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Introduction
Transcript
Rachel Satow: It's almost like the rule of travel is to embrace the weird, and you have to just be comfortable with being uncomfortable and doing things that you wouldn't do in any other scenario. Speaker: Welcome to Travel Buddy, presented by Switchfly. In this podcast, we talk about all things travel, rewards, and loyalty. Let's get to it.
Brandon Giella: So we have all accepted some weird things about traveling, and I think if you're a pretty avid traveler, there are some contexts, situations, and so on where you might stand out from the crowd a little bit. We've all got our stories where you can pick out a very seasoned traveler and somebody, this is their first time at the airport. And so we wanna talk about the fun things that we, you can see that, where travel has convinced you that these things are normal, and to most other people, they're not that normal. And so Rachel was kind enough to send us a list of questions that we are gonna go through, because I have my notes. I have my notes, Rachel. So I would love to hear, from you guys first. First question: What's something about traveling that would sound completely insane if you tried to explain it to someone who had never traveled before?
Rachel Satow: I think the just blind acceptance of standing in lines and having at least five different tickets on your, on your phone at any given time. I mean, I personally just, I-- Ian and I are both this way, but when it comes to planning travel, we are, we break out the spreadsheets. We are like, "What is the best way to go about this? What is the route that can be going through, like, that I can take that is going to be the cheapest and most efficient way to get to where I want to go?" And I think, if I was explaining travel to someone who had never traveled before, it is both the most stressful and wonderful experience you'll ever get to have because, you learn so much along the way, but getting there is usually the trickiest part, and you have to accept a lot of really weird things that wouldn't happen in any other scenario when you're traveling. like I, I mentioned, like standing in lines. You're standing in that security line when you get on, when you get on a plane. sometimes you're gonna sleep in public, and while, while you're on
Brandon Giella: All the time
Rachel Satow: layover or you're gonna eat meals at, like, the most absurd times too. So your whole schedule just gets totally upended and, it's rewarding, but it's also, like, kinda stressful.
Brandon Giella: It is
Ian Andersen: I mean, I, I just, m- the, the spreadsheet point, I, just booked our Christmas travel down to see my, my parents for, for the kids and the wife, and she's gonna make a little detour, to go see her dad for a few days. And so I have it all planned out and, you know, I spend so much time and I'm checking, you know, prices on one airline versus another and, you know, kinda doing the whole thing. And, could all be for nothing, right? Like, a snowstorm could hit and, a mechanical problem with one of the planes and, like, I've spent hours and several thousand dollars that could just be, like, totally changed on a whim. you know, we just… That's how it is, right?
Brandon Giella: That, that idea of like hurry up and wait. Like hurry up, plan everything, get everything in line, and then you're, you're there and you're like, "Okay, I think I'm here on time." And then you just sit there for like an hour, and everybody else is sitting there for an hour and you have no idea whether you're actually gonna get on the plane.
Ian Andersen: and you're hurrying up and you get through and you get, make it through security and you're just, you know, you put on your, like, security travel clothes 'cause they're just easy, you know, to deal with. And like, oh, and now your flight's delayed six hours. Like, you did
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Ian Andersen: do any of that,
Brandon Giella: Yes. Yes.
Ian Andersen: That's
Brandon Giella: It's like if I wish I had known that this was going to happen, I would have done this totally differently, but you never know until you live there. It's like, it's like you're living on the frontier of life, you know? It's just, it's so unknown, and it's so exciting. You have no idea if this is gonna work out or not. Eee, you know? It's great. It's great. Okay, on that point, though, are you guys like get there three hours early or get there right as you're boarding kind of people?
Rachel Satow: Oh, I'm somewhere in between. I'm not a three hours early person, but I won't-- cause me too much anxiety if I wait until the last minute and I'm the last person to board. So I'm more of a like, I'll casually roll up like 30 minutes beforehand, and that's, that's what I work with usually.
Brandon Giella: Okay. Okay. Bold choice. Bold choice.
Rachel Satow: Yeah.
Ian Andersen: to the gate? Okay
Rachel Satow: I'm that person that walks to the gate, makes sure that the gate is there and I know where it is, and then I go do what I need to do,
Ian Andersen: Yeah,
Brandon Giella: Yeah, fair
Ian Andersen: of course.
