Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast

Yesterday I talked to global travel editor Annabel Grossman about her first trip to Poland – a country I have been visiting for decades. Our colleague Maria Jelenska, who works for The Independent, heard the podcast and wanted to talk about her home town, the fine city of Gdansk.

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I have been travelling to Poland since before you were born (specifically 1985) and, every time I go there, the nation becomes more appealing – from cuisine and better transport to interpretations of a rich and complex history. But for Travel Desk Tuesday I am talking to global travel editor Annabel Grossman, who is just back from her first visit. She explored national parks and superb beaches, and even found herself on the very brink of Russia.

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Over the past few days, there has been controversy in the frequent-flyer community about the apparent extension of Silver and Gold status by BA to people who had done hardly any flying with the airline. Rob Burgess, founder of the Head for Points website, has been telling me more.

A spokesperson for IAG Loyalty, which runs the scheme for BA, said: "Due to a technical issue, some members (fewer than 1%) were incorrectly told they had retained their status, when they hadn’t earned it, or been entitled to it. Because of this, we’ll be contacting affected customers in the coming days to apologise and reinstate their correct tier.”

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All week you may have been reading headlines about flight cancellations and soaring airfares. Well, to round off the week, I have been talking to the boss of the leading western Channel ferry operator, Brittany Ferries. Chief executive Christophe Mathieu says he can guarantee no increased prices – due to the company's policy of hedging. And he says there is no shortage of LNG or maritime fuel for his vessels.

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On St George's Day, there's no need to trim your travel sails. Despite challenging headlines travel remains in good health. My guest today, Ted Wake, managing director of Kirker Holidays, says that airlines could cut one flight in five with impunity. "There is scope for the airlines to trim their schedules in the coming months without having any appreciable impact on consumers."

This podcast is free, as is Independent Travel's weekly newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.