02]: One of the most memorable airline CEOs of our lifetimes, at least.

15:03 [SPEAKER_01]: Of course. [SPEAKER_01]: You know, on this answer, it's rated that apparently industry consensus is that the weakest airline CEO in history, in terms of public communication, is Alan Joyce, the former CEO of Kontas, apparently his association, well, and I get this defensive communication [SPEAKER_01]: especially during those very high-profile controversies that eventually were the reason why he left.

15:32 [SPEAKER_01]: But also I just think, I don't know if, because so he's got a new book out, have you seen? [SPEAKER_01]: He's got a new book. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so he's got a new book. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so he's got a new book. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so he's got a new [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, so the kind of the result so that it hasn't sold many copies, it's not doing so well as a book, but it's definitely a interest to a niche few in the industry and so I have the book downloaded on Kindle and then I also have the audio book on Spotify and I did start [SPEAKER_01]: I couldn't do it, just because it wasn't easy enough on the years.

16:23 [SPEAKER_01]: It did feel that everything he was saying, he was saying to push back and it was like, whoa, you're describing your childhood, just chill. [SPEAKER_01]: There's no. [SPEAKER_01]: But I guess the reason why he's even done this book in the first place is because he said he wants to get his side on record and so on.

16:39 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, interesting. [SPEAKER_01]: The AI seems to think that it's Alan Joyce. [SPEAKER_02]: That is interesting. [SPEAKER_02]: What I think this discussion shows and what is such a, there's a lot of things I don't think the aviation industry understands. [SPEAKER_02]: One of them is, if you look at other businesses that people interact with a lot or that they get a lot of products from like, let's say Apple or [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, not every brand, but many companies try to make their CEO sort of a front-facing person that people know if they look like, they know if they sound like they know their personality to connect a person with the brand.

17:15 [SPEAKER_02]: Airlines don't really do this, which I view as a missed opportunity on part for the airline, but also for the CEOs, since there are some CEOs who say with an airline a long time, but [SPEAKER_02]: The opportunity to build their brand, I think, is very valuable by teaching people who are they, what are their values as a leader, as a CEO, what do they like about the different airlines they've flown, what would they have changed, or what do they like about the different airlines they've led?

17:46 [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, yes, exactly. [SPEAKER_01]: They've been a part of what were the kind of the best teachings that they want to bring from one to the other and so on. [SPEAKER_01]: Precisely. [SPEAKER_01]: And don't you think it's because [SPEAKER_01]: then they have a board and they're satisfying the board and then they have different priorities that are mandated from the shareholders or perhaps the state and so on.

18:07 [SPEAKER_02]: I guess the difference, yeah, when you compare it to something like Apple, everyone who's come up now, they're on their third CEO, has been with the company for a very long time. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, they were there. [SPEAKER_02]: Tim Coco's with Steve Jobs from the Starts, basically. [SPEAKER_02]: So if you come up with the airline, I guess it's one thing, but if you're new and you've just been poached from a different airline, I understand that it's a bit strange from the airline's perspective to do that.

18:34 [SPEAKER_02]: Dominic sense. [SPEAKER_02]: I have a story that I hope I can retell it with the amount of passion and anger that I felt in that moment because it was like I just I recorded a tenement of voice note after it happened to remember the whole thing. [SPEAKER_02]: This was in mid September, so about a month ago and I titled it Munich Airport Horror Story.

18:59 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh my goodness. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, Dan, you have the floor. [SPEAKER_01]: What happened? [SPEAKER_02]: This is so this is keep a mind Europe's only five star airport. [SPEAKER_02]: Is that right? [SPEAKER_02]: If Paris strong walls, you know, five star now? [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: So, I mean, Munich airport, I think is good in theory, but our problem was way more with the staff at many points.

19:24 [SPEAKER_02]: in this journey. [SPEAKER_01]: So, by the way, Rome is also supposed to Rome is a five star as well. [SPEAKER_01]: If we're going by skytracks. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: Where is Helsinki and Copenhagen, but that's another thing. [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: So basically, we were staying overnight.

19:39 [SPEAKER_02]: Do you know the Hilton and Munich airport? [SPEAKER_01]: I have stayed there. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's quite well known. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know why, but I just feel like it's very well known in aviation circles because it's right between the terminals. [SPEAKER_02]: It's one of the most convenient and perhaps high quality, like airport connected hotel.

20:00 [SPEAKER_01]: I slept all day there previously and arriving from a red island was connecting onwards that night. [SPEAKER_02]: And that was a good life hack. [SPEAKER_02]: So we had to what we were departing from Terminal 1, because we were flying Condor, we were to Greece. [SPEAKER_02]: The reason is, I mean, Condor for one actually is quite a hack, because they have really cheap interior appeal business, cost fairs I discovered, I didn't even know they offered interior appeal business.

20:30 [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe it's a new thing, but it was like $200, whereas economy was $120, so $200 for Interior Appian Business from Munich to Greece includes extra luggage and MTC next to you. [SPEAKER_01]: Well it's worth it just for the luggage alone, right? [SPEAKER_01]: Exactly. [SPEAKER_01]: It would be about 60, 70 euros, so yeah 100% so it was a great deal.

20:54 [SPEAKER_02]: So, we were flying condor, it's my first time flying condor out of Munich, and they depart from Terminal 1, which is the older Terminal. [SPEAKER_02]: So, it's a bit of a further walk from the Hilton, and we had a lot of luggage, because we, as you guys know, [SPEAKER_02]: So we had two big 30 kilo check-in bags, our roller carry-ons was like a laptop bag on top, a lot of stuff.

21:22 [SPEAKER_02]: We slept like four or five hours before this. [SPEAKER_02]: So we walked to the terminal and to our delight as soon as we enter, terminal one, we see a big condor check-in. [SPEAKER_02]: This was the Z check-in area. [SPEAKER_02]: It's only self-check-in, but we think perfect. [SPEAKER_02]: Let's just leave our bags here.

