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Hello and welcome to Seat 1A!

When you travel, do you ever wonder how you can be that person who is always ahead of the pack, even when things go awry? Hosts Vinod Viswalingam (@VViswalingam) and Geoff Dahl (@geoffdahl) are proud to present The Seat 1A Podcast.

Seat 1A aims to provide savvy travellers with advanced industry based knowledge to enhance the air travel experience and take off from the crowd. By arming you with an understanding of the systems, processes, rules and structures that define modern air travel, Seat 1A strives to give you the upper hand by examining real experiences from abroad.

Whether traveling in ultra-economy or first-class, with or without frequent flyer status, knowing how the operation works will keep you moving in front of the masses, especially when things don’t go as planned. Seat 1A provides tips and tricks on how to make your travel experience as smooth and efficient as possible. Our goal is that you'll be in Seat 1A all the time!

We have over 5 million miles of flying and over 10 years working for numerous airlines, enjoying all classes and cabins, and exploring airports on every continent. We're enthusiastic #avgeeks, with a keen interest in modern aviation trends and aim to share our knowledge in The Seat 1A Podcast. To learn more about who we are, check out Experience 010!

The Seat 1A Podcast also relies on feedback from listeners, offering the chance to take real experiences and analyze them, breaking them down to understand what happened, where things went well or wrong and what can be learned from it. If you have a story, question or experience that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In the meantime please find us wherever you download your podcasts, and tell all your friends!

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Feb 1, 2025

The podcast is back, and Geoff is flying solo for the first time in 6 years. Thanks Vinod for everything you brought to the podcast.

Geoff takes a look back at his 2024 round-the-world trip and other Canadian aviation experiences.

Geoff checked the Island Hopper off his bucket list, travelling from Honolulu to Guam via the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. He forced a long layover in Honolulu to allow a visit to the city before heading out on the Island Hopper.

The Island Hopper planes are old with some of the oldest Inflight Entertainment Systems Geoff has seen in years. Majuro airport and The Marshall Islands are in the middle of the Pacific on various atolls.

This particular routing took Geoff via Kwajalein (no pictures at this stop!), Pohnpei and Chuuk (you can get passport stamps in Micronesia even if you are in transit) before landing in Guam. Geoff is a much bigger fan of the south side of Guam than the north side.

Geoff took one of the last flights with United from Guam to Fukuoka. If you’re flying to FUK, take the time to enjoy the observation deck. He then headed to Osaka via Hiroshima with the Shinkansen.

Flight boarding in Japan is super efficient, and Geoff tried it first domestically from Osaka-Itami to Tokyo-Haneda.

After spending time in Tokyo, Geoff flew onward to Copenhagen via Singapore. There is a wonderful 7-11 after security airside at Haneda that sells all sorts of Japanese treats. The Jewel in Singapore is lovely but is super busy on a summer Saturday night.

A beach layover in Copenhagen is possible with a quick metro journey.

Geoff enjoyed his first ever fifth freedom flight from Frankfurt to New York JFK on Singapore Airlines.

If you're liking this episode experience, you may also enjoy Experience 2. "International Megahubs and Flight Ticketing." It's available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Geoff had some interesting domestic experiences in the second half of 2024. A widebody flight on a route not normally served by that plane, and subsequent upgrades. And then there was a massive storm system and hailstorm chaos in Calgary. Geoff also visited Canada’s easternmost international airport in St. John’s.

And to build his knowledge, Geoff is now a successful student with distinction for IATA’s training course on passenger fares and ticketing.

If you have trip plans or experiences that you would like to share, please email us at stories(at)seat1a.org or find us on Facebook, Bluesky, Threads and Instagram. If you wish to support the show financially, we are on Patreon. Show notes are available online at http://podcast.seat1a.org/