Travel Tales from the #nerdbirds
By #nerdbirds
The #nerdbirds met on a Virgin America final flight in 2018, and believe the journey is just as fun as the destination. They discuss all aspects of the travel experience, focusing on design, sustainability, and destinations off the beaten path.
Travel Tales from the #nerdbirdsJul 27, 2023
00:00
01:03:60
Pilot Sarah's Retirement Flight: From Paper Airplanes to Water Cannons (#170)
Pilot Sarah retired as a commercial airline pilot in January and reflects on her final flight -- "a wedding and a funeral on the same day" -- complete with rolling delays, paper airplanes, water cannons, and heartfelt tributes. She and co-host Rachel also chat about what happens during retirement flights, and changes in an industry with a pilot shortage.
Jul 27, 202301:03:60
Cheeky Air India Design & Airport Art Musings (#169)
As a nod to our (not-so-former?) Design Series episodes, #nerdbirds Brendan and Rachel discuss an exhibit of Air India's award-winning vintage Maharaja posters at Poster House in NYC, and share interesting art finds during a recent San Francisco airport field trip.
Jun 17, 202332:44
Spontaneous Antarctica & Expert Cruise Advice (#168)
What happens when 27-time Disney Cruiser Sebastian and first-time "it's-not-a-cruise-it's-an-expedition-ship" Rachel record an episode? Typical #nerdbird banter ensues, from (lack of) Internet connectivity and handling seasickness to ship (and flight) upgrades. Learn from all of Rachel's mistakes when she spontaneously went to Antarctica as Sebastian summarizes advice for planning a smooth(er) journey.
May 26, 202359:17
Anniversary Musings & Pilot Sarah's Post-Retirement Life (#167)
It's anniversary month: Five years since the Virgin America final flight where the #nerdbirds met, and three years of this podcast! Co-host Rachel chats with Sebastian, Pilot Sarah, and Brendan about how travel has changed and what their magic wish would be to transform anything in aviation. Listen in as they reminisce from parody airline websites to going thru security pre-9/11, and get a sneak peek at Pilot Sarah's new career.
Apr 26, 202342:39
Pilot Sarah's Retirement Flight: Tales from Family Members (#166)
While honorary #nerdbird Pilot Sarah was flying her final flight with a commercial airline, friends and family were having a good time sharing stories of her love of aviation. Listen in as #nerdbird David learns about life with a pilot in the family from Sarah's spouse, brother-in-law, and son -- live on the flight.
Mar 18, 202323:36
Inaugural 2022 Recap: ZipAir Tokyo, JetBlue to Kansas City, Delta's A321neo (#165)
Because #nerdbird Eric can't hog all of the airline inaugural celebrations, co-host Rachel finally goes on an inaugural flight (ZipAir from Tokyo to San Jose) and swaps tales with Eric's inaugural flights: JetBlue from Boston to Kansas City, and Delta's new A321 from Boston to San Francisco. They share the wild and wacky tales of pomp, random airports, and chalk cookies -- and look ahead to finding flights in 2023.
Feb 15, 202326:26
Uncomfortable Travel Questions, Live on a Plane: The Parent Edition (#164)
In the first of a series of episodes recorded during Pilot Sarah's retirement flight festivities, #nerdbirds co-host Rachel's seatmate David gets asked the uncomfortable questions during dessert (with a few inflight interruptions). Listen in on David's take on feeling rich and growing up with those who weren't into adventure or travel.
Jan 31, 202325:15
More Uncomfortable Questions: Laundromat Woes in Japan & Culture Comparisons (#163)
The "ask the #nerdbirds the same uncomfortable questions" series continues, with co-host Kai quizzing Brendan and learning that even a Los Angeles native can enjoy public transit!
Jan 19, 202316:34
A Travel Newcomer Answers the Uncomfortable Questions (#162)
Continuing from last episode's conversation about flexing your creative travel muscle, #nerdbird Rachel asks Charlie the six questions she and Kai answered in December 2022. Charlie's answers share a perspective on only recently starting to travel, combined with managing family group trips. Bonus tidbits on renewing American passports and using mobile data in Japan are included :)
Jan 07, 202328:26
Flex Your Travel Ninja Muscle, Level 2: Back to the Gym (#161)
Co-hosts Kai and Rachel revisit the Travel Ninja Gym and up the ante with stories and advice on how travel can spark inner transformation -- or not! Few stones are left unturned as they discuss situations and topics that force them to think about how, why, and how often to travel.
Dec 24, 202249:58
Scent Tales From the #nerdbirds (#160)
#nerdbirds Kai & Rachel, with input from Pilot Sarah, discuss how scents are one of the strongest memory recall triggers, and how scents impact our journeys, for better or for worse!
