logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2021
35m 55s

Why flying feels so hard; Plus, 'Queer L...

NPR
About this episode
Now that more people are getting comfortable flying again, it's about time to remind ourselves that, oh yes, flying was sometimes terrible in the Before Times, too! And in 2021, that's still the case — if not more so — with cascading cancellations, staffing and plane shortages, and outbursts from passengers. Sam chats with Natalie Compton, travel reporter at The Washington Post, about the state of the airline industry heading into the holiday travel season... and how to get through it. Plus, author Jamal Jordan discusses his book 'Queer Love in Color,' and what it means to photograph and document queer intimacy. They're also joined by TV producer Hassan Williams for a game of Who Said That?

You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at samsanders@npr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
"George Bush doesn't care about Black people" 20 years later
On September 2, 2005, on a telethon to raise money for victims of Hurrican Katrina, Kanye West went off script and said, "George Bush doesn't care about Black people." 20 years later, would those words have the same impact today?In this episode, Brittany, NPR music correspondent ... Show More
18m 3s
Aug 25
'Poverty porn' in the digital age
Social media is full of images of unhoused people that's either meant to make you angry or laugh. For Leah Goodridge, this content is a new form of 'poverty porn.' 'Poverty porn' used to refer to charity commercials showing malnourished children to evoke empathy from sympathetic ... Show More
17m 30s
Aug 22
Inside the White House meme factory
We need to talk about the memes your tax dollars paid for. What is the federal government trying to communicate with them?The social media accounts of the White House and the Department of Homeland Security have been chock-full of memes: memes that mock people being deported, mem ... Show More
20m 24s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
Could airplanes be haunted?
More than a century since the Wright brothers made history at Kitty Hawk, aircraft still seem like a stunning, new -- and potentially terrifying -- invention. It's no wonder that flight, like so many other forms of transit, has become embedded in the the human psyche. In today's ... Show More
1h 6m
Aug 2022
The Summer of Airline Chaos
Across the United States, airline travel this summer has been roiled by canceled flights, overbooked planes, disappointment and desperation.Two and a half years after the pandemic began and with restrictions easing, why is flying still such an unpleasant experience?Guest: Niraj C ... Show More
23m 37s
Jun 2023
Flying This Summer? Pack Your Patience
Staffing shortages caused major disruptions for air travelers last summer. Now air crew unions are pushing back against their bosses and losing patience with customers.   From "no toe nail clipping" to "leave the crying babies alone," we hear advice on how to make everyone’s flig ... Show More
26 m
Aug 2022
How Flight Attendants Navigate the Not-So-Friendly Skies - Beyond the Scenes
Flight attendants function as first responders in the sky and have to deal with unruly passengers, staff shortages, and flight cancellations. Season 2 of Beyond the Scenes takes flight with host Roy Wood Jr., who chats with Daily Show writer and frequent flier, Kat Radley, and th ... Show More
50m 21s
Sep 2023
Weekend Release: Jane Boulton From Airline
A very, very special guest slid in to the boys DM’s this week - it’s Jane Boulton from the hit show Airline! Not only was Jane an iconic figure manning the check-in desks at Luton airport during the 90’s, but she’s now become an icon all over again with her unsympathetic interact ... Show More
26m 16s
Mar 2024
Going, Boeing, Gone
The girlies answer a pressing question: why is flying so awful? We used to have hotties in Pan Am uniforms serving us caviar, and now we suffer through heinous security lines to sit in seats with no legroom where the emergency exit door is not guaranteed to stay on til landing.   ... Show More
1h 18m
Jan 2023
130: #130 Air Travel
It’s been tough times for the airline industry lately, so Nate, Brian, Aaron and Dusty decided to share their thoughts on airline travel. The guys delve into hot topics like saving seats on a Southwest flight, pilots sleeping in the cockpit, and a poop so bad it grounded a flight ... Show More
1h 56m
Aug 2022
Will air travel ever return to normal?
Images of queues, huge piles of luggage and even pilots loading their planes with cargo have plagued the media throughout the world. Airports have been in chaos for months as they have attempted to re-emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, with Europe, the UK and the USA all having s ... Show More
24m 47s