Travel Tech Podcast
Hosted by Travel Tech
Long-form conversations on the business and technology of travel and aviation, with a focus on AI's real-world impact versus the hype.
This is an insider's podcast for travel industry professionals, with a distinct focus on the aviation sector. Rejecting 'innovation theatre,' host Alex Brooker uses his deep technical background to grill founders and executives on the unglamorous but critical backend systems, data challenges, and business models that define the industry. Episodes are dense, specific, and centered on the complexities of implementing technology like AI, NDC, and order management systems in a fragmented legacy environment.
“Its unapologetic 'aviation bias' and the host's credibility as a practitioner in safety-critical systems set it apart. Unlike broader business podcasts, it dives deep into technical standards (like NDC) and operational failures, grounding conversations in the specific, complex realities of the airline industry.”
Who hosts this show
The Travel Tech Podcast features in-depth discussions with the people building and running the technology that powers travel. Hosted by Alex Brooker, the founder of aviation AI company Airside Labs, the show cuts through corporate talking points to explore the operational realities of travel tech. Brooker draws on over two decades of experience in safety-critical software for industries like defense and aviation at firms including BAE Systems, Cirium, and Snowflake Software.
Credentials & credits
- Founder, Airside Labs
- Former VP of R&D at Cirium (RELX PLC)
- Former leader at Snowflake Software
- Former Mission Planning Architect at BAE Systems
- IET Fellow
- Astrophysics degree
Other ventures
- Airside Labs
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- uk
When new episodes drop
- 01The Importance of Revenue Management in TravelJun 27, 2026 · 1 min
- 02
- 03Discovering the Rewards of Working in the Airline IndustryJun 25, 2026 · 3 min
- 04Are Airlines Wasting Millions on Technology?Jun 24, 2026 · 1 min
- 05The Reason Airlines Say No to Your UpgradeJun 23, 2026 · 56 min
- 0696% Human Error: Why AI Security Starts with the Human, Not the ModelJun 16, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 07You Can't Vibe Code a Tour OperatorJun 8, 2026 · 54 min
- 08The New Olive: How GLP-1 Drugs Could Save Airlines $580MJun 2, 2026 · 48 min
Notable episodes
- 01The Reason Airlines Say No to Your Upgrade
A deep dive into why airline retailing has stalled, featuring one of the architects of Lufthansa's controversial '16 Euros' GDS surcharge.
- 0296% Human Error: Why AI Security Starts with the Human, Not the Model
Uses vivid, alarming examples (like voice clone scams and leaked CEO itineraries) to explain the real-world security risks of AI in travel.
- 03You Can't Vibe Code a Tour Operator
Explains the immense operational complexity behind travel tech and why simple AI solutions often fail, arguing for the continued relevance of rule-based software.
What you'll be asked on this show
Alex Brooker's interview style is that of an informed peer. He starts conversations broadly, often with an origin story question, to establish a guest's credentials and background. He then narrows his focus, using prior research to ask about specific career events (like Ann Cederhall's '16 euros' story) or picking up on a guest's own phrasing (like Yagub Rahimov's 'Mr. Paranoid') to drive follow-up questions. He consistently pushes past hype, asking for concrete applications and challenging guests to clarify complex technical points, such as questioning how an airline can operate without a modern order system. His signature is grounding abstract trends in the messy reality of implementation.
This is a one-on-one interview show. Host Alex Brooker often opens by framing a relatable industry problem before introducing the guest. He guides the conversation from the guest's origin story into the weeds of their expertise, frequently using phrases like "explain it to me" to simplify complex topics for the audience without losing technical depth.
Questions Travel Tech keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Travel Tech reaches for it.
origin
2- Q.01
“How did you first get into the travel industry and where did it all begin?”
This is a standard opening question to establish the guest's origin story and entry point into the industry.
- Q.02
“Why did you choose to specialize in the travel industry, or did it choose you?”
Asks guests who run niche agencies or consultancies to explain their focus on the travel sector.
industry
1- Q.01
“Why is the travel tech industry so complicated in the first place?”
A framing question used to have an expert explain the foundational challenges of the industry to the audience.
future
2- Q.01
“Could you bring us up to date on the state of [a specific technology like airline retailing]?”
Asks the guest to provide a current market overview of their area of expertise.
- Q.02
“What's your view on unexplored opportunities, like [subscription products]?”
A forward-looking question to explore potential new business models or revenue streams.
process
2- Q.01
“What are some genuinely productive applications of AI you're seeing right now?”
This question cuts through the hype to focus on real-world, practical uses of new technology.
- Q.02
“I don't quite understand, how can [an airline not have an order system]?”
The host uses this 'explain it to me' framing to have the guest simplify a complex or counter-intuitive technical reality.
backstory
1- Q.01
“How does your past experience inform your current approach to applying new tech like AI?”
Connects a guest's established history with their perspective on current trends.
technique
1- Q.01
“Why is it so hard for an AI to just [build a reliable travel itinerary]?”
Probes into the specific technical and data-related hurdles that prevent simple-sounding AI tasks from being reliable.
advice
1- Q.01
“What could a travel company do to impress you and show they know what they're doing?”
This question solicits actionable advice and best practices for the industry audience.
craft
1- Q.01
“Was there anything that surprised you in the results from your [research/survey]?”
Used to elicit counter-intuitive or unexpected findings from a guest's recent work.
personal
1- Q.01
“Given your expertise in [security], how do you personally travel?”
This makes the guest's abstract expertise concrete by asking how they apply it in their own life.
Signature segments
- · Opening with a relatable industry problem
- · "No corporate slide decks. No innovation theatre."
- · Host asks for 'constructive' feedback
- · Call to 'like and subscribe'
- · Aviation-focused analysis
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically founders, CEOs, or senior executives from technology companies that serve the travel and aviation industries. They are practitioners and builders (e.g., of AI security tools, airline retailing standards, or specialized software agencies) who can speak with authority on technical and operational challenges.
- Ann Cederhallon The Reason Airlines Say No to Your Upgrade
- Yagub Rahimovon 96% Human Error: Why AI Security Starts with the Human, Not the Model
- Alex Raginon You Can't Vibe Code a Tour Operator
- Josh Dorfmanon The New Olive: How GLP-1 Drugs Could Save Airlines $580M
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is sponsored by Airside Labs, the host's own company. It functions as content marketing, establishing the host's expertise and network within the aviation and AI community, which aligns with his company's focus on AI safety and compliance for aviation.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Travel Tech
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People also ask
- What is the host's real name?
- The host is Alex Brooker, founder of Airside Labs.
- Is the Travel Tech Podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes regularly, typically on a weekly basis.
- What is the format of the show?
- It's a long-form, one-on-one interview podcast with leaders and founders in the travel technology space.
- Who should listen to this podcast?
- It's aimed at professionals in the travel industry, particularly those working in technology, product, and commercial roles at airlines and software companies.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
- How can I pitch a guest for the show?
- The show features founders and senior executives from travel technology companies who are actively building products. Guests should be able to discuss technical and business challenges in detail.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]About Airside Labsairsidelabs.com
- [02]Travel Tech Podcast - Official Pageairsidelabs.com
- [03]Building AI: Securing the Future of Artificial Intelligence - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [04]PRESS RELEASE: Airside Labs Launches Pre-Flight AI Benchmark on GitHubairsidelabs.com
- [05]Airside Pre-Flight Benchmark Joins AISI Evaluations Packageairsidelabs.com
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