21:40 [SPEAKER_02]: because the previous day we had walked from, obviously, the main part of the terminal. [SPEAKER_02]: It's like a kilometer. [SPEAKER_02]: So we're like, if we can skip walking with all our bags to go there, yeah, perfect. [SPEAKER_02]: So we pull up to the Z checking, um, they have self-checking kiosks.

21:56 [SPEAKER_02]: So we print our boarding pad. [SPEAKER_02]: Actually, I think we had mobile boarding passes. [SPEAKER_02]: We print our bag tags, put them on our bags. [SPEAKER_02]: By the way, [SPEAKER_02]: Do you love putting on your own bag tag so as much as me? [SPEAKER_01]: No, I don't like doing it.

22:10 [SPEAKER_01]: What's that for starting it? [SPEAKER_01]: I know what you mean. [SPEAKER_01]: You're the satisfying thing of peeling it and sticking it You're talking about the actual thing exactly. [SPEAKER_01]: I see some of this idea that experience powered the passengers have been empowered To also play the role of check-in agent.

22:25 [SPEAKER_01]: No, no, that's I'm the passenger. [SPEAKER_01]: We spoke about this before. [SPEAKER_01]: I apply the same logic with the self-check-out I would rather they support someone by employing them and [SPEAKER_01]: and we have that nice interaction where they ask me do I need that, don't know, how's your day, blah, blah, blah.

22:36 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not playing both parts and the same logic at the airport. [SPEAKER_01]: And I know big checking, they're clumping everywhere. [SPEAKER_01]: They've won almost right and they're normalizing that you go to the airport and you wear your bag and you tag your bag. [SPEAKER_01]: and also you get delusional like Dan and you enjoy it.

22:57 [SPEAKER_02]: I do enjoy it. [SPEAKER_01]: I push against it. [SPEAKER_01]: Go. [SPEAKER_02]: I like Big Bag Tag, but I don't like Big Chuck. [SPEAKER_01]: You like Big Bag Tags, and you cannot lie. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't understand. [SPEAKER_02]: So, so you know, when you print your own bag tag, there's always those belts with a computer and a scanner.

23:17 [SPEAKER_02]: Right where you scan your own bag. [SPEAKER_02]: You know what I'm talking about. [SPEAKER_01]: Horrible. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, gone. [SPEAKER_02]: I love it. [SPEAKER_02]: So we walk over there. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, it's prompting us to scan our boarding pass. [SPEAKER_02]: So we do that. [SPEAKER_02]: Put our bag on.

23:30 [SPEAKER_02]: As I'm lifting the bag up, there was no employee in sight during this, by the way. [SPEAKER_02]: As I'm lifting the bag up. [SPEAKER_01]: Apparently that's what airlines and airports call seamless. [SPEAKER_01]: That's not that you're left to fend for yourself. [SPEAKER_01]: All the seamless airport experience.

23:50 [SPEAKER_02]: You need to scan your budding pass. [SPEAKER_01]: You need to scan your budding pass. [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm just like, we scanned our boarding pass. [SPEAKER_02]: It's an English. [SPEAKER_02]: It's a, we're good. [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you. [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't say it. [SPEAKER_02]: I was like, you think we already did that.

24:04 [SPEAKER_02]: So she sort of stains their arms crossed. [SPEAKER_02]: We put the bag on the belt. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay. [SPEAKER_01]: So in that moment, right? [SPEAKER_01]: She's chatting at you. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, because, well, it's like I want to, I would pretend she would said to you, Dan, yet, Dan.

24:16 [SPEAKER_01]: Didn't you remember that from a training? [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, that's right. [SPEAKER_01]: We haven't had any. [SPEAKER_01]: Because I'm the passenger of the outside. [SPEAKER_02]: Because I'm gone. [SPEAKER_02]: And by the way, we were the only people there. [SPEAKER_02]: There was no other passenger just this one to show it up and just us.

24:34 [SPEAKER_02]: So it wasn't like it was a very stressful environment. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: So we scan our bag tag and those machines take forever to rate like process your bag. [SPEAKER_02]: So it takes like one minute is loading and loading. [SPEAKER_02]: It even starts moving our bag in and then it goes stop red sign heavy.

24:52 [SPEAKER_02]: Because obviously as I said our bags were heavy. [SPEAKER_02]: So I go to her, excuse me, do you have a bag heavy tag? [SPEAKER_02]: No, no, we don't. [SPEAKER_02]: You need to go to D check in. [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, you are joking, wait, wait, wait. [SPEAKER_01]: Is telling you that [SPEAKER_01]: You need, hang on, it's flaking that the bag is heavy.

25:11 [SPEAKER_01]: What's flaking that the bag needs the heavy tag? [SPEAKER_02]: It's flaking that the bag needs the heavy tag. [SPEAKER_01]: So, no, that you were overweight and that you were at this. [SPEAKER_02]: It's our, but we had 30 kilos of like allowance per bag. [SPEAKER_02]: This bag in my voice snowed, I said it was 24.

25:27 [SPEAKER_02]: So, it wasn't actually as heavy as I thought. [SPEAKER_02]: Just one kilo over. [SPEAKER_02]: So, anyway, we go, do you have a, a heavy tag now? [SPEAKER_02]: So then another employee starts coming over and across from us there was a whole line of check-in desks for somewhat like some other airline I forget which one but a big maybe easy yet or some yeah I don't remember so I was like can you think they have heavy tags over there no no you need to go to con dot check-in and I'm like but this is con door checking every sign above our head says con door [SPEAKER_02]: No, no, we don't have it, so we're like, okay, so you want us to walk all the way.

26:10 [SPEAKER_02]: The question is killing me, it's just like, this is the tone, like that angry, not like so sorry we don't have it or whatever, just no. [SPEAKER_02]: So then, so then we're like, so I ask Oscar, I'm like, can you go and check with the people at those desks if they have a tag? [SPEAKER_02]: Because I don't want to have to slap our back to the whole way.