Rachel Satow: sends me the
Ian Andersen: Yeah. Oh, yeah. First thing through security is always see where the gate is, right? Like,
Brandon Giella: Yeah, I don't know what kind of psycho doesn't do that. Yeah
Ian Andersen: Yeah, and then, and then go do your other peripheries. Yeah, I, I'm, I vary by airport. You know, I have, kind of a, a rule of thumb for each airport as far as time goes, so,
Brandon Giella: Impressive
Ian Andersen: know. And then, like, with pre-check and stuff, that's definitely cut down my, my timeline for getting to airports. So it's, it's pretty variable. I'm, I'm not a, like, two-plus hour early, I also don't wanna be rushed, so I try to kinda ti- you know, find the sweet spot there
Brandon Giella: Well, I, I see the, kind of silent, implicit, making fun of this guy because I like getting there three hours early because that is the maximum allowable time before you can go into a lounge before your flight, is three hours. So I like to time that perfectly where I'm in there, and then I just veg 'cause I get free food, it's quieter, and it's really nice. I can sit and have a call or do my work or lately, you know, my kids are running around. I get them fed, which is nice. But the thing I like about showing up that early is because I think the thing that I notice traveling more than at any other time in life is I can feel others' anxiety palpably. Like, I can just sense that everyone is freaking out, and they're so afraid of missing their plane. They're running, and they're like, "Do I have all my things? Is my passport in my bag? Like, I'm not sure," you know? And I'm just so self-aware that I like… I, I, I fight against it and become this like Zen monk walking into the airport, and I just really enjoy being there early. what is, what is something that…
Ian Andersen: sadist, right?
Brandon Giella: Yeah. Yeah, it's a little schadenfreude. You know, I just see other people's, you know, terror, and I'm just like, "No, no, no. That is not the way. I am inhabiting the way of peace." We saw this, my wife and I saw this video one time that was like, "I want other people to worship me in the airport at how efficient I am at getting through." And I always think about that. Okay,
Ian Andersen: their
Brandon Giella: what is some…
Ian Andersen: Yeah.
Brandon Giella: So yeah. So related to that, what is something you guys can tell, that somebody's, an experienced, seasoned traveler versus somebody who's kind of new at this? What is something that you see between you two?
Rachel Satow: And get always, for me, like boils down to how efficiently they can get through security, and specifically how efficiently they can pick up all of their things after it's gone through the scanner and put their shoes back on. 'Cause there's always, it, like that is the tell for me, and it is what I strive to be fastest at. It's almost like a game
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Rachel Satow: where it's like I, I need to not only wear something that, it, to Ian, your point, I have a whole outfit that I am like, "This is my security outfit. This is the outfit I'm going to be comfortable in, but also isn't gonna cause any problems." Like, I don't have jewelry on c- and what is the fastest shoe I can put on and take off? so I think, that's the tell for me is like I can clock somebody who has done this because they are so fast, it's like you don't even see them put their shoes on.
Brandon Giella: Yes. Yes. Yes
Ian Andersen: I think first, the, the first sign is are you going to the regular line or the pre-check line? 'Cause right
Brandon Giella: for sure.
Ian Andersen: yeah, we're, you're, yeah, you're amateur. And then even though, even beyond that is, a laptop. Like, if you have a laptop bag where it's easy to take in, out, and you're, like, already doing it, God bless you. otherwise, sitting there standing and waiting for people to unpack, like, half their bag to get their laptop or, you know, large electronic devices out, that's, that's always a
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Rachel Satow: And
Brandon Giella: I saw this…
Rachel Satow: I can
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Rachel Satow: has- isn't a traveler because they walk into the security line with like a bottle of water still, and
Ian Andersen: Yeah
Rachel Satow: you're watching them chug the water on the side. Like, guys, this is… You can't have
Ian Andersen: Wear, don't, don't wear a belt. just don't wear
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Ian Andersen: right?
Brandon Giella: And have your ID handy. You know, it's like I, I saw this woman recently when I was, I was traveling, and this was international, so I, I have some grace there. It's like kinda, kinda tough on, on some folks. But she must have had five bags on her, and digging through to find her ID or her passport to get up to the line, it like, it was just like, have you… You know that you gotta get your ID out, right? At some point. Why is it in the middle of your largest bag?
Ian Andersen: Yeah.
Brandon Giella: so anyway
Ian Andersen: thing I've ever gotten, and I will never be without one again, is the, like, wallet phone case,
Brandon Giella: that's a good one. Yep
Ian Andersen: like everything's right there. You know, my boarding pass, the mobile boarding pass, my IDs, like whatever you need, I got it right here and
Brandon Giella: Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. That is where I can tell an experienced traveler. My, my answer to that was, they're light packers. Like, they know exactly what they need to bring to have a great time and nothing more. And I can tell they just have, like, one little bag. It's very well, like, zipped up and tidy, and they're wearing, like, the right clothes that are comfy, and I just think that's probably my goal in life. And I keep thinking about… What I kept coming back down to was, like, others' anxiety is a big theme to answer all these questions, and then another one was, like, merino wool. I think I just want, like, three items of clothing that I wear every day, and I don't wash them, and I just have that, and that's all I own. I think that's where I'm going in life. Yeah
Ian Andersen: isn't that the, the whole Steve Jobs thing is like just own multiple pairs of the same thing and you don't
Brandon Giella: Yes
Ian Andersen: Yeah.
