'Airplane Mode' season finale: Flying with fish on Icelandair, behind the scenes in Singapore first class and more
Many of you have tuned in and enjoyed our AvGeek adventures all around the world in our latest season of "Airplane Mode."
This season's final episode takes an exciting behind-the-scenes look at how Icelandair flies Icelandic fish to the U.S.
The Icelandic fish lands on plates at high-end restaurants in Boston and New York City quicker than fish from U.S. fishing boats can.
In this episode, we take to the seas to catch "Colin the Cod." We explore the processing plant on the ground, then fly on an Icelandair Boeing 767 with Colin in the belly of the hold. The story continues in Boston as Colin is prepared at the restaurant Legal Sea Foods.
You can check out the entire episode right here:
If you're ready to binge, here's a roundup of this season's other episodes. You might want to block out some time because — like Colin the Cod — you may get, well, hooked.
In the next video, we take a fascinating look at the future of air travel. California-based Wisk is developing the world's first self-flying, four-seater, electric-powered air taxi with vertical takeoff and landing functionality.
Next up, we see if I can pass the new first-class training program test at British Airways' Global Learning Academy.
The video also shows a classic British afternoon tea at Hotel Cafe Royal. It goes behind the scenes at the facilities of Do & Co — the caterers for British Airways — at London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) and shows how they make the perfect scone to serve as part of the first-class experience.
I got exclusive behind-the-scenes access at one of the only commercial runways in the world that is a public beach.
The video shows how an airport operates in an environment where the runway disappears twice daily due to the tide. We also meet the staff — many of whom double, triple, or quadruple up as air traffic controllers, baggage handlers, check-in agents, dispatchers and more.
This one was one of my favorites to film. We go behind the scenes with Singapore Airlines to find out how and why it won "Best International First Class" at the TPG Awards.
Last but not least, our viral video of the series pulls back the veil on Airbus' Beluga XL.
Related reading:
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- Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
- 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
- 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
- 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without
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