26:31 [SPEAKER_02]: Especially now that we already put them up on the belt, everything. [SPEAKER_02]: Then there's guy who showed up. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm amazed how obedient you're being in this scenario. [SPEAKER_01]: I was just, I would have unloaded in a polite, but way, but like, [SPEAKER_01]: Sorry, what are you now doing running around the terminal looking for a heavy tag.

26:53 [SPEAKER_02]: This is not this is their job job Yeah, exactly so as Oscar starts walking away to try to find a heavy tag the man who had also showed up goes [SPEAKER_02]: Take your bag off the belt, take it off the belt right now! [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm just like, oh my god. [SPEAKER_02]: So I lift the bag off the belt, I'm like Oscar, you know what?

27:16 [SPEAKER_02]: We just have to go to the other to the real staffed condor checking. [SPEAKER_02]: So this is at 4.30 a.m. by the way, we have our bags, we're dragging them takes 10 minutes to walk in the same time. [SPEAKER_01]: No, just somewhere else. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, to the actual stuff checking.

27:36 [SPEAKER_01]: Why didn't you go there in the first place? [SPEAKER_02]: Um, because it was a 10 minute extra work. [SPEAKER_02]: So we thought we can just draw back right here at the entrance. [SPEAKER_02]: This is perfect. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay. [SPEAKER_02]: Very nice. [SPEAKER_02]: So we walked all the way there.

27:46 [SPEAKER_02]: Uh, and then again, there's tons of desks condor self bag drop. [SPEAKER_02]: But these are unlike those machines that we had before. [SPEAKER_02]: It was just like a glass wall and a belt. [SPEAKER_02]: Here was a real check in desk with the computer and everything just no staff. [SPEAKER_02]: So you could self scan.

28:04 [SPEAKER_02]: So you know stuff. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, yeah, so again, I put my bag. [SPEAKER_02]: I put my bag up scan the boarding pass do everything So again another woman comes up to us and goes what are you doing? [SPEAKER_02]: And we go oh just check your job. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, just just checking they're like this is closed [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like, what do you mean it's closed?

28:28 [SPEAKER_02]: Like the computer, the sign is on, the computer is on. [SPEAKER_02]: It's closed, can't you see? [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, no, it literally says, it looks completely open. [SPEAKER_01]: This is the quality thing, it's really for stuff. [SPEAKER_01]: That's like off the getting down. [SPEAKER_01]: You recall on day 82 of your training.

28:48 [SPEAKER_01]: It was clearly explained to you that when it sets up in this way, what a load of BS this is. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, exactly. [SPEAKER_02]: Exactly. [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: So Oscar, who's here as me from the other room said, the context here is also that we were in quite a hurry.

29:05 [SPEAKER_02]: So the fact that they made us do this whole shot with our bags just took more time. [SPEAKER_02]: But anyway, [SPEAKER_02]: So then we go to a machine that she claims as operational. [SPEAKER_02]: So we like another one of those glass self bag drop machines. [SPEAKER_02]: So she sort of pulls us over there.

29:26 [SPEAKER_02]: She rips off the bag tag we had. [SPEAKER_02]: takes says give me a phone so she takes it she scans the boarding pass on my phone which we could have obviously done herself prints a new bag tag put some so it prints a heavy tag and literally i'm not kidding when that whole process to do one bag which we had already tagged tagged took five minutes for her to do one bag [SPEAKER_02]: So then, out of nowhere, as that employee is doing that on our back, another woman shows up out of the blue and goes, [SPEAKER_01]: out of nowhere.

30:15 [SPEAKER_01]: I would have torn up our own boat in Basis and walked off. [SPEAKER_01]: It was like a show. [SPEAKER_02]: I was like, is this as someone pranking us? [SPEAKER_02]: What is going on here? [SPEAKER_02]: Like the colleague hadn't said anything about the bag being too big, although she was already being rude enough.

30:34 [SPEAKER_02]: And then there's another one out of nowhere. [SPEAKER_02]: That one's illegal. [SPEAKER_02]: Um, so I tell her, excuse me, as you can see on this bag, we have about 50 check-in tags of those little white things because we keep it on. [SPEAKER_02]: We've taken over 200 flights with this bag, including in Germany, and it has never been illegal.

30:55 [SPEAKER_02]: So the first, the first employee is just standing there like blinking, not knowing what's going on. [SPEAKER_02]: So she scans the, oh yeah, and she refuses to scan the first bag. [SPEAKER_02]: So I say, can you please scan this now? [SPEAKER_02]: Please scan it right now. [SPEAKER_02]: So she scans it.

31:09 [SPEAKER_02]: We put the second tag up and keep them as I said, it took her five minutes to do that one. [SPEAKER_02]: So I said, things I've got this. [SPEAKER_02]: So I start doing the second bag. [SPEAKER_02]: The bag type starts coming out. [SPEAKER_02]: So I go to take it. [SPEAKER_02]: What are you doing?

31:25 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, I want to put the tag on my back. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm doing it. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, what the, I thought this was self-checking. [SPEAKER_02]: It about time. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: Oh, and by the way, instead of, you know how every year when you have a heavy tag, it's like one of those, it's a red tag with a white little strain on it that you loop around the handle.

31:47 [SPEAKER_02]: So this woman is taking it, this one has adhesive, so she's taking it off the adhesive and gluing it down the entire front of our bags. [SPEAKER_02]: Imagine you take off a bag tag, the whole thing from the adhesive and just sticking it on the front for a bag. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, two observations.

32:09 [SPEAKER_01]: So instead of looping it as is usual, [SPEAKER_01]: She's stuck the whole thing flat on the steering your face. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the second thing is and I speak on behalf of the British listeners here What did you just call adhesive you said adhesive? [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, what is it? [SPEAKER_02]: American say adhesives?

32:34 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I think so. [SPEAKER_02]: What is it to Brits? [SPEAKER_02]: It's the silent age. [SPEAKER_02]: It's adhesives. [SPEAKER_02]: Adhesives are pretty sure it's adhesives, but maybe maybe I'm more. [SPEAKER_02]: Don't trust me, 100%. [SPEAKER_01]: We'll take your comments below everyone.