Nov 19, 202226:37
Goats & Bloat: Revenge Travel Tales From Switzerland, Milan, & Lake Tahoe (#159)
Travel Tales Time! #nerdbirds Brendan and Rachel compare their recent trips based on phases from the Traveler Lifecycle. Contrast Brendan's meticulous planning a year in advance vs. Rachel's three days, along with how they arrived, top moments, top hiccups, and heading home.
Oct 23, 202248:47
Heat, Smog, Tsunamis: Planning & Surviving Weather-Related Travel (#158)
#nerdbirds Kai and Rachel ponder how weather factors into planning for and rolling with the travel punches, with stories from dealing with heat in Singapore and Hawaii, to smog in China, a tsunami in Tokyo, and bitter cold in Berlin. They ponder whether avoiding places because you don't like the weather is just learning what you like vs. living a more "authentic" experience.
Oct 06, 202227:18
Is it Worth Reading When You Travel? (#157)
When #nerdbirds co-host Rachel overheard Brendan pondering what (paper-based) books to bring on an upcoming trip, she wondered if anyone else reads while traveling. Learn more about what the other #nerdbirds (don't) do, listen to a few stories of books that inspired tourists and fellow airline travelers, and find some short stories from our past review of Airplane Stories for your next trip.
Show notes and resources can be found at nerdbirds.co/episode157/
Show notes and resources can be found at nerdbirds.co/episode157/
Sep 15, 202229:46
Summer Tales: Authentic Maui, Biased Facial Recognition, Prison-Themed Hotel (#156)
The #nerdbirds are back after a summer break full of flight delays and cancellations -- with thoughts on the complexities of cruise ships, what's an "authentic" Hawaiian experience, a prison-themed hotel and scooter adventures in Helsinki, experiences with bias in facial recognition software at the airport, and a preview of our next episode (good reads when traveling).
Sep 02, 202233:13
Meet Flight Attendant Joey: It's (Also) All About the Food (#155)
Pilot Sarah needs some company in the honorary #nerdbird department, so it's time to welcome Flight Attendant Joey! Co-host Rachel dug up the lightning round initiation questions from 2020 and Joey was more than up to the task, with tales of travelers losing common sense when they board a plane and favorite eats while on the road (although Rachel still isn't sure about Joey's favorite restaurant in Seoul, where you could suffocate on your extremely fresh meal!). They both banter about their favorite quiet airplanes, Airbnbs vs. hotels, and the dream of an airline that only accepts nice passengers :)
This is the last episode for Season 8, and co-hosts Kai and Rachel decided that if most Europeans get weeks of summer off, they can too! We'll return in August.
This is the last episode for Season 8, and co-hosts Kai and Rachel decided that if most Europeans get weeks of summer off, they can too! We'll return in August.
Jul 02, 202242:40
The World: Cringe-Worthy and Thought-Provoking Travel Tales (#154)
It's time for another Brendan's Book Club episode, where he and fellow #nerdbird Rachel review "The World: Travels 1950-2000" by Jan Morris. A deeply fascinating series of articles from Jan's travel assignments to every part of the world, the book also includes a tale of her gender transition. The #nerdbirds explore her white British (and often colonial) perspectives when writing along with her keen powers of observation, and make connections to how we live and explore cultures today.
Jun 18, 202229:35
Do We Even Know How to Travel Anymore? (#153)
In a quick return to a shorter Travel Bite episode, #nerdbirds Kai and Rachel ponder the awkwardness of restarting travel after so much time staying put, and provide a quick update on our "slow season" post-episode 150.
Jun 04, 202212:06
Pilot Sarah Becomes a Captain (#152)
Pilot Sarah spent two months earlier this year becoming a Captain, and answers questions from the #nerdbirds -- everything from bathrooms on airplanes to the number of stripes pilots wear on their sleeves, flight simulator pranks, and the changing views of Earth from far above.
May 21, 202236:51
Cruising the High Seas, Magnets in Tow (#151)
#nerdbird Sebastian has been on over 20 cruises, and shares his stories with co-hosts Rachel & Kai -- including fun things to do on a ship, how to handle seasickness, and a reminder to always read your cruise documents before getting stuck in the wrong city.
May 07, 202239:53
Super #nerdbird 150th Episode Special: Do You Know the Password?
It's the fourth anniversary of the final Virgin America flight where the founding #nerdbirds met, and our 150th episode! Brendan and Rachel channel their inner game show hosts, with contestants Charlie, David, Kai, and Sebastian trying their hand at the Password game show. Will Charlie be able to defend his title from last year's 100th episode Jeopardy! special to become a supernerdbird? Listen in and find out!
Apr 25, 202214:22
To Souvenir or Not to Souvenir? (#149)
Making memories is core at any travel experience - and souvenirs are one physical representation to evoke those memories. But does it make sense to always buy souvenirs when travelling? And for whom? #nerdbirds Rachel & Kai talk about their souvenir philosophies, their favorite treasures and alternatives to the standard souvenir.
