Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Finnair is an intriguing airline. The national carrier of Finland carved a Nordic niche offering great connections through its Helsinki hub between western Europe, including London Heathrow and Manchester, and east Asia – thanks to a fast track across Siberia. The closure of Russian airspace means it has had to rethink its strategy. I've been talking to Turkka Kuusisto, the new chief executive of Finnair.This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cruise lines are often condemned for the environmental impact they have on the planet. But Ponant, the upmarket French small-ship expedition line, has a head of sustainability, Wassim Daoud, who is focused on cutting emissions – and the impact on nature and communities. He also talks about "training" tourists – we could do with more of that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a new feature, Travel Desk Tuesday, I talk to one of my excellent colleagues at The Independent about their recent journeys. First up: Natalie Wilson, who flew to Mallorca with some trepidation after a summer of writing about over tourism – but her worst experience was having to dine on KFC in her hotel room because all the restaurants had closed.Sign up for the Travel newsletter by The Independent, available here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm at the British Museum in London where a blockbuster exhibition called Silk Roads has just opened – exploring the tangle of connections that linked communities as far apart as Scotland, Ireland, Ethiopia and Japan, as well as the more familiar lands of China, and central Asia. My guest is the world's foremost expert on the Silk Roads, and guiding mind for the new exhibition, Professor Peter Frankopan.This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm at London Waterloo, home of Network Rail. But I am not using the public WiFi – the system has been taken down since the landing page was replaced by a strange message about terrorist acts in Europe. It appears this was not a hack, but the act of someone working for the company that provides the landing page. Hopefully the system will be up and running by the weekend. Meanwhile, if you are using on-train WiFi, you may struggle to connect with the podcast ... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anna Hughes, the distinguished director of FlightFree UK, has been telling me about how she believes a frequent-flyer levy could and should work to reduce the amount of flights we take.This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's travel podcast: How far would you fly in no-frills (dis-) comfort? Natalie Wilson, travel writer for The Independent, says she would gladly go all the way to Australia if it saved her cash. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The all-knowing Rob Burgess, formidable founder of the Head for Points frequent-flyer website, explains the intricacies of business class flying within Europe; how you can sample long-haul comfort on a short-haul flight; and why you don't want to be further back than row 12 on a British Airways A320.This podcast is free, as is the Independent Travel weekly newsletter. Get up-to-date deals and news directly to your inbox by signing up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's all about booking horizons. How long in advance are people committing to holidays – and what "new" destination are in sight? Questions for Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, representing 750 travel agents.This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have the good fortune to be on the Greek island of Poros in the company of Melanie and Andy McCreddie – Londoners who are in love with this place. Andy was first here, under less-than-optimal circumstances, but now they both love the island and its people.This podcast is free, like the Independent Travel newsletter. Get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.