Brandon Giella: Yes. But with merino wool, you don't have to wash it. So you wear, like, one outfit for, like… There's, like, the, the 100-day challenge from one of the companies. So you wear the same shirt for 100 days without washing it is their… That's their, like, campaign for their marketing, and I'm like, "That, I could get down with that. That sounds great." My wife hates it
Ian Andersen: but it just reminds me of the, Seinfeld, like wearing a full suit of velvet everywhere. You know, the like, the full velvet outfit. Yeah. That's…
Brandon Giella: If,
Ian Andersen: I could
Brandon Giella: it does wick, it doesn't, get smoking on you, you know, like a velvet smoking jacket. So maybe it does actually doesn't smell. You wear it for 100 days and it's great. So there's your new travel outfit for 2027, is a velvet suit
Ian Andersen: I, feel, like my wife will not let me try that challenge. Like, I'd
Brandon Giella: Yeah, same.
Ian Andersen: yeah. I, I'll get some pushback here
Brandon Giella: Yes, yes, yes. well let's… Yeah, go ahead
Ian Andersen: thankfully, it was not my intention, but a side benefit of joining the military are USOs. They're the best ' we're always trying to figure out, like, can we go to this club now? Can we, like, take the kids? Can we… You know, like, it's always such a pain. But you can just go to the USO and it's great and comfortable, and there's always food and nice people. It's, it's usually busy, but you can always find a nice seat. Like it's, it's busy, but not crowded, I would say, usually
Brandon Giella: Maybe I should join the military.
Ian Andersen: There you go.
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Ian Andersen: Hey, hey,
Brandon Giella: All right
Ian Andersen: man. That's hard to beat.
Brandon Giella: Have to be. That sounds, that sounds like a… May, maybe that's the plan. Maybe, maybe the United States wants more people in the military, and so healthcare is expensive, traveling's hard. Anyway, okay. Weird… speaking of economics, weird economics of travel. What are things to you guys that are, like, always worth the money or never worth the money?
Ian Andersen: Question
Rachel Satow: That's a good question. I personally will, I will pay to get a window seat. Like, that is just who I… But, but also, it's completely insane that we have to pay for seats, to choose seats when we've already paid to be on, to be on the plane. So like, I've already purchased my seat, but now I have to pay for my seat again But
Brandon Giella: Yes
Rachel Satow: spend, I will spend the money for a window seat. I am a, like, side, like a r- a, I'm I'm a rest-er when I, when I'm flying, and I will knock out on a plane, which again, is objectively like a really weird thing that travel has totally made us okay with, is the s- crazy places that you will sleep because you, you get, you know, you're, the, I don't know if it has to do with the pressure, but I instantly fall asleep on a plane, and I need something to rest my head on. So I will always splurge
Ian Andersen: Very envious. I
Brandon Giella: I can't sleep at all. I can never sleep on a plane
Ian Andersen: I, I prefer the aisle, but
Brandon Giella: Same. Same
Rachel Satow: Is it because you don't wanna have to crawl over anybody?
Brandon Giella: Yeah, 100%.
Ian Andersen: yeah, and it's just more room, you know,
Brandon Giella: Yep.
Ian Andersen: You can kinda
Brandon Giella: Yep
Ian Andersen: a little more. And, and sitting, like either in the middle or the window, I'm always just crammed. Like,
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Ian Andersen: like this, like no
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Ian Andersen: So it's just nice to be able to r- relax somewhat on… You know what drives me nuts, though, speaking of being too comfortable on airplanes, are people taking their shoes off like immediately. You know? That's that,
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Ian Andersen: just a mild annoyance, but it is a routine annoyance of like, just keep your shoes on. You know, wear comfortable shoes. Like
Brandon Giella: Especially the bare feet situation. I've seen that quite a lot, and it's like, ah, nobody, nobody wants that. no.
Ian Andersen: No,
Brandon Giella: you are, in the aisle, the first to get snacks, so that's a, that's a, that's a good perk. but to your point, Rachel, there's this billionaire that I follow and, he wrote that the two things you should always pay for when you have the money is a private plane and a view. And so in this case you, you get, like, half of those, which is pretty good, so,
Rachel Satow: Yeah. At
Brandon Giella: so it's good advice.
