Sky Lounge Podcast

Hello everyone, and welcome to The Sky Lounge Podcast!In this episode, Alex & self sit down with Tero Taskila, CEO of Beond, the airline redefining travel as the world’s first premium leisure airline.Beond is far from a traditional carrier, and this conversation explores what it really means to build an airline around luxury, leisure, and a completely different business mindset. From business model innovation to the future of premium travel, this is a wide-ranging discussion packed with fresh insights and bold ideas. And yes, they do have ROUND THE WORLD tickets, if you want to go BEOND the grind of normal travel.For more information on Tero, do check out his Linkedin profilehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/terotaskila/Recommend reading this article from Tero on Linkedin, especially if you are setting out on an entrepreneurship journey or have an innovative idea that you want to see come to life;Every New Thing Is Born Into Doubthttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/every-new-thing-born-doubt-tero-taskila-cxjqf/?trackingId=YNp6Tid5QXOeaLELC%2FOjqg%3D%3DTero’s article argues that every genuinely new idea or innovation inevitably faces a predictable cycle of resistance—starting with skepticism, then often turning into cynicism, before eventual acceptance if it proves its value. The core message is that doubt is not a signal that something is wrong, but rather a natural and necessary filter that all meaningful progress must pass through. Instead of avoiding criticism, innovators should expect it, endure it, and use it as validation that they are doing something truly new; in this sense, persistence through early doubt is what separates ideas that fade away from those that ultimately reshape industries or thinking.Tero ends the article with this "Most companies do not fail because the doubters were right. They fail because the founders and/or investors ran out of patience before the evidence arrived."Tune in & enjoy the conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The final 2025 episode of The Sky Lounge Podcast – where Alexandra & David talk about the Dubai Airshow, long haul narrow body aircraft, the 777X flying at the Airshow (but when will it truly fly?);They then talk about Beond & it's US expansion, global airport growth ambitions and much more!A question for 2026 - Will fast & free onboard WIFI be a criterion for you to choose which airline to fly?Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and the very very best for the New Year! Both of us will be back in the new year, with a very new interesting format for SKY LOUNGE! Stay tuned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have lost family and friends in the recent Air India AI171 accident in India.In this episode, Alex and David had plenty to catch up on—especially with David just back from his U.S. travels. He was absolutely raving about the United Airlines app, calling it “H-appy” with good reason! Meanwhile, Alex couldn’t get over Air France and their delicious ground-based food experiment. They also dove into the latest Boeing and Airbus forecasts—yes, there are lots of planes on the horizon. Plus, the recent IATA conference delivered some fascinating insights and statistics.https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-speeches/2025-06-02-01/ Enjoy the episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about Alex’s “almost” India experience and why she had to go to Indigo’s Plan B! David’s trip to Kazakhstan just seemed to “Wizz” by ! Oh, and we touched on Alex’s current airline crush!This airline for this episode was “F” – one of the world’s oldest airlines – and they do have a unique seat (hint). We also had a quick shout out to the world’s most profitable airline – you guessed it right.David was excited about Disney coming to Abu Dhabi – and planes in Disney livery! But he will need to wait! We ended with Lounges – that’s what the Sky Lounge podcast is all about! Nice relaxing discussions in a relaxed comfy lounge! What would Ian Kay say about that? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alexandra got the opportunity to try out some first-class luxury without even leaving the ground! While David got to relive old memories with a trip to Amsterdam – and the weather was just perfect! They then jumped into various topics from loyalty to Aviation & AI – ending with the airline of the episode – “D”. Guess the airline name – It’s a big one!  Nope, we know what you are thinking – it’s not Delta!  You have 3 guesses! (Hint: They have more than 300 dedicated aircraft & serve over 500 airports globally.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy New Year! Yes, we know that it is almost the end of January 2025 but is a good reminder how quickly the new year tends to come and go! In our very first episode of 2025, Alex & self-have tried a slightly different format, where we take some of our LINKEDIN posts and talk a little bit more about them. Alex’s posts tend to be more practical & product focused; Mine tend to be more wishy-washy furtury 😉!We talked about Ryanair & their liquid wishlist limits of 2 on the ground; What If IKEA had an airline? How airlines number their flights; when all you need is your face to travel; Front of the plane or do you prefer the back? And we have a very interesting discussion on an airline very close to Alex’s heart, starting with A (Suspense)! