Over the last couple of weeks we have been profiling a number of our esteemed travel experts. We get together with each one to ask them a few questions about what it’s like working and living in the travel blogging space, and sometimes they are kind enough to give us a few tips about making your trips extra special.
The most recent person we’ve had the pleasure to speak to is Steven Frischling, aka FlyingWithFish. Steven writes a blog at Boarding Area, and you can follow him on Twitter @FlyingWithFish.
What is the name of your blog?
When did you start blogging?
Flying With Fish was initially born on a cold January evening in 2006 to help friends of mine travel more effectively as photographers.
Why did you decide to blog about travel/travelling?
I love airplanes and spent years covering the airline industry as a news reporter. Before setting up the blog I spent the previous year flying an average of 15,000 miles a week for work, so I decided to turn my work commitments into a blog.
Do you use other social networks such as Twitter or Facebook to update your followers?
I use Facebook as a personal social media channel and Twitter for my blog, personal, work, pretty much whatever flows through my fingers. Feel free to follow me at @flyingwithfish… but be warned, I am all over the place on topics.
What has been your most exciting adventure resulting in a blog post?
It is hard to say, my travel is often about the airport, airplane, security so ofren I travel to places but never leave the airport. One of these days I’d love to see the places my passport says I have been.
What happens when you’re exploring and you get lost – do you ask for help? Walk around aimlessly? Cry in a McDonald’s bathroom?
If you get lost, you reorient yourself and keep moving. The worst for me was getting lost in Tokyo and ended up in the strangest of translation circles to find out where I was. The person in the subway booth spoke no English, I ended up finding a man who spoke Russian and Japanese, the man in the subway booth for some reason spoke Japanese (obviously) and Russian. Somehow it came together and the information went from English to Russian to Japanese. Turned out I was only three blocks from where I was headed.
City/Country with the most beautiful sights?
This is tough, I love so many cities, but for me, it is New York, the city of my birth. New York City has beautiful sky scrapers, old brownstones, cathedrals, parks and skylines, it is gorgeous.
If someone only wants to spend £300 to £500 for a weekend holiday, what tips would you give to ensure the break cheap but fun?
Do your homework on the destination as a whole. Transport costs, hotel costs, food, applicable taxes, public transportation etc.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would you live?
Probably London, maybe Hong Kong.
While traveling, have you met anyone out of the ordinary? Celebrity? Old ex, significant other? Buddha?
I have flown with Sir Richard Branson on a flight chartered by him, only about 30 passengers on board. One passenger was Drew Carey, an American celebrity. Along the way I have met various people I had not seen in a long time and on occasion run into politicians.
Occupation?
Right now it is a cross section of so many things I can’t even tell you exactly what it is I do. I am a photographer, I build social media for airline & aerospace companies, I write a syndicated blog and occasionally consult on aviation security issues.
Are you fluent in any other languages?
To quote the movie Airplane! ? … Oh stewardess, I speak Jive :0)
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