Ian Andersen: Yeah. right.
Brandon Giella: Crowded plane, but
Rachel Satow: I'm,
Brandon Giella: yeah.
Ian Andersen: the private plan, yeah.
Rachel Satow: yeah, I'm
Ian Andersen: Yeah
Rachel Satow: of the way there.
Ian Andersen: Yeah
Brandon Giella: To being a billionaire.
Rachel Satow: It's a big affiliate, yeah
Brandon Giella: That's great. That's great. anything that strikes you as just, like, objectively expensive at the airport that you're like, "That is just…"
Ian Andersen: Every…
Brandon Giella: yeah, of course, yeah. Fair
Ian Andersen: a bottle of water for, like, nine bucks or whatever. I mean,
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Ian Andersen: it's re- for, for no reason, right? Like, we're not on a mountaintop in middle of nowhere where stuff's hard to, like, know, bring in. You're at the airport. Literally everything is easy to bring in. But it's all 19 times more expensive than it needs to be
Brandon Giella: A seasoned traveler will tell you to go to Starbucks or Chick-fil-A first and get a cup of water with whatever you're ordering, and that way you have it with you on the plane for free
Rachel Satow: can just go there for the cup of water. They're not gonna judge you on that. I have
Brandon Giella: That's fair. That's fair. You can do that
Ian Andersen: at Starbucks is always, like, an hour and a half long
Brandon Giella: Uh-huh. You can order ahead though. You can pick a, an actual, like, little store on gate C20 or whatever, and you go on your app, and it's right there. Also, seasoned traveler tip I saw one time, 'cause somebody, I was like sitting in this long line, and they're like, "You know you can just order on the app and go pick it up, and they'll tell you when it's ready?" And I was like, "Gosh, that's so smart. I am so dumb." one per- I read this article once that, silence is, a luxury of the wealthy, and so I will pay for silence. I will go to the lounge in a quiet place.
Ian Andersen: same. And
Brandon Giella: That's worth it. Yep, that's worth it
Ian Andersen: what about, okay, this is a weird, I, I hadn't really heard the controversy, and I don't think it's particularly controversial 'cause I don't really care, but the, I have heard it multiple times now of do you lean the seat back or not? Like, whose space is that, right? Of if you lean the seat back.
Rachel Satow: is
Ian Andersen: Yeah, My seat's going back. I'm sorry. Like, it's going back
Brandon Giella: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta be prepared for it, you know?
Ian Andersen: Yeah.
Brandon Giella: be prepared for that
Rachel Satow: But
Ian Andersen: And I'm
Rachel Satow: you don't get more space because if everybody just leans their seat back, you're just moving into somebody else's space that they have to move into, the other person's space. And then you know who doesn't get to do that? The people all the way in the back of the plane with the
Ian Andersen: They should have
Rachel Satow: seat.
Brandon Giella: yeah, yeah.
Ian Andersen: earlier. Yeah
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Rachel Satow: They, should have splurged on the window seat.
Ian Andersen: yeah. No, I, I, I am, I'm over 40, and like I mentioned, a career military person. My back hurts. Like, that seat's going back. I can't sit straight up for hours at a time. So yeah, that's,
Brandon Giella: don't know if I'm like Gumby or something, but I don't need to lean back typically. I mean, like, sometimes it's helpful on, like, really long flights, but I think I'm okay with it up. 'Cause then you get into game theory of Rachel's point of, like, you're at a stadium and, like, one person stands up. It's like, "Well, now we're all gonna stand up," you know?
Ian Andersen: Well,
Brandon Giella: That's annoying
Ian Andersen: the jerk that's gonna ruin it for everybody and make everyone have to… Because, like, and I mean, I'm doing it when the flight attendant buckles in, like before, because at that point I know she's not gonna get up and make me my seat forward, so
Rachel Satow: All of the
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Rachel Satow: listening to this right now are gonna be like, "Anna Anderson,
Ian Andersen: I'm gonna watch it very…
Rachel Satow: We're,
Ian Andersen: We'll have
Rachel Satow: for
Ian Andersen: my picture.
Brandon Giella: That's right.
Ian Andersen: No.