32:50 [SPEAKER_01]: It's adhesives versus adhesives. [SPEAKER_01]: I think we know. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, let's okay. [SPEAKER_01]: Let's see what you guys say. [SPEAKER_02]: So, okay, go on. [SPEAKER_02]: So, we just let her do it. [SPEAKER_02]: We stood there in silence. [SPEAKER_02]: illegally big bag was checked in.

33:05 [SPEAKER_02]: So literally once we saw the bag was through, we turned around without a word and left, not a word to those employees. [SPEAKER_02]: We go up to security, which had a massive line. [SPEAKER_02]: But then there was one of those where there's two separate lines for two separate scanners, right?

33:23 [SPEAKER_02]: So [SPEAKER_02]: We got in one at first. [SPEAKER_02]: There was no separation between them, and we realized oh wait The one to the right is much shorter. [SPEAKER_02]: There wasn't anyone like coming behind us or anything It's a common sense. [SPEAKER_01]: You're in a thing where you say Q next to you is shorter, so you just pivot Exactly.

33:41 [SPEAKER_01]: Don't tell me this was a problem. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, so we think we're safe because now we're gone from condor So we just go across to that Q a security guy comes up to us and says [SPEAKER_02]: Again, a daddy's illegal. [SPEAKER_02]: What you just did, you cannot switch lines. [SPEAKER_01]: Don't tell me, he actually said that's illegal.

34:02 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, we go, excuse me. [SPEAKER_02]: So Oscar was trying to dream he said, no, no, you'll stay in that line. [SPEAKER_02]: And we're like, I was literally shaking at the, I was like, what is going on? [SPEAKER_01]: Now is everyone so I'm thinking that like Anton Decker about to jump out of there.

34:20 [SPEAKER_02]: Actually literally so you know, and by that right. [SPEAKER_02]: Yes, I do. [SPEAKER_02]: I do so Oscar speaks pretty fluent German So he was like trying to speak German to some people to try to de-escalate didn't work So obviously I was now in the shorter line. [SPEAKER_02]: Oscar was in the long run because it was a long one because it was illegal to change lines So I get through very quick.

34:42 [SPEAKER_02]: I get all my stuff [SPEAKER_02]: and then there's like a huge packing area and everything after security so I stand there waiting for Oscar to go. [SPEAKER_02]: Again, someone comes up to me and goes, what are you doing? [SPEAKER_02]: I'm waiting for my partner over there. [SPEAKER_02]: You cannot wait here.

35:01 [SPEAKER_02]: You need to go out. [SPEAKER_02]: Out. [SPEAKER_02]: Fine. [SPEAKER_02]: Fine. [SPEAKER_02]: That seems normal at this point. [SPEAKER_02]: So that was pretty much our Munich airport experience. [SPEAKER_02]: All scrapped in another third of me. [SPEAKER_02]: But I don't even want to I can't get into it at this point.

35:18 [SPEAKER_02]: It's too much negativity already. [SPEAKER_01]: Why why did I have to be so awful? [SPEAKER_01]: I mean it's early morning. [SPEAKER_01]: It's you know [SPEAKER_01]: any of those interactions actually achieved anything other than it just being as I said awful, but also this is so you are a tech savvy travel forward king right you know how to travel kind of just give you another compliment this really must be a different season of on there right but I'm doing it to make a point right [SPEAKER_01]: What if our grandparents were traveling instead in that scenario?

35:57 [SPEAKER_01]: Were they going to be spoken to like shit or was this reserved because [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what you're seemingly appear under 35. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, you know, what is that? [SPEAKER_01]: And why is it normalized? [SPEAKER_01]: I don't like it and it's incredibly rife when it's peak travel periods, not just some of it, but peak travel periods.

36:18 [SPEAKER_01]: But it's horrible. [SPEAKER_01]: And that's, you know, and big check-in is fueling this as well, this whole thing. [SPEAKER_01]: I told you when I did the terminal two trials at Heathrow and they said, yeah, but this is before terminal two [SPEAKER_01]: They said the amazing thing is you can go through your whole journey and not see a single member of staff I was like, I'm sorry, did you just say that was the amazing thing or like the most horrifying aspect of this?

36:44 [SPEAKER_02]: Well it's a Munich airport, that sounds ideal in this case I'll do so but the irony here isn't the irony that [SPEAKER_02]: I was trying to be a self-sufficient and smooth things out as much as possible. [SPEAKER_01]: But it was a time to serve way more collaborative than I would have been.

37:05 [SPEAKER_02]: I just asked for a heavy tag because that's what we needed. [SPEAKER_02]: The only thing I ever asked for was a heavy tag. [SPEAKER_02]: and it led to all of that. [SPEAKER_02]: The second thing was trying to speed up security by switching lines to make things quicker for everyone and then getting yelled at again.

37:21 [SPEAKER_02]: Like every stop, as I'm trying to make the journey as smooth as possible for me and consequently other people, I get yelled at more than six people yelled at me before 5 a.m., a Munich airport. [SPEAKER_01]: I think I'm imagining Munich Airport accepting our five-star ward and saying we yelled at one individual more than six occasions in one morning, which I didn't like to tell you.

37:48 [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know what has achieved that. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: What BS and this is obviously not a Munich thing, but it is right across Europe. [SPEAKER_01]: It's funny because you know, while I was in New York, we were chatting about [SPEAKER_01]: the way in which Americans are so well versed with, for example, domestic air travel because it's just so normalized that actually for the amount that we can poke fun at different demographics of travelers.

38:12 [SPEAKER_01]: In that scenario, Americans pass through security, for example, in the U.S. [SPEAKER_01]: way faster and smoother than now European counterparts and I said this to you didn't know when like the TSA of course is shouting the background take your laptops out take your shoes off and it's like that's a that's a big kind of high energy but then it's flowing it's moving people are not [SPEAKER_01]: Whereas I find sometimes that Europeans are standing there staring at the tray, I'm like, do something, do something, anything.

