Flying Smarter: Air Travel Explained

This episode of Flying Smarter starts off by looking at why you have to take your shoes off when going through airport security in the US. Airline pilot Greg Krino then comes onto the podcast to talk about how pilots are trained.

• Why do passengers have to remove their shoes when going through airport security in the United States? This requirement only exists in a few countries and has been in place in the US since 2006. Learn more in this episode.
• Passengers put a lot of trust in the training and experience of their pilots. Greg Krino is a pilot with a major US airline who was previously a fighter pilot in the US Air Force. In this episode, Greg Krino shares his insights on pilot training, starting by talking about his experiences from learning to fly in the Air Force.
• Greg then shares what pilots go through when they first arrive at a major airline, including what flying with passengers for the first time feels like. Finally, he covers what type of ongoing training an airline pilot has throughout their career.

In this episode, Andrew starts off by answering the question of why some airplane window shades are “upside down” and retract downwards. Then he talks about who is actually operating your flight by exploring airline partnerships and what it means for travelers.

• Why do some airplane window shades retract downwards instead of upwards? Find out in this episode and keep an eye out for it on your next flight.
• In today’s complicated world of air travel, we often book flights with one airline when the flight is actually operated by another one. This happens because of airline partnerships. Andrew talks about the different types of partnerships and how to tell who will actually be operating your flight.
• It’s important to know who is actually operating your airline as it has implications on your journey and experience. This episode’s main segment helps you prepare.

In this episode, Andrew starts off by talking about the return of Flying Smarter before diving into what happens to uneaten airline food. Then he looks at the hectic world of air travel in the summer of 2022.

• What happens to food at the end of a flight? While some of it can be saved for later, many perishables end up being thrown out. However, some airlines are coming up with ways to reduce food waste.
• Did you know that you can listen to live air traffic communications on some United Airlines flights? Learn more in this episode.
• For this episode’s main segment, we talk about how this summer has been a stressful time to fly. Andrew looks at how you prepare yourself and maximize your chances of having a smooth experience. Even if you are listening to this episode well into the future, there are lots of tips that are helpful even in normal times.

This is a unique episode because it doesn’t follow the normal episode format. Andrew spends the entire episode chatting with flight attendant Jennel Senior about cabin safety. Topics discussed in this episode include:

• Passengers often don’t pay attention to the safety demonstration. How much of it do we actually need to know? Why do we have to store bags under the seat in front of us or put our own mask before helping our child? Learn all about it in this episode.
• What do flight attendants do if passengers get violent or there’s a bomb threat? What if someone is about to give birth on a flight? Andrew asks Jennel about some bad scenarios that passengers might worry about.
• Why do cabin lights get dimmed for takeoff and landing? What happens if you get stuck in the lavatory? Hear the answers to these and much more.

This episode starts by covering why airliners don’t have parachutes for passengers. Then, learn about how airports make money, who owns them, and why it matters to travelers.

• Why don’t airlines carry parachutes for their passengers? Parachutes are expensive and heavy, but the reasons go way beyond that. Find out why air travelers don’t get parachutes and what would happen if you parachuted from an airliner.
• Did you know that UPS once operated a passenger air service? For a few years, UPS converted cargo planes to passenger jets every weekend. Learn more in this episode.
• When we’re flying, we don’t really care about who owns or runs an airport. However, these are factors that can have a major impact on your airport experience. Andrew discusses airport money-making, ownership, and what it means for you.

In this episode, Andrew answers the question of which airline in the world is the safest. He then chats with Gary Arndt, an award-winning travel blogger and writer who has travelled to over 130 countries.

• What is the safest airline in the world? Some airlines have better safety reputations than others, but does this really matter? Find out more in this episode.
• What’s it like flying around small Pacific islands? Or taking a small plane up to a fly-in only area in northern Canada? Andrew talks to world traveler Gary Arndt about some of his most unique air travel stories.
• Air travel is what connects the globe. Gary Arndt has flown all around the world, visiting over 130 countries. In this episode, he shares his wisdom, experiences, and insights on air travel.

In this episode, Andrew starts off by answering questions about how planes avoid mid-air collisions and why airlines overbook flights. Then he talks about how you can get upgraded on your next flight.

• How do planes avoid colliding in the air? Mid-air collisions do happen, but there are a bunch of different safeguards put in place to prevent these unfortunate incidents. Learn more in this episode.
• Why do airlines overbook flights? It might seem like an unethical and nonsensical practice, but there may be a good reason why airlines do it. This episode explores why overbooking happens.
• For this episode’s main segment, we explore how you can increase your chances of getting upgraded on your next flight. While it’s harder to get a free upgrade than it was in the past, there are still things you can do to help your chances.

This episode of Flying Smarter starts off by looking at whether or not airplane doors can be opened inflight. Travel writers Felice and Peter Hardy then come onto the podcast talk about flying and skiing.

• Is it possible to open an airplane door during your flight? We’ve seen scary scenes of this happening in movies, but the reality is quite different. Learn more in this episode.
• What’s the largest airline in the world? There’s a different ways to measure airline size, but this episode answers this question based on the number of passengers carried.
• As winter arrives and the ski season in the norther part of the world draws near, avid skiers and travel writers Felice and Peter Hardy come to the show to talk about flying and skiing. Andrew chats with them about everything from flying with ski equipment, to some of their more memorable winter flying experiences.

In this episode, Andrew answers questions about how airlines determine their scheduled flying times and why they pad their schedules. Then, he dives into the past and future of supersonic air travel.

• How do airlines determine flying times for their schedules? It’s a little bit more complicated than doing a calculation with the aircraft speed and route distance. Learn more in this episode.
• Why do airlines sometimes pad their schedules by adding extra time to flying times? Andrew discusses how this practice works and why airlines do it.
• Travelers were once able to cross the Atlantic in under four hours while flying faster than the speed of sound. However, that’s no longer possible today. This episode’s main segment explores how we were once able to jet around in supersonic airplanes, why we no longer have that option, and what the future holds for supersonic flight.