Brandon Giella: one thing that, some of the, the questions were about, like, what's, like, ridiculous, in a travel context, but, like, everywhere else would be totally normal. And what comes to mind is my number one pet peeve with traveling, and is people crowding an area when you don't need to crowd the area. So three examples. One, getting onto the plane. If you are in group six, you can sit down until they call group six. You don't need to stand there and make it harder for everybody else. Number two, when the plane lands and pulls up to the gate and they turn the engines off, and everybody immediately stands up and grabs their bags. You can sit down because we have at least another 15 minutes until we are ready to go, and you make everybody's lives harder. Number three, when you go and get your bags and you are sitting in front of the carousel to get your bag, if you are standing there and your bag is literally not on the carousel, you are making everyone's life so much harder to try to get around you to go get their bag because yours is not there. You can move away from the carousel and let other people get their bag because it is there and yours is not. Okay, I rest my case. Those are my… That is my number one pet peeve while traveling that would be ridiculous anywhere else, but because of anxiety, we must be standing. That's my soapbox
Rachel Satow: pro tip for, looking like you know what you're doing, and being a seasoned traveler is just sitting down. Go sit
Brandon Giella: Just sit down.
Ian Andersen: Dress
Brandon Giella: The plane is not gonna leave.
Ian Andersen: Yeah
Brandon Giella: It is not gonna leave you. You will board the plane. Just sit down. You'll be okay. Everyone will be okay. That's my presidential campaign for 2026
Ian Andersen: There you go. I,
Rachel Satow: Got my vote
Ian Andersen: weird side benefit that I exploit unnecessarily is, the, the military, like, priority se- priority
Brandon Giella: Oh, that's nice. Yeah
Ian Andersen: that's… I, I don't care what group I'm in, I'm going up front, so.
Brandon Giella: That's great
Rachel Satow: Brandon, is just like being sold on the idea of
Ian Andersen: yeah
Rachel Satow: life
Brandon Giella: I s-
Rachel Satow: the
Brandon Giella: I'm gonna join the military. I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna, I don't know. I got type-y hands. I sit inside in the air conditioning all day. I don't know what I'm supposed to do in the military, but I don't know. I'll, maybe I'll figure it out
Ian Andersen: Yeah, there's… You can type stuff. There's all kinds
Brandon Giella: They need typey people. Yeah, I don't know.
Ian Andersen: we absolutely do
Rachel Satow: I think another thing that is, like, a weird travel thing that you probably would not have in, in any other scenario except for, like, if your house was on fire and you needed to get everything out, is, like, carry every important possession you have with you when you travel. And, like, it's completely nothing. You'll have your passport, you'll have your wallet, you'll have your computer, you'll have every- everything that bring you comfort in that process, and, like, every important documentation you have with you all just, like, crammed into your tiny little bag, and then you have to take it with you everywhere. If you're traveling alone, thing, the, all of those important documents and that whole thing, that whole bag is going into the bathroom stall with you. Like, that is
Brandon Giella: A thousand percent. Yeah, I am never, I'm never departing from that bag. Yeah.
Rachel Satow: That if I don't have eyes on that bag, we have a problem.
Brandon Giella: Yeah, we have a major problem. There, there's this guy that I like, his name's Jeremy Malouf. Jeremy, if you're listening, I'm really inspired by your, your one bag travel. But he has one bag with, like, 27 items. It's all he owns. Lives in New York. He's got his, like, you know, obviously phone, laptop, and, like, he, he has six outfits and, like, everyday carry items stuffed in, and he wrote it, the, his most recent blog post, he wrote that he lost it. Somebody stole it while he was traveling. He lost everything he owned in one night. but he had this great post about, like, I, I have been preparing for this to happen, so I've, like, hardened my security, my digital security life, and I can go get my new … You know, I know the order of things to go, like, replace all those items and everything. But I just thought that was so funny that, like, everything he owned. But yeah, I'm watching that like a hawk
Ian Andersen: I need to get my wife to, to sign on to the one bag, like check bag theory,
Brandon Giella: Right?
Ian Andersen: we
Brandon Giella: That's beautiful.
Ian Andersen: my entire house every time we
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Ian Andersen: it seems like for
Brandon Giella: Yes
Ian Andersen: Yeah. Yeah. I don't, get it. And then…
Rachel Satow: is…
Ian Andersen: Well sh- and then she'll, she'll have these enormous bags and I'll say like, "W- why? Like, why do you need that?" And she, and it's, know, to make things easier. But then somehow she always has even more stuff and asks me if I have room in my bag to put, like, m- even more stu- Like, I don't, I don't get it. get it
Brandon Giella: D- do you ha-
Rachel Satow: is that's one thing I will not pay for. I'm not paying for a checked bag. I don't care if I am flying overseas and I'm going to be there for a month. I will look like Joey Tribbiani in that one episode of Friends where he puts on all
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Rachel Satow: the clothes all of Chandler's. That's me in, with my carry-on. Like, I will … I- I'm not paying for a checked bag
Brandon Giella: I was that way until I had kids, and then I'm like, I'm checking every… Do you want my shoes? I'm checking my shoes. I'm pulling out my headphones. Like, you can have these. Like, I will check everything so that I am nimble, so that when my three-year-old just sprints off and starts eating food off the floor, I'm like, "I'm there," you know? Yeah. It's
Ian Andersen: I was, very, like, anti checking bags until, until my wife… 'Cause if we're gonna check something, then screw it, I'm gonna check, Yeah. the of our stuff
Brandon Giella: Yeah. Yeah
Ian Andersen: right, if, if it- if we're already going down this, this misery route, then let's just get the most out of it.
