Cranky Talk

By Cranky Flier

Society & Culture Aviation Places & Travel

What's Cranky Talk about?

A show about the ins and outs of aviation and travel, from interviews with industry leaders to deep dives on a range of travel topics.

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Cranky Talk episodes:

05.02.2024
Cranky Talk: New Rules from DOT
We're back! DOT recently announced some new rules for airlines intended to benefit consumers. What are these rules? When are these rules? What do they mean for you? All that and more, on this episode of Cranky Talk! Source links: Rules regarding...
02.08.2024
The Cranky Flier Interview #34: Southwest SVP Network Planning and Network Operations Control Adam Decaire
Southwest has done something unique, bringing its Network Planning group -- the people who decide when and where to fly -- under the Chief Operating Officer instead of the Chief Commercial Officer. I spoke with Adam Decaire to learn more...
01.16.2024
The Cranky Flier Interview #33 - Porter EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Kevin Jackson
Kevin and I sit down to on an airplane to talk about Porter's big expansion plans
01.11.2024
Cranky Talk:Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and the Boeing 737-9 Max
We're dusting off the podcast to talk about Boeing, the Max, and what we know about flight 1282. Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick or injured while traveling.
11.03.2023
Cranky Talk: NDC Woes
We're back! Join us for an episode all about how NDC might not quite be as ready for prime time as American wants it to be and its impact on the travel agency world. We're joined by special guests from...
06.19.2023
The Cranky Flier Interview #32 - United SVP Global Network Planning and Alliances Patrick Quayle
Following up three years after our June 2020 discussion, Patrick and I run through the different regions and talk about what United is seeing in terms of success in the network planning world.
06.01.2023
Cranky Talk: A Conversation With Wallace Beall on Airline Pricing and Overbooked Flights
In a special return episode, Brett and Dave had a chat with Wallace Beall who worked in revenue management at several airlines including American, and was in charge of yield management when Brett worked at America West. Listen in for...
04.24.2023
The Cranky Flier Interview #31 - Air Canada EVP Marketing and Digital Mark Nasr
Mark and I spoke about Air Canada's plans for rolling out its implementation of NDC for travel agency bookings. The airline is taking a more thoughtful approach, and Mark has plenty to say about how other airlines are handling this...
03.27.2023
The Cranky Flier Interview #30 - Norse Atlantic President Charles Duncan
Join me as I talk with the new president of Norse Atlantic about the airline's plans.
03.17.2023
Cranky Talk: CNA Wrap Up and a Special Announcement
Brett does a recap of the CNAs with Courtney Miller from Visual Approach! Stay tuned til the end for a special announcement on the future of the podcast from Brett and Dave!
02.16.2023
Cranky Talk: Southwest Goes to Washington
Southwest was called to the principal's office in DC to answer for the meltdown over the holidays. We break down some testimony and what could happen if a passenger's bill of rights were ever to pass. Thank you to our sponsor,...
02.02.2023
Cranky Talk:Wifi on airplanes! How did we get here? Is it getting better?
With Delta announcing free wifi, the differences between airlines continue to grow. Join us for a brief history of wifi on airplanes and what the future might hold. Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if...
01.19.2023
Cranky Talk:The 2023 Cranky Network Awards Categories!
It's time for the annual Cranky Talk exclusive peak behind the curtain at what you can expect when you tune in to the 2023 Cranky Network Awards on February 23! Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects...
01.06.2023
Cranky Talk: The 2022 Southwest Holiday Meltdown
We return from our break a little early to pod about the Southwest meltdown over the holidays. Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick or injured while traveling.
12.15.2022
Cranky Talk: Why is Seat Pitch a Terrible Metric for Legroom?
Brett goes on a rant about seat pitch and why it's terrible for measuring legroom. Is there a better alternative? Listen to find out! Photo gallery: Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick...
12.01.2022
Cranky Talk: Frontier Launches GoWild! Is it Worth it?
Frontier's GoWild! is live. Brett tries to see if Dave thinks it's worthwhile. Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick or injured while traveling.