38:40 [SPEAKER_02]: The one system Europeans malfunction when they're faced with is those new security systems, where it's like spot one, two, three, four, step up to the free spot, which may be spot two. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, try to push your bag in when you have the chains and then take a new tray. [SPEAKER_02]: It's like literally system malfunction.

39:03 [SPEAKER_01]: I literally, I point, I'm like one here, one here, one here, one here, let's go guys, guys. [SPEAKER_01]: You can keep moving, especially if I'm stuck behind them. [SPEAKER_01]: If I'm stuck behind them and they're just standing there thinking, [SPEAKER_01]: We'll just go for the one because we're not confident enough to recognize that there are five empty spots next next to them.

39:18 [SPEAKER_01]: You're right. [SPEAKER_01]: That's weird. [SPEAKER_01]: But I think that's definitely. [SPEAKER_02]: It says we said Americans treat traveling like taking the bus and it's such a casual thing. [SPEAKER_02]: A lot of Americans fly a lot as opposed to in Europe. [SPEAKER_02]: I'd love to see statistics on this, but I'm willing to bet that your average person flies a lot less frequently.

39:40 [SPEAKER_02]: Therefore, your average person at the airport, to us, we know these scanners. [SPEAKER_02]: We've used them hundreds of times because of the amount we fly, but if you haven't taken a flight in two years and you're now your first time at a big airport and who knows how many years, then yeah, maybe it's still new to you, even though it has been around for so long.

40:01 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I wanted to talk to you about that. [SPEAKER_01]: They're so whole lounge at JFK. [SPEAKER_02]: All right. [SPEAKER_01]: So so so whole lounge was the one reserved for Emeralds, one more Emerald yet and equivalent. [SPEAKER_01]: And then the the lounge to the right is that the Greenwich lounge that's kind of like the business class lounge.

40:20 [SPEAKER_01]: And so if anyone who's not Emerald or Embello. [SPEAKER_01]: And the, I thought it was so far. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I don't know what we call those people, I didn't mean it. [SPEAKER_02]: Do we call them peasants? [SPEAKER_02]: I say this because I'm not emerald. [SPEAKER_01]: Listen, don't try and drag me down this route because you're not going to put words in my mouth.

40:44 [SPEAKER_01]: I never said that. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay. [SPEAKER_01]: And in the so-how lounge. [SPEAKER_01]: I was really, it was evening, it was really dark, kind of moody, very restaurant vibe, right? [SPEAKER_01]: Like it's very, I'm assuming you've been in this lounge. [SPEAKER_02]: I haven't been to the cell, oh, I'm embarrassed.

41:02 [SPEAKER_02]: I've been exposed because I haven't been emerald in two years I'm recalling in a month, but I haven't been to it. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh dear, well, well, I don't know. [SPEAKER_01]: I think I guess we should move on there. [SPEAKER_02]: Good to listen for this like Alex. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm very familiar with the Greenwich lounge.

41:21 [SPEAKER_02]: Okay. [SPEAKER_01]: See, I'm not familiar with the grand finale. [SPEAKER_02]: Because you are not, not emerald. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not grand-age, I'm so host. [SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, it's funny because I went from so host in downtown New York to the so-her lunch. [SPEAKER_01]: I was thinking, gosh, everything is just...

41:40 [SPEAKER_01]: Everything's named so well here for consistency. [SPEAKER_02]: Need to branch out of the Alex. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, okay. [SPEAKER_01]: So anyway, the, we say branch out. [SPEAKER_01]: I was walking one day, my group recorded 39,000 steps in New York. [SPEAKER_01]: That was a day that I happened to walk from Wall Street.

42:02 [SPEAKER_01]: And so for anyone visualizing that, that's like one of the most southern points of Manhattan, ended up [SPEAKER_01]: at Central Park didn't set out to end up there. [SPEAKER_01]: So that's all of Manhattan, well, the southern part at least, midtown and so on, up Central Park. [SPEAKER_01]: And then to the upper east side.

42:21 [SPEAKER_01]: And it just, I did, as I said, I didn't set out. [SPEAKER_01]: It was just, I met a friend here. [SPEAKER_01]: And then I was like, oh, I'll go terminates further there. [SPEAKER_01]: Fifty minutes further there. [SPEAKER_01]: I picked that up and great love and grit system. [SPEAKER_01]: And also, [SPEAKER_01]: loved Oscar's trivia where he message to remind me that Broadway is the only street in New York that comes down diagonally, right?

42:40 [SPEAKER_01]: Where is the rest or in the grid? [SPEAKER_01]: So, but I can't get it. [SPEAKER_01]: Is he a grandmother? [SPEAKER_02]: I know, next time, because you'll be back in New York soon. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm sure. [SPEAKER_02]: Like, can we just before we get to the so-called lounge acknowledge what an incredible [SPEAKER_01]: Google Maps walk I sent you with points what map down you did you did you did so because I wanted your take on you know I have been to New York a few times before blah blah blah but I was like give me an update did like Dan knows me very well Where should I be walking this morning and you [SPEAKER_01]: even though you were sat on a boat in the agency.

43:20 [SPEAKER_01]: Let's do it right. [SPEAKER_01]: You're zooming in and you'd crafted this perfect walk where I go through Washington. [SPEAKER_01]: It's hard. [SPEAKER_01]: Washington Square Park, that's it, not the other one. [SPEAKER_01]: And then it goes way up to Washington Square Park. [SPEAKER_01]: Up Hudson, Hudson Yard and kind of everything.

43:42 [SPEAKER_00]: It was like a long, [SPEAKER_01]: a very well-thoughtout, very curated after morning and afternoon that I was planning to go oh here and there, but then you kind of made it way more fluent and it was great. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm appreciative of that as you discovered your new favorite New York area.

