Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

In today's chat, I tackle the Tube and National Rail strikes. Whilst the right to strike is clear, what about the traveller's right to reliable transport? I'll discuss whether unions are treading on thin ice.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can get every week. Subscribe here to have it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ryanair are back in the news with the airline’s no-compromise attitude to online check-in. This concerns Damian Lloyd and his family, who were told their pre-printed boarding passes were not valid and that they would have to pay £165 if they wanted to fly to Gran Canaria. Ryanair says they had “unchecked” themselves the day before travel; Mr Lloyd says he has no such recollection. My thoughts ahead of a Ryanair flight …This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which I can hand-on-heart say is purely human-made. Subscribe here to have it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m exploring the technological future of travel with brainbox Kate Doodson, joint chief executive of Cosmic UK – a social enterprise that works with destinations on travel tech.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which I can hand-on-heart say is purely human-made. Subscribe here to have it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gatwick: Another night of chaos for thousands of passengers after an air-traffic controller went sick. It was the third bout of air-traffic control disruption in 18 days. What went wrong – and could it happen again next week?This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter. Sign up to it here to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scotland is to abolish peak-time rail fares for a six-month trial.The only “walk-up” fare for immediate purchase and travel will be the cheaper off-peak ticket. Savings for rush-hour commuters will range from 20 to 48 per cent, with passengers between Edinburgh and Glasgow seeing the price almost halve, falling by £14 to £14.90. Could it happen in the rest of the UK?This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the start of 2023, I asked the aviation data analysts, Cirium, for the top 20 airports by unique destinations. This week, I asked the brainy boffins to crunch the numbers to the final three months of the year, and the results are intriguing. This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most familiar names in travel over the turn of the century is back – with a very different proposition.First Choice offers flight-free travel and backpacking experiences including camping and hostels stays, in an attempt to lure younger travellers who currently are more likely to put together trips independently. This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The weekend saw a hugely destructive earthquake occurring in Morocco, with thousands unfortunately losing their lives. One of the worst-hit areas was Marrakesh, a longed-for destination for travellers. The earthquake and repercussions as Morocco tries to find survivors and recuperate has left many wondering what they should do about bookings that are still going ahead. Simon explains the situation on the ground, what airlines are saying and what you can ask for if you had a holiday booked for Marrakesh.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I speak with the joint CEO of Cosmic UK, Kate Dodson, about how augmented reality might change travel in the future and whether AI is going to be used for marketing destinations.This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m speaking to one of the leading lights of the travel industry: Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive, Advantage Travel Partnership – a members' group of about one in five of the travel agents in the UK. These independent travel agents sell everything from cruises to business travel. Does Julia agree with me about the scale of disruption in the travel industry this summer?This podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter. Subscribe now to have it delivered every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.