11.03.2022
Cranky Talk: A Breakdown of Biden’s Junk Fee Speech
President Biden gave a speech on junk fees recently so Brett and Dave carved up the portions specific to the travel industry and discussed what is true, what stretches the truth, and what might be junky in this less-than-amazing speech. Transcript...
11.01.2022
The Cranky Flier Interview #29 - Flair CEO Stephen Jones
Listen to an interview with the CEO of Flair, Stephen Jones, on how he sees the market evolving.
10.20.2022
Cranky Talk: The 2023 Cranky Network Award Preview!
On this episode, Brett and Dave are joined by Courtney Miller from Visual Approach to give listeners a sneak preview of the 2023 CNAs! Listen in to find out where the show is happening and the special plans Brett and...
10.17.2022
The Cranky Flier Interview #28 - Horizon Air President Joe Sprague
It's about as hard as it's ever been to run a regional airline right now, and Horizon Air President Joe Sprague took the reins in late 2019, just before the industry began to unravel. Joe sat with me to talk...
10.06.2022
Cranky Talk: Winter Outlook
Will there be chaos this winter as airline operations get stretched thin again? We take a look at the data to help you find out. Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick...
09.22.2022
Cranky Talk: Summer 2022 Top Travel Destinations!
This week, we're doing a retrospective on the most traveled destinations Cranky clients went to this summer! Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick or injured while traveling.
09.08.2022
Cranky Talk: Mailbag Episode!
You have questions and we have the answers for you! Welcome to our first mailbag episode! Thank you to everyone who submitted questions. Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick or injured...
08.25.2022
Cranky Talk: Spirit and JetBlue Part 3!
The last time we made an episode about Spirit, JetBlue had just gotten hostile...well they won and now pending federal approval, they'll get to merge with Spirit. We go over how this happened and what comes next! Thanks to our sponsor...
08.11.2022
Cranky Talk: Fume Events! Fact or Fiction?
This week, we're talking about the great mystery in the sky....fume events! Are they real? Are they overexaggerated? What is going on up there?! LA Times: How Toxic Fumes Seep Into The Air You Breathe On Planes NIH: Characterization of the frequency...
07.28.2022
Cranky Talk: Southwest Credits No Longer Expire With Southwest Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Green!
This week, we're joined by Southwest’s Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Green to talk about the airline’s big change this week! Thank you to our sponsor, Medjet! The membership service that protects you if you get sick or...
07.14.2022
Cranky Talk: A US Travel Stress Test With Special Guest Dawn Gilbertson!
On this episode of Cranky Talk, Brett and Dave are joined by special guest Dawn Gilbertson, columnist for the Wall Street Journal to discuss her story "11 Flights, 6 Airlines, 4 Days: A Flying Test of the U.S. Travel System" Listen...
06.23.2022
Cranky Talk: All About Alliances!
Thank you again to Ezra who wrote in with a great question: Do alliances even matter anymore? Star Alliance, Sky Team, One World, the Rebel Alliance, etc. We get into that and much more! Star Alliance KLM/Northwest Thanks to our sponsor IDEMIA! IDEMIA...
06.09.2022
Cranky Talk: The Summer of Airline Madness
Summer 2022 is shaping up to be quite wild in the world of aviation. Prices and demand are high, travel numbers are way up, and airlines...are delaying and canceling flights left and right! Brett breaks down what's going on and...
05.20.2022
Cranky Talk: JetBlue Gets Hostile With Spirit
JetBlue wants Spirit bad and is willing to go hostile to get it!
05.05.2022
Cranky Talk: What is the Point of a Travel Agent?
Brett and Dave take on a listener question! What's the point of travel agencies these days? With a plurality of options available to consumers to book directly with airlines, what can we do that you can't on your own? Thanks to...
04.21.2022
Cranky Talk: The Oakland California Corridor Challenge
Brett got to nerd out on a bunch of flights over three days to prove once and for all that flying between Oakland and Southern California is BACK! Thanks to our sponsor IDEMIA! IDEMIA is an authorized enrollment provider for TSA...
04.07.2022
Cranky Talk:The Airplane Seat of the Future
Seats are getting smaller and more uncomfortable all the time...or are they? Brett and Dave talk about all this and then guess what the airplane seat of the future might look like. Thanks to our sponsor Idemia! Idemia is an authorized...