44:01 [SPEAKER_01]: The West Village. [SPEAKER_02]: Thanks to that walk, you're true. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I liked the West Village when I was there before, but definitely [SPEAKER_01]: some great little eateries and also it was just a great time of the year because it was September and so we had one day that was like a real summer still here day then the next day was a naughty start okay you know a bit different but but it was [SPEAKER_01]: No, you did very well.

44:30 [SPEAKER_01]: Anyway, the server allowed you didn't have much to sell in it other than it was like a very dimly lit restaurant, but Huge like massive, but understandably so because you've got B.A. [SPEAKER_01]: in there, American in there, Qatar in there, and so on, all your one-world pals, that's not going to be the case.

44:46 [SPEAKER_01]: You realize when Qatar move out and go to new terminal one. [SPEAKER_01]: So it's very like [SPEAKER_01]: Jeff Kay terminal eight right now is really nicely one-world, but that's not going to be the case as a result of the new terminal. [SPEAKER_02]: Well, just a few years back, it wasn't.

44:59 [SPEAKER_02]: BA wasn't there as a bunch of other airlines. [SPEAKER_02]: You're right. [SPEAKER_02]: It's weird because [SPEAKER_02]: My memory of Terminal 8 is just American Airlines like the lineup used to be on the American planes and now Qatar has used it for quite a while to be fair, but now it's like as you said it's a beautiful one-world lineup Which is gonna this person.

45:24 [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's gonna be good because [SPEAKER_02]: It's a little over-capacity you have issues of, as we mentioned, always in the US. [SPEAKER_02]: The gate is occupied. [SPEAKER_02]: We have to wait to get it, blah, blah, blah. [SPEAKER_02]: But also, it's really an A, A, and B, A terminal.

45:39 [SPEAKER_02]: Let the other one world airlines do their own thing somewhere else. [SPEAKER_01]: Sure, Jerry. [SPEAKER_02]: Potentially, it will be nice to have a guitar lounge, for example, in New York, right? [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and also the new Katalanjin, you tell me the one you're going to be able to board directly to the aircraft, so you'll board from the launch.

45:55 [SPEAKER_02]: Love that. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, how I'm a magic. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and also how on European, because I'm just thinking of, I mean, I did so many A.G. and flights this summer, which thankfully on the whole were great, but the use of bus gates at Athens Airport. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, it's just too much, and especially when it's supposed to be a premium experience, you've paid for business class, there was a gate agent.

46:17 [SPEAKER_01]: And she just, she opened boarding and it's out to, to board the buses and it's typically supposed to be a business class bus and then they go, then everyone else and then they go and so on and instead she opened boarding, she, she boarded simultaneously economy and business onto the same bus, okay, I get there are constraints in, in a busy summer period, but she's supposed to board.

46:37 [SPEAKER_01]: like the group, whatever they call it, group one or something first, on that, you know, so you fill up the bus with those who have the status, you're paid for that, and then if they're in space on the bus, then they open up the group two and three and so on. [SPEAKER_01]: Instead, she couldn't be bothered and she literally said in Greek to her colleague, like, I don't care.

46:55 [SPEAKER_01]: And she opened both and it was a free for all. [SPEAKER_01]: And we're just going my boarding pass. [SPEAKER_01]: Go on. [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, getting to board the bus first is almost upon us. [SPEAKER_01]: No, no, don't want to board the bus first. [SPEAKER_01]: Of course. [SPEAKER_01]: However, if the bus goes lighter with a lighter load, because it's supposed to be designated for those with status and business, that in my view is better than when they cram everyone in, specifically if you have paid, right?

47:21 [SPEAKER_01]: So don't you have paid for, anyway, but I was more, I wrote and pissed the fact that she had openly said she wasn't going to follow. [SPEAKER_01]: The procedure was, I got on cat, do both. [SPEAKER_01]: She said. [SPEAKER_01]: And then when I scammed my voting pass, I said to have, by the way, this is not a gym policy.

47:38 [SPEAKER_01]: And she just said it. [SPEAKER_02]: You're so brave. [SPEAKER_02]: And you know, it's a fun way. [SPEAKER_02]: Wait, what's so funny about this is that, do you remember last summer, I had like an altercation at Athens Airport. [SPEAKER_02]: And you went, and you can't risk things like that.

47:55 [SPEAKER_02]: You're talking ridiculous. [SPEAKER_02]: You did something ridiculous with the police. [SPEAKER_02]: You're, you're involved with the police. [SPEAKER_02]: No, she was threatening to call the police because I was recording myself a check-in. [SPEAKER_02]: That had nothing to do with it.

48:07 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm already doing it. [SPEAKER_01]: I said do it because it's not illegal. [SPEAKER_01]: No, recording is the grease have very, very funny laws about recording. [SPEAKER_01]: Seriously. [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, genuinely. [SPEAKER_01]: It even affects like surveillance, like at home surveillance zone is now very, very, they're more likely to go after like you in that scenario as the person recording, [SPEAKER_01]: that you say that you were recording for or it being legit.

48:33 [SPEAKER_01]: That's why I said you don't do that. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not in the rush. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_02]: Mine, I was just giving her a voice on this as I used to do. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I scanned the boarding pass and I said, very nice and partly by the way, you've ignored every single protocol that Aegean set out for boarding.

48:49 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: Good for boarding a bus. [SPEAKER_01]: Can we stay? [SPEAKER_01]: She gave me such a filthy look and she said to me. [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not surprised. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no, no. [SPEAKER_01]: I said it's mine. [SPEAKER_02]: I just wanted to let you know I want to ask you what would you prefer.

49:05 [SPEAKER_02]: So we both hate buscades obviously, but there's a there's a balance because [SPEAKER_02]: The U.S. is plagued by landing and needing to wait on the apron for 30 minutes to an hour because your gate is not available. [SPEAKER_02]: We're having to tax around the whole airport, all this crazy stuff.

