Sky Lounge Podcast

Had a very passionate young guest on this episode, a fascinating conversation with Giacomo Gheda, a Gen Z avgeek from Italy. Giacomo spoke about his dreams and hopes for the industry and its future. These two words of his stayed with me: Dream & Do! The dreamers who are the doers will be the aviation professionals of the future. ✈️ Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Passtination takes loyalty beyond the flight! Connecting travellers with local restaurants, cafés, hotels, experiences and businesses through an airline-branded digital pass.
It gives travellers a reason to discover local, gives local businesses access to international visitors, and allows airlines to remain part of the journey long after the aircraft has landed.

On this episode of Sky Lounge, I am joined by Safir Jamal, CEO of Passtination, to talk about loyalty, local discovery and why the destination could be the next big opportunity for airlines.

and BTW if you are wondering how Passtionation got it's name;

Passtination is a combination of pass + destination. The “pass” reflects the digital wallet pass passengers use to access local benefits, while “destination” reflects the idea that the relationship continues after the passenger lands.

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Hello everyone, and welcome to The Sky Lounge Podcast!

In this episode, Alex & self sit down with Tero Taskila, CEO of Beond, the airline redefining travel as the world’s first premium leisure airline.

Beond is far from a traditional carrier, and this conversation explores what it really means to build an airline around luxury, leisure, and a completely different business mindset. From business model innovation to the future of premium travel, this is a wide-ranging discussion packed with fresh insights and bold ideas. And yes, they do have ROUND THE WORLD tickets, if you want to go BEOND the grind of normal travel.

For more information on Tero, do check out his Linkedin profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terotaskila/

Recommend reading this article from Tero on Linkedin, especially if you are setting out on an entrepreneurship journey or have an innovative idea that you want to see come to life;

Every New Thing Is Born Into Doubt
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/every-new-thing-born-doubt-tero-taskila-cxjqf/?trackingId=YNp6Tid5QXOeaLELC%2FOjqg%3D%3D

Tero’s article argues that every genuinely new idea or innovation inevitably faces a predictable cycle of resistance—starting with skepticism, then often turning into cynicism, before eventual acceptance if it proves its value. The core message is that doubt is not a signal that something is wrong, but rather a natural and necessary filter that all meaningful progress must pass through. Instead of avoiding criticism, innovators should expect it, endure it, and use it as validation that they are doing something truly new; in this sense, persistence through early doubt is what separates ideas that fade away from those that ultimately reshape industries or thinking.

Tero ends the article with this "Most companies do not fail because the doubters were right. They fail because the founders and/or investors ran out of patience before the evidence arrived."

Tune in & enjoy the conversation.
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You’re about to step into the world of airport lounges, but not as you know them. The lounge experience is being reimagined. And leading that change is the Plaza Premium Group, the independent hospitality brand that democratized (this is a word you will hear very often in the episode) airport comfort.

In this episode, we take a very comfortable & relaxed lounge chat with Jonathan Song, Chief Commercial Officer at the Plaza Premium Group. We explore whether lounges belong in city centers as well, how partnerships with premium brands shape the traveler journey, and what it really takes to build an ecosystem across lounges, hotels, and dining. Plus — three words to describe Plaza Premium’s internal culture.

If you’ve ever rushed past a lounge entrance wishing you had access, this conversation is for you.
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The final 2025 episode of The Sky Lounge Podcast – where Alexandra & David talk about the Dubai Airshow, long haul narrow body aircraft, the 777X flying at the Airshow (but when will it truly fly?);
They then talk about Beond & it's US expansion, global airport growth ambitions and much more!

A question for 2026 - Will fast & free onboard WIFI be a criterion for you to choose which airline to fly?

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and the very very best for the New Year!

Both of us will be back in the new year, with a very new interesting format for SKY LOUNGE! Stay tuned!
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