04.04.2022
The Cranky Flier Interview #27 - Denver Air Connection’s Jon Coleman
It's not easy being a little guy, but Denver Air Connection has come up with a pretty interesting plan to get pilots onboard, teach them how to fly, and save the industry... or something like that. I spoke with Jon Coleman,...
03.24.2022
Cranky Talk: Dave Flew Spirit!
Dave flew Spirit Airlines for the first time and Brett had many questions about the experience!
03.10.2022
Cranky Talk: Russia Invades Ukraine
In this episode, Brett and Dave recap what happened after Russia invaded Ukraine and the wide-ranging impacts on the aviation world.
02.24.2022
Cranky Talk: Airplane Livery!
Dave and Brett disagree about airplane livery. Dave thinks brands should take bold swings and get creative, Brett thinks it doesn't matter and everything should just be presentable. Things got heated during this debate, as Brett pulled down a lot...
02.11.2022
Cranky Talk: Spirit and Frontier Merge!
Spirit and Frontier decided to merge so we abandoned our original plan for this week to talk about the news and what it could all mean!
01.27.2022
Cranky Talk: The Cranky Network Awards!
Brett decided to create a whole award show for the airline nerds, and Dave can't believe some of these categories. Join us for a breakdown of all the nominees and get the scoop on the most exclusive industry awards show...
01.24.2022
The Cranky Flier Interview #26 - Northern Pacific CEO Rob McKinney
Northern Pacific will be the brand that uses 757s to connect the continental US to North Asia via Anchorage. It's a throwback in that sense... airlines haven't needed to stop in Anchorage for decades. But CEO Rob McKinney thinks he's...
01.13.2022
Cranky Talk: Omicron and Airline Staffing
We kick off the new year with the topic dominating all the headlines: the Omicron variant. Brett and Dave talk about how this new strain is spreading like wildfire and causing all kinds of staffing problems for airlines. CDC links: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/burden.html
12.30.2021
Cranky Talk: 2021 Holiday Spectacular!
It's the holidays! Brett and Dave look back on a very turbulent year and speculate a bit on what's ahead in 2022. Happy New Year to all our listeners! Stay tuned until the end of the episode a holiday gift...
12.16.2021
Cranky Talk: Dave Went to Europe
An episode all about travel and aviation in the time of COVID! Dave went to Europe, so join us for all the detailed breakdowns of exquisite lunches in the rolling hills of Tuscany, vespa tours through Italy....just kidding. This is...
12.07.2021
The Cranky Flier Interview #25: United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby
I sat down with United CEO Scott Kirby to talk about Omicron, how the airline industry is looking at operational performance all wrong, and the future of regionals. Scott is never afraid to speak his mind, so it's always great to...
11.23.2021
The Cranky Flier Interview #24: Current Aviation CEO Brad Beakley
If you've never heard of Current Aviation, you are not alone. Current is going to be an airline that flies no airplanes... but it has a lot of partners that will. Have a listen to CEO Brad Beakley talk about...
11.11.2021
Cranky Talk: Airline MELTDOWNS
Airlines are melting down all over, with three in October alone. Why is this happening? When will it stop? Listen to find out! Flight attendant union memo Want to sponsor the Cranky Network Awards? Send a note to [email protected] and we'll be in...
10.28.2021
Cranky Talk: Potential Permanent COVID Travel Changes
Brett and Dave speculate on what may stick from all the COVID related changes to travel. Voluntary masking? Permanent touch less airports? Biometrics? Airplane cleaning? All of these and more.
10.14.2021
Cranky Talk: Post-9/11 Travel Changes
The world changed after 9/11, but this week Brett focuses in specifically on what changed for air travelers here in the US. Next time, Brett and Dave will speculate on what permanent changes may be in store for air travelers...
09.30.2021
Cranky Talk: DOJ vs BlueMerican Partnership
We're talking about Jetblue and American's partnership and why DOJ is suing them! DOT agreement Want to sponsor the Cranky Network Awards? Email [email protected]
09.21.2021
The Cranky Flier Interview #23: United Afghanistan Evacuation Employees
It's a different kind of interview as I sit down with Jillian Johnson, United flight attendant and Artemis Bayandor, United corporate safety employee turned translator to discuss what it was like to work the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) flights...