49:26 [SPEAKER_02]: Whereas then there's the other end of the spectrum, like Athens, for example, we're almost every flight seems to be a bus gate. [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm like, [SPEAKER_01]: they are pretty fast though at Athens with the bushing like it is it tends to be rapid and so when you arrive even if there's only three people in business they shut the bus doors and go which is crazy but they do it which is good so so let's use this scenario if yeah i want to roll which is only buscates [SPEAKER_02]: So if you could choose an airport that's only buscades, but efficient, you don't have to wait on the bus or anything.

50:04 [SPEAKER_02]: Or the US style where you land after a 14 hour flight and you might have to wait an hour to get a gate because there are no buscades. [SPEAKER_02]: So you're prone to spend much longer on board. [SPEAKER_01]: What would you choose? [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously the bus. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, yeah, I might just go to the toilet.

50:21 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, no one wants to set on for longer than they have to right if the alternative is a bus and it's available now Then do it. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, it's a it's a it's a time thing time. [SPEAKER_01]: His money and also as I said a basic thing like Imagine you didn't go to the moon. [SPEAKER_02]: You couldn't know Yeah, that's what's fun to do it That's what's funny with the US doesn't even it's not a thing at almost not near a port [SPEAKER_01]: I remember when I was an American guy, there was an American couple quickly on another IG and fly, where this one, the bus didn't have AC, and this is now in peak summer, right?

50:56 [SPEAKER_01]: So the bus had no AC. [SPEAKER_01]: I think the driver was absolutely unaware because his AC was blowing just fine, right, in his little cabin, and he even falls up to the aircraft and the crew gesture like not ready, and then the cleaners are only just going up the stairs. [SPEAKER_01]: So like, oh shit, this is a minimum 10 minutes.

51:15 [SPEAKER_01]: the vacuums and so on. [SPEAKER_01]: So very fast, the temperature in this inside this bus is increasing, right? [SPEAKER_01]: It's going up, it's going up. [SPEAKER_01]: People are finding themselves, it's getting too hot. [SPEAKER_01]: Then there was this elderly Italian lady, she started shouting, [SPEAKER_01]: Open the doors and then everyone, everyone together started shouting to the bus driver.

51:35 [SPEAKER_00]: Open the doors, open the doors, banging on the glass. [SPEAKER_01]: Like it was a real like revolt, like passengers, you know, they're banging on the glass. [SPEAKER_01]: Open their doors and the driver, this is why I think he was unaware, absolutely perplexed and he came out of his cabin and he [SPEAKER_01]: went to the outside and he opened the door a little bit and he said oh god they're not ready for you and everyone was screaming oh we gotta find open the door no one was saying they wanted to get off the bus they were saying open the doors to let some air in even though it's hot outside it was hot outside in the bus and the bus is working hand outside the door to make sure no one leaves but to let air in the door to do is open the doors and say not yet guys

52:18 [SPEAKER_01]: Exactly, happens in Ibiza all the time. [SPEAKER_01]: It's just fine. [SPEAKER_01]: Right. [SPEAKER_01]: And so this I love to the fact that they were up was led by this 80-year-old Italian lady like Superglamerus going to Rome and she's screaming with her burkin. [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, and that fucking door.

52:34 [SPEAKER_01]: Anyway, so he opens the doors and there's American couple next to me. [SPEAKER_01]: He was like, and this is this is funny because, you know, airlines pay attention, [SPEAKER_01]: officially started yet in that we have not boarded your aircraft your asset and yet the American couple next to me who are flying now Europe's best airline agent do you think they are worthy of that title that's the next minute like that's my god this is a piece intro European yes Turkish yeah of course it was that's what I mean best shengan to know shengan and shengan and shengan [SPEAKER_00]: They the American couple next to me like, oh my god, this is worse than spirit bro.

53:14 [SPEAKER_00]: Right. [SPEAKER_01]: Right. [SPEAKER_01]: And instantly I'm like, is CAG and you see what? [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah. [SPEAKER_01]: Third party bus driver just did. [SPEAKER_01]: This gentleman is unaware of all the effort you've gone to. [SPEAKER_01]: For the A.G. and experience with great moussa calm board and you board and you collect sweets and brand new A through 21 neos that are factory fresh from Airbus.

53:34 [SPEAKER_01]: You're ruined it. [SPEAKER_01]: He thinks you wasn't spirit. [SPEAKER_02]: Exactly. [SPEAKER_02]: What I was going to say was, do you remember? [SPEAKER_02]: I think it was last year or maybe two years ago I told you the story I was on a bus at Heathrow as well. [SPEAKER_02]: A 10 or a class of gate and there was an American on the phone at American woman on the phone on the bus.

53:54 [SPEAKER_01]: I was saying can you believe I'm on a bus to my plane? [SPEAKER_02]: Like she thought it was the craziest thing she's ever experienced. [SPEAKER_01]: You know what I picked up on us all? [SPEAKER_01]: I love this summer. [SPEAKER_01]: How fast some of the European airlines taxi? [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, compared with like compared with like golf carry.

54:18 [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I'm in trouble. [SPEAKER_02]: I don't want to get fired in your life. [SPEAKER_01]: It's nice to be regulated. [SPEAKER_01]: There are speed limits. [SPEAKER_01]: like on A.G. and we're doing sharp laps and like with religiously swung around the bend, you know, nothing else. [SPEAKER_01]: Well, you know, if they fly like they drive in the U.S. too, a L.A.X.

54:37 [SPEAKER_02]: is like gridlock. [SPEAKER_02]: It's so space constrained. [SPEAKER_02]: And there we were on an American A321 taxing like we were about to take off. [SPEAKER_02]: Flying past other planes. [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like whoa! [SPEAKER_01]: That's exactly what I kept picking up on. [SPEAKER_01]: And it's usually when you're not used to that.

54:57 [SPEAKER_01]: It's like, whoa. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we should know that. [SPEAKER_01]: No doubt about left to right. [SPEAKER_01]: Seriously. [SPEAKER_01]: Wow. [SPEAKER_01]: It's been. [SPEAKER_02]: We've been recording for quite a while now, but it's been, We've been doing the intro for 55 minutes. [SPEAKER_02]: Okay.

