Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

I'm Simon Calder, and in today’s podcast, I speak with Ian Jeffrey, who leads Great British Rail Replacement. This new company aims to improve the often-dreaded experience of rail replacement by enhancing bus, coach, and taxi services during disruptions. We discuss how they plan to make this service more efficient and customer-friendly.This podcast is free, as is our weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Simon Calder, and today’s guest is Gediminas Ziemelis, chair of Avia Solutions Group. With peak holiday season underway, we discuss how his organisation is tackling the aircraft shortage affecting airlines like EasyJet and British Airways, ensuring that flights operate more reliably for travellers across Europe.This podcast is free, as is our weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Simon Calder, and on today's podcast, Chris Hancock, CEO of Avioxx, discusses how his company is pioneering new methods to produce sustainable aviation fuel, potentially transforming the aviation industry's environmental impact.This podcast is free, as is our weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What a miserable week it has been for air passengers. Monday saw Manchester airport hit by a power outage, train delays caused problems at Stansted and now today a plane stuck on the runway caused major disruption to the Gatwick airport. I take a look at what's gone wrong.This podcast is free, as is our weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The day began with an announcement by easyJet of new flights from Edinburgh and Liverpool to City of Derry in Northern Ireland. Also this week, Delta announced a winter series from London Heathrow to Orlando. And Jet2 will offer Manchester, Leeds Bradford and Birmingham to Jerez from May 2025.In today's travel podcast, I assess these new routes.This podcast is free, as is our weekly newsletter. Sign up here to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm Simon Calder. Today, Aer Lingus pilots start an indefinite work-to-rule and plan a strike on June 29th. I discuss the reasons behind this action and its impact on passengers.This podcast is free, as is our weekly newsletter. Sign up here to receive every Friday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can you believe it's six months until Christmas Day? Never too early to plan your 25 December travels, and so today I have enlisted the support of Lyn Hughes, founding editor of Wanderlust magazine. Listen to her surprising choice of Christmas getaways.This podcast is free, as is our weekly newsletter. Sign up here to receive every Friday.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For many seasoned travellers, Venezuela was the first South American destination, thanks to Viasa's competitive fares from the UK to the wonder-filled continent.Currently, Venezuela is on the Foreign Office's no-go list. Despite this, travellers from other countries are flocking to the troubled republic bordering Guyana, Brazil, and Colombia.Blas Fabian from HoverTours in Caracas and Daniel Santin from Inspiring Destinations have been encouraging me to return.This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As summer approaches, we explore how to book international flights. Annabel Grossman and Ben Parker reveal their thorough processes, contrasting sharply with my approach.This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the summer travel season heats up, Simon Calder sits down with global travel editor Annabel Grossman and deputy travel editor Ben Parker to discuss their methods for booking train tickets in the UK. From using the Trainline app for convenience to seeking out cost-saving options, their approaches vary widely.This podcast is free, much like our weekly travel newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered every Friday to your inbox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.