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to season 2 of The Sky Lounge podcast with Alex & David. The new season starts with a slightly different format with the both of us talking about avgeeky things! This episode has a lot on airline food, a subject that always tends to bring up a lot of emotion! Blame it on the sugar rush thanks to all the Diwali & Halloween sweets! We hope you enjoy the discussion! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t you feel like royalty with that airline loyalty card! Lounge access, priority boarding, extra baggage allowance, free seat assignments, and a whole bunch of other nice to have “status” benefits!This episode of Sky Lounge features Mark Ross-Smith, Loyalty guru  & CEO of Loyalty Status Co., the creator of StatusMatch! Like Mark said in a post “We all intuitively know that loyalty status is the most sought-after, most highly prized thing any aspiring traveller can earn.” – we covered a lot of ground talking about the psychology of loyalty, status, status matches & how airlines are adapting to a changed world!You could be a free agent like Alex, who prefers trying out different airline products or you could be like David stuck to one airline but worried about a status downgrade – but no matter what sort of traveller you are, this is a must listen-to episode! Hope you enjoy it! And don’t forget to have a look at Mark’s LinkedIn profile & Loyalty Status Cohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/markrosssmith/https://www.loyaltystatus.com/https://statusmatch.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rafat Ali, the CEO & Founder of SKIFT, the leading news source for travel executives, had a wide-ranging discussion with Alexandra & self on India!  Skift (verb) - origin: Nordic languages - meaning: Shift; transformation. We could definitely say that India is Skifting, transforming in so many ways, specially when it come to travel. We touched on the "small" Indian weddings, love for mangoes, "juggad" when it comes to sustainability! Home to perhaps the world's largest airline in the not too distant future. And what happens when Mum comes to your conference for the very first time! Hope you enjoy the discussion as much as we did! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gosh, how times flies! It’s the end of January already & here we are with the very first episode of Season 2 of the Sky Lounge podcast!Alexandra & David catch up on trending aviation news ranging from the recent aircraft scares to Alexandra’s trip on BeOnd; David talks about his experience in the sparkling new Etihad lounge, Abu Dhabi’s Terminal A;Then you have Air India’s very first A350 - very posh! Finally, it’s time to look forward to the rest of 2024 & maybe a glimpse of David’s attempt at writing his book - “The Things We Leave Behind.”And before we forget “Happy New Year” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we talk to Roger Hall - a veteran aviation professional with many talents & many passions. Aviation isn't just about flying planes; it's a realm where diverse talents and passions converge. Join us as we celebrate the richness of talent and passion in aviation, showcasing how these multifaceted individuals thrive in an environment that encourages diverse pursuits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we'll dive into the world of customer experience, with Vimal Kumar Rai. Whether you're a frequent flyer or an occasional traveler, what are some of the things that make your journey truly an experience to remember? Or is one of those trips that you sooner forget!"Airlines have the opportunity to create lasting impressions and build brand loyalty through exceptional customer experiences." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever thought about who designed the seat that you sat in on a flight? But, we are sure that it was a key part of your onboard travel experience. This episode of the podcast focuses on aircraft seats and is a captivating listen of the passion, dreams, innovation & dedication of two very special guests;Jeff O’Neill who is a perennial traveler, aviation enthusiast & avid points collector who runs Zephyr Aerospace, the inventor of Zephyr Seat, which provides affordable access to inflight sleep for all travelers on long haul flightsandAlejandro Nuñez Vicente a young passionate industrial designer from Madrid, developing and designing Chaise Longue, a double decker seat that will change the way people travel on long-haul flights.  Alejandro's aim is to disrupt boring & outdated economy class with the Chaise Longue Economy seat! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.