Apr 09, 202216:07
Short Stories from Airplane Reading: A Book & Website Review (#148)
Brendan's Book of the Month is an anthology of super-short stories from the website Airplane Reading (airplanereading.org [https://airplanereading.org/]), where readers submit a travel story that involves an airport or airplane and everything imaginable that can happen at either. Selected works were placed into a book in 2016; Brendan and co-host Rachel share highlights from their favorite stories, which sparks touching and hilarious memories from their own travel journeys.
Mar 31, 202222:06
More Solo Travel & Lonely Moments: Stories from NYC, Japan, & North Korea (#147)
#nerdbirds Charlie and Rachel continue last week's topic on lonely moments during solo travel with Charlie's contrasting stories of trips in New York City and Japan. They segue to self-awareness during travel, which includes making sure one's mental health and emotional needs are met.
Mar 28, 202224:21
Solo Travel: Solitude, Loneliness...and Connection? (#146)
Solo travel, just like any other kind of travel, has its positives and negatives. #nerdbirds Kai & Rachel discuss both sides, how they kicked loneliness to the curb while still maintaining the positives of solitude, and making your own way through the travel world.
Mar 19, 202214:28
All the Midday Food That's Not Lunch: From Brunch to Fika (#145)
Nearly two years after the first stay-at-home order, #nerdbirds David and Rachel catch up in real life with a trip to an aviation memorabilia show and a super-late lunch afterwards. While waiting for their food, they thought about midday eating events that aren't labeled lunch. David recalls the Washington DC brunch scene and Rachel muses on brunch in Omaha, elevenses in England, and fika in Sweden.
Mar 13, 202216:29
Breakfast Travel Tales & Tips (#144)
Food is an integral part of travel - so #nerdbirds Rachel, Kai & Sebastian chat about their favorite breakfasts, where to get them, what to eat, and the travel stories that go with them.
Mar 05, 202220:24
Finding Art in Airport Towers (#143)
If you can find a way to make concrete airport towers look cool, you can probably do anything! #nerdbirds Brendan and Rachel review "The Art of the Airport Tower," a photographic book and Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit. They discuss favorite photos, and Brendan shares trivia on Disney's purchase of a Southern California airport.
Feb 27, 202218:01
Checking in on Diversity in Travel (#142)
Travelling the world is a great way to experience new cultures and get out of your comfort zone, but company leaders tend to be anything but diverse. #nerdbirds Rachel & Kai chat about one Black-led travel startup (localeur.com [https://localeur.com/]) and their own experience with travel and how it has opened their eyes to diversity and how we learn and benefit from diversity.
Feb 20, 202213:14
Laundry Tales from Around the World (#141)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai riff on how laundry is done differently around the world - and some very unique ways to wash (or not) your clothes, rugs, and so much more!
Feb 12, 202222:10
Travel Apps: Planes, Trains, Automobiles...and Boats! (#140)
#nerdsbirds Rachel & Kai chat about their individual favorite travel apps: MarineTraffic (track boats around the world!) & Rome2Rio (want to get from Point A to Point B? Here's how...) respectively - and also their shared joy for Flightradar24.
Feb 05, 202213:20
Retro Posters Galore! "Airline Visual Identity 1945-1975" Review (#139)
For 2022, #nerdbird Brendan will pull a travel/aviation/airport/design-themed book from his library for the Book of the Month. This episode looks at Airline Visual Identity 1945-1975 [https://www.callisto-publishers.com/project/airline-visual-identity-1945-1975-standard-edition/], a hefty part-art part-story book looking at 13 airlines from around the world and the items that made their brands tick. The majority of items are in the form of posters that showcase travel destinations and aircraft -- from cartoony mid-century modern to photography. Listen in as Brendan and Rachel share favorite stories and posters from the book, and go to the associated blog post to check out some of their favorite images (https://nerdbirds.co/episode139)
Jan 29, 202218:55
Travel Bingo: How to Choose...and Keep! Your Baggage (#138)
For the last episode of Travel Bingo, Rachel settles on the word "suitcase." Kai & Sebastian share stories of how to choose the right baggage for your needs and how NOT to lose it along the way.
Jan 22, 202222:00
Travel Bingo: Kids, Gum, and a First-Class Surprise (#137)
This week's January Travel Bingo word is "kids," which sent almost all #nerdbirds running away screaming except for Brendan and Charlie. Rachel and Brendan reminisce about 1980s gum (and soda) flavors, and Charlie finds new ways to mess with his travel karma when flying with family.
Jan 16, 202224:16
Travel Bingo: Coffee (#136)
For this week's Travel Bingo, #nerdbirds Rachel, Sebastian & Kai chat about... coffee! And also about drinks to get at a coffee house/cafe when traveling if coffee really isn't your thing, along with some serious time warp advice on finding cool coffee spots in Hawaii.