Brandon Giella: It's the one thing that I think about upgrading to the, American World Elite MasterCard where you can get like, I think it's like eight checked bags for free on the card, and it's like that would pay for itself in literally like two trips. So anyway, Ian, do you have a pro tip or ridiculous thing about traveling with children?
Ian Andersen: Uh Like, s- especially young children, right? Ch- check everything, clothes, whatever, but like have that bag of just like snacks, diapers, cards, you know, like IDs, whatever, ready to go. and then I have, I have several friends and, and know people who are like very anti… Like device time for young kids, I don't, I don't c- care if it's a newborn, give them a freaking iPad or something to
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Ian Andersen: like,
Brandon Giella: Yeah. Yeah.
Ian Andersen: it i- that was the greatest thing that ever happened from mobile devices
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Ian Andersen: children traveling. Like I, you know, at home I'm relatively strict on the times and all that, you know. Traveling, I don't care. Watch 19 straight hours of movies. Like it's, it's fine. Like yeah.
Brandon Giella: That's right
Ian Andersen: I, g- I lucked out the, the, both the boys are, are super easy travelers from like the beginning. But,
Brandon Giella: That's good
Ian Andersen: yeah it's, it can be fun with, with kids and just, you know, like over, over plan on times, you know. Give yourself some extra time 'cause it will take longer.
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Ian Andersen: and then also I, and I never realized it was a thing until a, a lady came up to me at the airport once when it was just me and the boys flying. They were four and two-ish, somewhere in there. And I kinda blocked off a little corner out of the way so they could just go crazy and could like try to close my eyes for five minutes and, you know, and they're watching the planes out the window and jumping off the chairs and whatever. But you know, I was segregated away from… And this lady came up and was like, really great that you're letting them run off their… Let the kids run their energy off." Like I don't, I'm not gonna get mad at somebody whose kid's like running up and down the thing just
Brandon Giella: Yes
Ian Andersen: some energy off. Like
Brandon Giella: Yes.
Ian Andersen: not climbing on me and running into my space like cares? Right? So
Brandon Giella: I ha- I have found people are so generous with kids running around. Even, even when they're crying their heads off, which we have had that experience several times.
Ian Andersen: yeah.
Brandon Giella: You got a one-year-old that's just losing their mind. people are, like, so kind. So kind. Yeah, I've really enjoyed that
Ian Andersen: issue we ever had traveling really was my older son used to, thankfully he doesn't anymore, but used to get pretty bad pressure headaches, you know, on takeoff and landing, would be the time he's, he's crying. I, at first, you know, you're kind of embarrassed and you're trying to… But then after a while you're like, do you want me to do?" Like, he's got a pressure, like there's, this isn't his fault. It's not, it's just the way the world is. It sucks. Like, you know. So
Brandon Giella: You just stick a needle in his forehead and let out the pressure.
Ian Andersen: Yeah. Yeah.
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Ian Andersen: Right.
Brandon Giella: Yeah, have some grace. That, that, maybe that's the takeaway. I know Rachel, you can relate with that. Just have some grace for yourself, for other people. I know we're kind of like complaining about other people traveling, but truly like have some grace. People are just trying to, trying to make it
Ian Andersen: Yeah Yeah. you getting there an extra five minutes early isn't that big of a deal, right? So
Brandon Giella: right. That's right. Rachel
Ian Andersen: on airlines a lot. You got any, Rachel, you got any, like, hotel,
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Ian Andersen: hotel tips?
Rachel Satow: take the half-used products home because they're tiny and
Brandon Giella: Are you? You're one of those?
Rachel Satow: Yeah, I am
Brandon Giella: Oh, man. Okay. All right
Rachel Satow: If it's u- if it's used, I'm taking it because I've used it and I don't want it to go into the trash and just,
Brandon Giella: Oh, if it's used. Okay, yeah.
