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Two Guys on a Plane

What's Really Happening in Aviation Right Now with USA Today's Zach Wichter

1/20/20261 hr

Ever wonder how those wild aviation headlines actually come together, and what’s really going on behind the scenes when travel chaos hits the news? This week, we’re recording *on location* in New York City and flipping the script with someone who usually asks us the questions. We’re joined by consumer travel reporter Zach Wichter, and trust us, this one is packed with insight, laughs, and plenty of “oh wow, that tracks” moments.

We dig into passenger behavior, TikTok “travel hacks,” accessibility issues, and why everything in aviation always comes back to safety. From crazy inf...

Clips

From Fearful Kid To Reporter
Why You Can’t Seat-Hop
The Wheelchair Damage Problem
Are Passengers Worse Post‑COVID?
Please, Shorter Announcements
A Personal Accessibility Wake‑Up
Seatbelt Sign Isn’t A Suggestion

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Rich· Host0:00

    [upbeat music] Ever wondered what your flight attendants are really talking about behind the galley curtain?

  2. Zach Wichter· Guest0:06

    Welcome to Two Guys on a Plane, your go-to podcast for an insider look at flight attendant life.

  3. Rich· Host0:10

    We're your hosts, Rich and Drew, and we're here to tell you what really goes on at 35,000 feet.

  4. Zach Wichter· Guest0:16

    So sit back, relax, we're ready for takeoff.

  5. Rich· Host0:19

    [upbeat music] Passenger banned after fellow travelers had to restrain him with zip ties for violent outburst.

  6. Zach Wichter· Guest0:27

    Passenger allegedly stabbed two people with a metal fork.

  7. Rich· Host0:31

    Flight attendants fired after refusing to fly on a bedbug plane.

  8. Zach Wichter· Guest0:35

    US-bound plane returns to Tokyo after man bites flight attendant.

  9. Rich· Host0:40

    Yes, these are real headlines from actual news stories from the past decade or so.

  10. Zach Wichter· Guest0:44

    If you work in aviation or a frequent traveler, you know that we really can't make these kind of stories up.

  11. Rich· Host0:51

    So today we are talking about all things aviation, but this time in the news. Uh, we have a special guest, and if you are watching, uh, the video version of this podcast, we are on location today in New York at USA Today's New York Bureau. And we are so excited to have a very special guest with us, uh, in the studio today. We are chatting with Zach Wichter. He is a consumer travel reporter and also, um, someone we've spoken with many times now to share our flight attendant perspectives, and we are so excited. He has done a ton of things over the years. He's worked for The Points Guy. He has worked for The New York Times. He won a Loeb Award, uh,

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