Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Today I want to talk to you about overbooking and what a fantastic thing it is, if it is done correctly. I explain how airlines overbooking their flights can have a positive environmental impact, and keep costs down for both business and passengers.Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here: http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

our questions answered – seeking (as always) to put minds at rest about the very likely absence of travel chaos this summer, but also concerned to read about certification requests from some cruise companies.Of course this podcast is absolutely free, as is my weekly newsletter that you can subscribe to at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BA is taking nearly five million seats off the market, drastically reducing availability and pushing up fares “It’s the right thing to do for our customers and our colleagues,” said a British Airways spokesperson on Wednesday.They were describing the latest cull of summer flights: a further 10,300 short-haul departures between August and October, affecting at least one million passengers with existing bookings. I take a look at what it means and how you can find out if your flight is one of those affected.Of course, this podcast is free, as is my newsletter which you can subscribe to http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two weeks on from the first national rail strike, I'm at London Bridge station to assess the prospects of the summer ahead – with strike ballots under way at the train drivers' union, Aslef, and the white collar TSSA, my expectation is that a big strike involving all three could be called for late July. I hope I'm wrong.Of course this podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can subscribe to here: http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The chief operating officer of Britain’s biggest budget airline has resigned just as the peak summer season gets under way.Peter Bellew apparently left easyJet on Friday 1 July “to pursue other business opportunities”. For a top operational executive to leave the airline just as the busiest months of the year are beginning shows the scale of the crisis at easyJet.Since international air travel restarted at scale in March this year, easyJet has struggled to operate the schedule it promised. Thousands of flights have been grounded, affecting hundreds of thousands of passengers.Of course this podcast is free, much like my newsletter, which you can subscribe to at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's podcast is all about flying with baggage – should you check it in?I tell you what you can do to minimise the chance that your precious belongings will end up on sale at the Unclaimed Baggage Center at Scottsboro Alabama – and why you should assume you will never see your checked in bag again.Of course this podcast is free, much like my newsletter, which you can subscribe to at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I went down to Heathrow Airport, which has axed 30 flights scheduled to leave Thursday morning, as it asked airlines to reduce their schedules to ease pressure on its terminals.The cancellations, which could affect more than 4,500 passengers, predominantly affect British Airways services - though Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, KLM, Aer Lingus and Air France flights are also impacted.Of course this podcast is free, much like my newsletter, which you can subscribe to at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I jump on the much used Overground line to travel around the top of north London — the route is a kind of North Circular Road of the railways.I explain how, if you're not in too much of a hurry, it's a great way to see the city.Of course this podcast is free, much like my newsletter, which you can subscribe to at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been nosing around and keeping my ear to the ground and it seems that the carriers at Heathrow are quietly moving about. British Airways is moving some of its services out of terminal three to other terminals at Heathrow airport, meaning others, most notably American Airlines and Qatar airways are also shuffling to new desks in the terminals.Of course this podcast is free, much like my newsletter, which you can subscribe to at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you are tracking a flight you have booked to see how well it is performing – and you don't like what you see – can you cancel and get a full refund? Sadly, perhaps, once you commit to a flight, past performance is inadmissable as grounds for getting your money back. But you can do some useful ground work. I take you through what tracking can be good for and what you can do to limit your loss if a flight is cancelled this summer.Of course, this podcast is free, much like my weekly newsletter, which you can find at http://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.