Jan 09, 202214:30
Travel Bingo: ATMs & Money (#135)
Season 7 starts with an offshoot from Travel Bites: Travel Bingo! #nerdbirds Rachel & Kai take one word and offer a tale and a tip. This week they talk about ATMs & money - how to get it when you're travelling and how to pay for things in this increasingly cashless society!
Jan 01, 202214:08
When You're Traveling Around The World & Get Grounded (#134)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai finish off Season 6 with a Travel Bites episode of the interesting story of Thor Pedersen, a Dane who is attempting to visit every country in the world without flying.
Dec 25, 202106:25
Travel Bites: QR Code Safety (#133)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai provide a travel bites tip for the holidays (and really all year round!). Those near-ubiquitous QR codes have helped to create a touchless environment when eating out, searching for information or getting you on a plane, train or bus. On rare occasion though, a QR code may point you towards something malicious. Listen in for a tip or two on keeping your information safe!
Dec 18, 202104:28
Who Can Call A Country Dangerous? (#132)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai talk about an article from Vivienne Dovi, founder of Melanin Travel - outlining bias and privilege in travel, and how stereotypes unfairly paint countries or entire continents in negative lights, when in reality they're perfectly fine places to visit. Pro tip: Apply your critical thinking skills to whatever you hear about a certain destination.
Dec 11, 202107:53
How Travelling Sparks Happiness (#131)
#nerdbirds Kai & Rachel delve into the science-based aspects of travel and how the act of travel improves our moods, creates joy and gets us of our comfort zone.
Dec 04, 202106:19
Travel Bites: Enjoy More Quiet Airports (#130)
After digesting Thanksgiving, your first thoughts probably aren't about airport announcements, but #nerdbirds Rachel & Kai chat about the slow reduction of airport-wide announcements and how technological improvements have made audio announcements less necessary - and the concept is spreading to airports around the world.
Nov 27, 202108:30
Thanksgiving & Travel Self-Care (#129)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai chat about how to take care of yourself when travelling - planning for any and all eventualities, espousing BYO... whatever in case Plan A isn't available.
Nov 20, 202112:19
Travel Bites: When Should You Buy A Flight? (#128)
Any rules for when to purchase travel have gone out the window since 2020. #nerdbirds Kai and Rachel try to answer the #1 question asked by their non-travel-obsessed friends, using stories of their own attempts to book international travel in recent weeks.
Nov 13, 202109:40
Travel Bites: 13...Actually, Three Ways to Travel Responsibly (#127)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai riff on selected ways to travel responsibly from an article - and also reminding viewers Ameri-centric views don't apply everywhere, so do your research!
Nov 06, 202107:16
Travel Bites: What's the Future of Hotels? (#126)
#nerdbirds Kai & Rachel chat about the future of hotels and how they've been affected by the pandemic, and what the path forward will be for hotels, such as work from hotel packages or the unbundling (or accelerated unbundling) of items previously included as part of hotel prices.
Oct 30, 202108:16
Bite-Size Travel Tales: Lighter, Brighter Airport Lounges (#125)
Co-hosts Kai and Rachel chat about the changing nature of airport lounges and trying to stay healthy during long-haul travel.
Oct 23, 202107:44
If It's Boeing...Am I Going?! Meet #nerdbird Mark (#124)
It only took 18 months from our first episode for #nerdbird Mark to finally appear for his intro with our now-vintage lightning round questions! Unlike the founding #nerdbirds, Mark was not on the Virgin America final flight in 2018 and brings different perspectives on aviation, including his time at Boeing and decades-long loyalty to Delta (not to mention the decade of roadtrips with co-host Rachel). This is also our first live episode at an airport, so enjoy the background sound effects.
Oct 16, 202110:57
Bite-Size Travel Tales: Overgrowth & Overtourism (#123)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai bring you another Travel Bites episode, opining on an opinion article about overgrowth and overtourism. While the opinion piece covers the Vancouver, BC metro area and especially the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver, BC and Whistler, BC - Rachel & Kai talk about other places they've experienced overtourism/overgrowth and the best ways to mitigate it on a personal level.
Oct 09, 202106:28
Bite-Size Travel Tales: Queer Travel of Tomorrow? (#122)
#nerdbirds Rachel & Kai riff on where queer travel has come from and where it's going, and how it's helped other marginalized groups improve their own travel experiences, too.
Oct 02, 202107:41
Bite-Size Travel Tales: Quality vs. Quantity of Travel (#121)
#nerdbirds co-hosts Rachel and Kai taking a bite-sized look this week at an article about how major European cities like Amsterdam, Prague & Barcelona are looking to restrain, curate, and generally enhance positive tourism (read: rowdy tourists, hen/stag parties, etc.)
Sep 25, 202106:35