Rachel Satow: Oh, no, I'm taking the
Brandon Giella: Yeah,
Rachel Satow: too, and it goes
Brandon Giella: okay, no, that's what I was saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Rachel Satow: It goes into the guest bathroom
Brandon Giella: I see. Yeah, yeah, yeah
Rachel Satow: take the tiny products home. Take them home. They were meant for you. Please just take them home. that, I think, one of the other things that I always, it's a, it's a weird thing to get really excited about, but, I usually get so hyped about it, is when they have lights that I can reach from the bed and can turn off, or, like, all of the lights from the bed,
Brandon Giella: Yeah. Yeah
Rachel Satow: being
Ian Andersen: Yeah
Rachel Satow: from the
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Rachel Satow: two things, if I walk into, in a ho- into a hotel room and I see those two things, I'm like, "This is a good one."
Brandon Giella: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Totally. I wish, you know, you know how like when you're, you're checking out a hotel and they got all the amenities and all the thing… They have like, "Oh, we have AC and like a washing machine." It's like, well, great, fine. But can I reach a plug from sitting in bed? If you don't have that, you should, you should rethink your hotel descriptions. Yeah, yeah.
Ian Andersen: Yes
Brandon Giella: Totally agree
Ian Andersen: something I learned Ariella when we did the podcast with her like, complain about stuff but be nice about it, and
Brandon Giella: Totally.
Ian Andersen: give you
Brandon Giella: Totally
Ian Andersen: Like, it is nothing to a hotel to give you, like, food for, you know, extra nights, what- like, whatever you want, But
Brandon Giella: Within reason. I'm a within reason guy.
Ian Andersen: Yeah,
Brandon Giella: If it's a legitimate thing,
Ian Andersen: and don't be
Brandon Giella: yeah.
Ian Andersen: about it, right.
Brandon Giella: 100%. It's not their fault.
Ian Andersen: No, no.
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Ian Andersen: And they have, they have quite a bit of discretion in what they can and can't, like, give out, you know?
Brandon Giella: Yeah.
Ian Andersen: So
Brandon Giella: Yeah, great point. What about,
Ian Andersen: I,
Brandon Giella: car travel?
Ian Andersen: last
Brandon Giella: go ahead.
Ian Andersen: last
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Ian Andersen: hotels that, I loathe but also, like, I don't know, it's a weird one, are the videos of people going in with, like, black lights and stuff. I wish that had never started 'cause I don't wanna
Brandon Giella: Oh.
Ian Andersen: And,
Brandon Giella: yeah. Yeah, I
Ian Andersen: I,
Brandon Giella: don't, care about that. Yeah
Ian Andersen: now I, I don't wanna think about it, but I know they're out there and yeah, that's a weird one. It's a
Brandon Giella: Yeah, that's an out of sight, out of mind one for me. I, I don't even, I don't even think about it. I just, I know it's there and I'm like, "Nah, I don't even care. Don't wanna know." Same kind of thing with like bedbugs. I know bedbugs would be the worst thing ever. I've never gotten them, praise God. I'm just never gonna even,
Rachel Satow: Better knock on wood.
Brandon Giella: yeah, I, I do not wanna do that. But, I'm curious, do you guys like check your sheets and stuff when you get into a hotel? You do? Yeah, okay
Rachel Satow: first thing I do. I don't unpack a bag and I don't take the tiny products until I know, until I know that the room is safe. I'm fully unmaking that bed to check the, to check it, especially in, like, very popular, cities, like, and very, like, big, big cities like New
Brandon Giella: Yeah
Rachel Satow: and everything, like, where I know there's a lot of turnover. I- that's the first thing I'm doing is checking the bed
Brandon Giella: I only do that if the place that I'm going to looks a little sketchy, like it's not super clean. But
Ian Andersen: a
Brandon Giella: hear, I hear it's in l- in n- even five-star luxury hotels have it just as bad as everywhere else from, from what I've t- what I've been told
Rachel Satow: it's the thing that appears clean that you need to worry about. Anxiety.
Brandon Giella: you gotta do that to me?
Ian Andersen: yeah
Brandon Giella: Yeah, gee whiz. But b- bedbugs would be the worst. People, people say literally, if you have a bedbug and you have your suitcase there, literally just leave it or trash it and go home with the clothes that you have on your back, literally, even your computer. Because if it gets into your home, it is actually more expensive and time-consuming than if you literally just burned all of that and bought everything brand new. And
Ian Andersen: heard
Brandon Giella: I,
Ian Andersen: it's incredibly
Brandon Giella: that to heart. Yeah
Ian Andersen: Yeah. I don't
Brandon Giella: That would be the worst, man
Ian Andersen: an older story that always creeps me out 'cause I, I do check as well usually. I, I won't say every single time, but, but most of the time. for a training thing I had to go to, we were put up in, was a few different hotels for our group because it was, it was such a large group. And, this, one lady in the group got, she was the only person in this one hotel. It just kinda happened to roll over. And it was, to Rachel's point, like, one of the nicer hotels in the area. We were all pretty jealous at the beginning. she missed the first day of training because the bedbugs were so bad her entire back had been, like, chewed up. And yeah, it was, it was, it was a bad… So since then I've been, a lot more cautious about, about checking, so
Rachel Satow: need to
Brandon Giella: Man, I'm telling you, I'm telling you. Yeah, my sister-in-law used to work in, like, apartment, leasing, and she would say, like, "You need to check everything you're ever gonna stay at, ever. Airbnbs, hotels, apartments, don't care. Check it." Oh, it's horrible. Ugh
Rachel Satow: There you go. We're, we're now passing along our travel anxiety to
Brandon Giella: I have anxiety, just not about that. Yeah.
