TravelCommons

Wrapping Up the TravelCommons Journey

mpeacock@travelcommons.com (Mark Peacock) — Thu, 23 May 2024 17:30:01 -0500

Finishing up 19 years of thinking way too much about travel, I indulge in a little bit of nostalgia and talk about my personal travel philosophy. But before that, we compare three Mid-South river cities -- Nashville, Louisville, and Memphis -- talk about the recovery of business travel, and enjoy a full listener mail bag.

Check out this episode's show notes for a transcript of the episode and links I mention here

Smile for Security: Facial Recognition in Travel

mpeacock@travelcommons.com (Mark Peacock) — Thu, 11 Apr 2024 13:30:01 -0500

Using my face as my boarding pass to get on a flight to Oaxaca, Mexico and then as my passport to get back in the US got me thinking about how facial recognition has permeated the travel experience. To help us understand where this is going, we talk with two travel industry experts, Dr. Sheldon Jacobson and Henry Harteveldt. But before that, we talk about eating grasshoppers, an EV experience with Avis, and a couple of my travel tips that need to be revised.

Check out this episode's show notes for a transcript of the episode and links I mention here

London Vacation Rental Woes; Hertz's EV Retreat

mpeacock@travelcommons.com (Mark Peacock) — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:00:01 -0600

I walked by Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre after a weekend of wrestling with Booking.com and TravelNest‘s service agents, trying unsuccessfully to not let them screw up my London vacation rental. The Macbeth soliloquy about a tale “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” pretty much summed up my experience — lots of talk that yielded nothing. But before that, we catch up on Hertz’s EV reversal, Sioux City, Iowa’s embrace of their SUX airport code, and a flash-in-the-pan airport delay betting app.

Check out this episode's show notes for a transcript of the episode and links I mention here

Renting a Tesla; 2023 Traveler Gift Guide

mpeacock@travelcommons.com (Mark Peacock) — Tue, 7 Nov 2023 17:30:01 -0600

It’s the sustainability episode of the TravelCommons podcast, talking about my experience renting a Tesla from Hertz and my road-tested list of Christmas gift suggestions for the frequent traveler(s) in your life. I also talk about some new TSA biometrics equipment I faced (literally) in Nashville and yet another update on the EU’s ETIAS system and the US’s Real ID.

Check out this episode's show notes for a transcript of the episode and links I mention here

Cheers to Beer Tourism and Travel

mpeacock@travelcommons.com (Mark Peacock) — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 18:22:01 -0500

In this beer-focused episode, John Holl, editor of All About Beer, gives us his take on beer tourism and tips on how to beer travels. I talk about my experience planning my Asheville, NC taproom visits with ChatGPT. We also dive deep into the new JD Power Airport Satisfaction Survey and do a quick update about the EU's delayed ETIAS system.

Check out this episode's show notes for a transcript of the episode and links I mention here

Checking Out Holland’s Tulip Festival

mpeacock@travelcommons.com (Mark Peacock) — Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:14:01 -0500

In this episode, I dive deep into our Dutch tulip-themed trip last April. Before the tulip festival stories, I randomly wander through a potpourri of travel topics — TSA passenger volumes returning to pre-COVID levels, having a surprisingly satisfying customer service experience with American Airlines, Hertz’s EV push, and a bit of a chuckle about the misplaced visa panic in the news coverage of the EU’s impending ETIAS system.