TC Test Environment

Sorry for the delay in posting a new podcast, but I caught a nasty cold en route to San Francisco this week. This week, a couple of friends and long-time podcast listeners let me buy them beers at the Shearton Fisherman’s Wharf in exchange for their Classic Travel stories. I also talk the change in attitude at United Airlines and,… Continue Reading →

Traveling through the southeast US, I stopped long enough to record a podcast in the bathroom of the Durham, NC Marriott. This week’s podcast talks about two very different travel experiences at the opposite ends of Interstate 40; a special edition of Classic Travel Stories — recollections from September 11, 2001 — and the Scottish Band Evangeline talks about writing… Continue Reading →

A hurricane came between me and my meetings in Tampa, so I stayed home for an entire week. This week’s podcast has a bit of local flavor and sound, talking about how to spend rare time off the road, what we’ll do for sleep, and introducing a new poll — what’s your favorite US airline? Also, some pointers to people… Continue Reading →

Down in Florida this week, picking up a bit of the local heat and humidity. Recorded in the bathroom of the Marriott Courtyard in Oldsmar, FL, somewhere between Tampa and Clearwater, we talk about how travel skills are passed from parents to children, spotting some famous people in ORD and LAX, rare emotions in the Frequent Traveler screening line, and… Continue Reading →

Swinging through the West Coast, I recorded this podcast in the bathroom of the Orchard Hotel a block or two from the summit of Nob Hill in San Francisco. In this podcast, we talk about how the post-9/11 reduction in carry-ons has made packing for different business dress codes a real hassle. Is there an end to the “shoe carnival”?… Continue Reading →

I’m back in the US and back on the road — ths time, though, on wheels, not in the air. Recorded in the TravelCommons “mobile studio” (a ’95 Chevy Blazer), this podcast talks about security risks of hotel Internet access, the hassle of replacing forgotten things while on the road, and, in the latest edition of Classic Travel Stories, fun… Continue Reading →

Finishing my vacation with a podcast from the bathroom of the Budapest (Hungary) Marriott, high above the Danube. The second vacation podcast focuses on differences between business and leisure travel — how to “downshift” from business to leisure travel, balancing cost with risk when choosing a travel brand, and a Budapest traffic accident illustrates what business travelers take for granted.… Continue Reading →

This TravelCommons podcast comes to you from my first day on vacation, recorded in the bathroom of the Novotel in Geneva, Switz. I walk through the Internet technologies that I used to book a small non-chain hotel in the French Alps, talk about the sort of “travel insurance” that people believe they get from chosing well-known travel brands, and then… Continue Reading →

The TravelCommons podcast is back on the East Coast in Boston. Recorded in the bathroom of the Residence Inn in Charlestown, I talk about the tight summer travel market, strategies for eating alone without looking like a loser, and more Classic Travel Stories — fun on Air Canada. Also, e-mail and audio comments from listeners. Here’s a direct link to… Continue Reading →

This week’s TravelCommons podcast is an “odds-‘n’-ends” podcast, following up on items from previous podcasts and answering questions from web boards and e-mails. I follow-up on last week’s Sean Penn sighting and read the reply I received from the TSA in response to my complaint about Chicago Midway airport. Responding to a topic request on the Podcast Alley comment board,… Continue Reading →