What's Cranky Talk about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Cranky Talk episodes:

Cranky Talk: New Rules from DOT

The Cranky Flier Interview #34: Southwest SVP Network Planning and Network Operations Control Adam Decaire

The Cranky Flier Interview #33 - Porter EVP and Chief Commercial Officer Kevin Jackson

Cranky Talk:Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 and the Boeing 737-9 Max

Cranky Talk: NDC Woes

The Cranky Flier Interview #32 - United SVP Global Network Planning and Alliances Patrick Quayle

Cranky Talk: A Conversation With Wallace Beall on Airline Pricing and Overbooked Flights

The Cranky Flier Interview #31 - Air Canada EVP Marketing and Digital Mark Nasr

The Cranky Flier Interview #30 - Norse Atlantic President Charles Duncan

Cranky Talk: CNA Wrap Up and a Special Announcement

Cranky Talk: Southwest Goes to Washington

Cranky Talk:Wifi on airplanes! How did we get here? Is it getting better?

Cranky Talk:The 2023 Cranky Network Awards Categories!

Cranky Talk: The 2022 Southwest Holiday Meltdown

Cranky Talk: Why is Seat Pitch a Terrible Metric for Legroom?

Cranky Talk: Frontier Launches GoWild! Is it Worth it?

Cranky Talk: A Breakdown of Biden’s Junk Fee Speech

The Cranky Flier Interview #29 - Flair CEO Stephen Jones

Cranky Talk: The 2023 Cranky Network Award Preview!

The Cranky Flier Interview #28 - Horizon Air President Joe Sprague

Cranky Talk: Winter Outlook

Cranky Talk: Summer 2022 Top Travel Destinations!

Cranky Talk: Mailbag Episode!

Cranky Talk: Spirit and JetBlue Part 3!

Cranky Talk: Fume Events! Fact or Fiction?

Cranky Talk: Southwest Credits No Longer Expire With Southwest Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Green!

Cranky Talk: A US Travel Stress Test With Special Guest Dawn Gilbertson!

Cranky Talk: All About Alliances!

Cranky Talk: The Summer of Airline Madness

Cranky Talk: JetBlue Gets Hostile With Spirit

Cranky Talk: What is the Point of a Travel Agent?

Cranky Talk: The Oakland California Corridor Challenge

Cranky Talk:The Airplane Seat of the Future

The Cranky Flier Interview #27 - Denver Air Connection’s Jon Coleman

Cranky Talk: Dave Flew Spirit!

Cranky Talk: Russia Invades Ukraine

Cranky Talk: Airplane Livery!

Cranky Talk: Spirit and Frontier Merge!

Cranky Talk: The Cranky Network Awards!

The Cranky Flier Interview #26 - Northern Pacific CEO Rob McKinney

Cranky Talk: Omicron and Airline Staffing

Cranky Talk: 2021 Holiday Spectacular!

Cranky Talk: Dave Went to Europe

The Cranky Flier Interview #25: United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby

The Cranky Flier Interview #24: Current Aviation CEO Brad Beakley

Cranky Talk: Airline MELTDOWNS

Cranky Talk: Potential Permanent COVID Travel Changes

Cranky Talk: Post-9/11 Travel Changes

Cranky Talk: DOJ vs BlueMerican Partnership

The Cranky Flier Interview #23: United Afghanistan Evacuation Employees

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