Ian Andersen: It's… So, so
Brandon Giella: traveling in an airport.
Ian Andersen: here's, a fun hotel one too. If there's a robe, do you wear the robe
Brandon Giella: Oh, yeah, for sure. And a nice one. Yeah, at a nice place. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, with the little, with the little slippers that don't fit on your feet. Yeah, absolutely.
Ian Andersen: person, yeah, at a hotel. Yeah. I have- I'm not in any way a robe person anywhere else, but at
Brandon Giella: I want to be a robe person. I want to adopt that lifestyle when I come home. I, I thought that last time I stayed in a nice hotel, and, I thought, "I should be a robe person," and I'm not. I
Ian Andersen: more
Brandon Giella: haven't adopted it
Ian Andersen: you have to wear of like, like your or- your, your, you know, regular clothing, right? Like
Brandon Giella: Totally, But think about the psychological benefits that you just feel like a better person 'cause you put a robe on,
Ian Andersen: I really need a pipe though. If you're gonna
Brandon Giella: Ah.
Ian Andersen: you really have to have a, like
Brandon Giella: 100%.
Ian Andersen: like yeah.
Brandon Giella: A velvet, robe with your pi- bringing us full circle back to your velvet suits. Yes
Ian Andersen: Or, tweed. Tweed, you know, with, with the patches. Like,
Brandon Giella: you go.
Ian Andersen: that. But yeah.
Brandon Giella: There you go. Gosh,
Ian Andersen: thought about this at all, ever
Brandon Giella: have s- I have so many internal, ways of being. I wanna be a monk. I wanna be a tweed jacket, pipe-smoking, robe-wearing gentleman,
Ian Andersen: Like on the, on the porch, like 7:00 in the morning drinking coffee and reading your newspaper and
Brandon Giella: Oh, man.
Ian Andersen: a pi- Like
Brandon Giella: Oh
Ian Andersen: like aesthetic just sort of like
Brandon Giella: Right?
Ian Andersen: wonderful. Yeah
Brandon Giella: I just feel better about myself picturing myself on a porch. Yeah, I just, I love that.
Ian Andersen: Reading a newspaper, smoking your pipe. Like, there, there's just… Yeah.
Brandon Giella: Ah, a girl can dream. what, anything, anything else, Rachel, Ian? Last thing on separating the seasoned from the unseasoned, or the ridiculous in this context, but never ridiculous while you're traveling
Rachel Satow: you. know, I think all of the ridiculous things we talked about and, like, the, just the borderline unhinged things like brushing your teeth in a public bathroom and
Brandon Giella: 100%.
Rachel Satow: a floor that is very well-trafficked just because it's next to the plug. I think are so many things that are just weird and will only happen when you're traveling. But at the same time, it's almost like the rule of travel is to embrace the weird, and you have to just be comfortable with being uncomfortable and doing things that you wouldn't do in any other scenario. And, my takeaway is just embrace it.
Ian Andersen: Yeah.
Brandon Giella: Very soon
Ian Andersen: the forgive others' foibles so they forgive yours, right?
Brandon Giella: That's right. That's right.
Rachel Satow: Exactly. And
Brandon Giella: That's right
Rachel Satow: products home.
Brandon Giella: Take the tiny products. Take, I, I, the used ones. I'll say the used ones. I'll leave the unused ones. No, that's fine. We can d- we can disagree about that. Yeah.
Rachel Satow: it's fine.
Brandon Giella: So embrace, embrace the weird, have a little grace for yourself and others, even though I know we were just joking about everybody else, but have a little grace for people. And then take the tiny products home. Those are the three rules of traveling. All right. Fair enough. Fair enough. Well, guys, thanks so much. Always enjoy this conversation and hearing travel tips from the pros, and we will see you next time on Travel Buddy.
Rachel Satow: Thanks,
Ian Andersen: Thanks Raina
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