55:12 [SPEAKER_02]: Now for the news. [SPEAKER_02]: Damn the Q&A. [SPEAKER_01]: Some questions, perhaps we'll move into Q&A. [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, let's do that. [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, question here from James. [SPEAKER_01]: He says, question for honor is it conceivable if Heathrow doesn't get a third runway that UK airports could divide between alliances.

55:35 [SPEAKER_01]: So as to not restrict connections, harp, operations, or slots. [SPEAKER_01]: For example, Heathrow would be one-world and sky team. [SPEAKER_01]: Gatwick, star alliance, [SPEAKER_01]: how ridiculous or reasonable would this be? [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, good question James. [SPEAKER_01]: Really nice.

55:56 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think it will ever happen because we're not in a lovely open-eye structured world. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, but also imagine, imagine being like, oh, you want to fly low-cost, but you live south of London. [SPEAKER_02]: It's looting for you. [SPEAKER_02]: You go. [SPEAKER_01]: It's loose.

56:15 [SPEAKER_01]: You don't want to fly from loot him, but you're still flying leisure. [SPEAKER_01]: meat stands that you can't you have to have a portfolio you have to have a very portfolio across airports [SPEAKER_01]: in terms of airlines, I mean, there's no portfolio in order to ensure that you're offering choice and it is, you know, it's not, you can't tie an alliance to geography.

56:39 [SPEAKER_01]: At the same time, when you look at it on paper, you think, okay, you know, knowing that Gatwick was the star alliance hub, you could definitely lead, forget the other two, forget Lieuten Sense there. [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, who remembers them, but you could definitely look at the two London airports of Gat, of Heathrow and Gatwick, and I know Gatwick is not in London.

56:57 [SPEAKER_01]: But [SPEAKER_01]: You know, there's there would be scope of star lines just to them said we are going to have a big star lines hover gap week. [SPEAKER_01]: It would still have to have some presence that he threw, but they could definitely, you know, [SPEAKER_01]: revolutionized Gatwick by associate by finally giving it purpose, right?

57:16 [SPEAKER_01]: There's ample that wants to be Heathrow but is just more stanced than it realises. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, it's a bit in the middle. [SPEAKER_02]: I just had some friends who flew Turkish Airlines into London. [SPEAKER_02]: And I was like, oh, how is the flight, whatever? [SPEAKER_02]: And then they're like, well, it was good, except our bags didn't make it.

57:37 [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like, oh, that's fine. [SPEAKER_02]: Turkish flies like eight times a day to let him to Heathrow. [SPEAKER_02]: And they're like, no, the next flight is tomorrow. [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm just like, hold on a minute. [SPEAKER_02]: Which airport did you fly into? [SPEAKER_02]: Stand stead.

57:53 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm like, so I take some wide capital letters, why did you choose stand stead? [SPEAKER_02]: And they go, oh, because our family is flying into Stan's cell on Emirates. [SPEAKER_02]: And I'm like, question remains. [SPEAKER_02]: Emirates flies to Stan's set of heat throw and got like, why are you all flying into Stan's dad?

58:15 [SPEAKER_02]: Maybe they prefer a six, too. [SPEAKER_02]: Absolutely. [SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, sorry to our listeners who work at Stan's dad, because I know we have a few. [SPEAKER_01]: No, Marco works at Stan's dad, doesn't he? [SPEAKER_01]: He's a loyal listener, and I think [SPEAKER_01]: More close doing great things.

58:30 [SPEAKER_01]: It's not that they're also we here, but yeah, I mean, our friend my friend's loved standstead apparently Yeah, I would question that though You can question their judgment [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you know, judgment isn't for everyone. [SPEAKER_02]: No, if you choose, if you have the choice of the three London airports and that's the one you choose.

58:55 [SPEAKER_01]: I out of the three you choose city the fourth. [SPEAKER_01]: There we go. [SPEAKER_02]: Right. [SPEAKER_02]: Anyway, so I guess the answer to the question is, we don't think that's going to happen. [SPEAKER_01]: No. [SPEAKER_01]: No. [SPEAKER_01]: I like the idea though, but it couldn't for the reasons that we described what's your question.

59:13 [SPEAKER_02]: Let's end here with a question from Vishal who says, um, was helping a family member book of flight to India? [SPEAKER_02]: I found him a one-stop award seat on air India. [SPEAKER_02]: He said he'd much rather go coach on an Asian airline. [SPEAKER_02]: Is your opinion in your opinion is the worst business class still better than the best Coach flight, so like would you choose any business class over any economy class?

59:43 [SPEAKER_01]: I think the answer has to be, yes, right? [SPEAKER_02]: I don't know the route. [SPEAKER_02]: I think this question, and I think the answer is yes, just because even if the onboard experience is not necessarily better, usually everything around it, like room space, right? [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

1:00:01 [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, no, but also like priority at the airport, extra luggage, more than stuff is worth quite a bit too. [SPEAKER_01]: true, true. [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think the general answer is, but there's going to be examples where you think, you know what, maybe we serve that all together, especially if like an Alan's safety record was in question or, you know, so there are scenarios where it's like avoid, but generally I think the answer is, yeah, to that.

1:00:26 [SPEAKER_02]: All right. [SPEAKER_02]: That wraps up this episode. [SPEAKER_02]: It's been a fun one. [SPEAKER_02]: Thank you for your time. [SPEAKER_02]: The Alex, we will get to reconnect. [SPEAKER_02]: Next week, same day, same place. [SPEAKER_02]: This always don't forget to rate us five stars wherever you're listening if you haven't already.

1:00:43 [SPEAKER_02]: And any departing words, Alex? [SPEAKER_01]: just that we were super grateful for all of the work and back comments and we hope you guys are ready with new questions and anecdotes here I would share with us anytime so that we can have you guys as part of the conversation as well, which we love.

1:01:02 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's all good. [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you very much and we'll see you next week. [SPEAKER_02]: See you next week on Air, bye-bye, see you later.