Hot, Flaming Dumpster Fire: Our 2025 Travel Year in Numbers

An episode of the Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss! podcast, hosted by Ed Pizza, Richard Kerr, titled "Hot, Flaming Dumpster Fire: Our 2025 Travel Year in Numbers" was published on January 7, 2026 and runs 32 minutes.

January 7, 2026 ·32m · Miles to Go - Travel Tips, News & Reviews You Can't Afford to Miss!

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Episode Description

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It's that time of year again. Ed and Kerr crack open Flighty, pull up the spreadsheets (mentally), and relive a very messy 2025 in travel. From 113 flights and 184,000 miles to delayed planes, aging aircraft, loyalty status debates, and questionable late-night routing decisions, this episode breaks down what actually happened on the road — and what we're changing in 2026.

Spoiler: one year was a mess. The other was a hot, flaming dumpster fire. 🔥✈️

Scroll down for timestamps and details.

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⏱️ Episode Timestamps (Apple Podcasts Order)

0:50 – Welcome & setting the stage for our 2025 travel recap
2:29 – Kerr's year by the numbers: flights, miles, airlines, and airports
2:51 – Ed's busiest travel year ever: 113 flights & 184,000 miles
5:39 – Delay stats, Flighty frustrations, and airline reliability breakdown
7:27 – Aircraft nerd corner: oldest planes, newest planes, and repeat tail numbers
10:07 – The destinations map: Europe, Asia, Hawaii… but still no South America
12:04 – A brutal mistake: middle seat in Polaris on a polar route
14:07 – Loyalty recap: Delta, United, American, Hyatt, Marriott & Hilton status
19:29 – Was loyalty worth it? When blind loyalty stops making sense
27:08 – Looking ahead to 2026: loyalty plans, credit cards, and travel strategy