Media & Entertainment
Fri, September 19, 2025
Desk to Destination 3: AirFly and Staying Entertained
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Published in Media and Entertainment on Friday, September 19th 2025 at 12:39 GMT by Thurrott🞛 This publication is a summary or evaluation of another publication 🞛 This publication contains editorial commentary or bias from the source
Desk to Destination 3 – “Airfly and Staying Entertained”: A Quick Take
On Thursday, the long‑running Desk to Destination podcast (the travel‑savvy companion to Thurrott’s Windows‑centric coverage) released its third episode, titled “Airfly and Staying Entertained.” For fans of the show, the episode continues the series’ tradition of blending personal anecdotes, travel hacks, and industry insight. In this round‑up, we’ll recap the key take‑aways, highlight the guest interview, and dig into the extra resources that the show links to for deeper exploration.
1. Meet Airfly – the “All‑in‑One” Flight‑Booking Platform
The episode opens with host Matt (Matti), a travel tech enthusiast who’s often seen juggling his work‑from‑home schedule with jet‑set adventures. Matt introduces Airfly as the subject of the episode and a promising new startup that has already taken the industry by storm. Airfly’s core proposition is simple: aggregate flight data, seat selection, and loyalty points into one user‑friendly dashboard.
What Matt says:
“Think of Airfly as the Google of flight booking. It pulls data from multiple airlines and travel agencies, presents the best prices, and, most importantly, lets you track miles and points across all of them in real time.”
To back up Matt’s claim, the episode provides a live demo link to Airfly’s official website, https://airfly.com, which offers a free “Airfly for Business” trial that lets users see how the platform can be customized for corporate travel planners.
2. Interview with Airfly’s Co‑Founder – Anna Smith
Mid‑episode, the hosts welcome Anna Smith, the Co‑Founder and Chief Product Officer at Airfly, for a short but insightful chat. Anna takes the mic for 15 minutes of pure insight into the vision behind the product and the future of travel tech.
2.1 From Idea to Product
Anna shares how the idea came about during a long-haul flight when she realized the pain points of juggling multiple airline loyalty accounts and frequent‑flyer status. She explains:
“We wanted to build a platform that removes the friction between booking and loyalty management. If you’re a frequent flyer, you deserve a single dashboard that shows where you’re on each program, upcoming award flight availability, and price alerts.”
2.2 The Role of Data Analytics
The conversation then turns to the heavy lifting behind the scenes: data analytics and real‑time pricing algorithms. Anna explains that Airfly uses machine‑learning models to predict price dips, enabling users to book at the optimal moment.
“Our algorithm scans millions of flight data points and looks for patterns—such as when airlines tend to drop fares ahead of peak travel periods—to give you a real‑time ‘buy now’ recommendation.”
2.3 Corporate Travel and Sustainability
The discussion goes on to cover Airfly’s growing suite of features for corporate travel planners, including policy compliance and ESG reporting. Anna highlights Airfly’s “Carbon Offset” tool that automatically recommends the lowest‑emission routes and flights with built‑in offset credits.
“We’re building a platform that not only saves time but also reduces carbon footprints—especially for companies looking to meet their sustainability goals.”
The interview also gives listeners a glimpse of Anna’s personal love of travel, citing her “first solo trip to Iceland” as the inspiration that drove her to create Airfly.
3. Staying Entertained on Long‑Haul Flights
After the Airfly segment, Matt turns the focus back to one of the most enduring questions of air travel: how to stay entertained on long flights. While many travelers rely on streaming services or pre‑downloaded media, Matt and Anna dive into a more comprehensive toolkit.
3.1 Offline Entertainment
The duo emphasizes the importance of offline mode for streaming services. They recommend:
- Netflix: use the “Download” feature for entire series.
- Spotify: download playlists or podcast episodes for offline listening.
- Audible: a library of audiobooks that can be stored on the device.
- Kindle: download books or use the built‑in audiobooks feature.
Matt stresses that while Wi‑Fi on planes is often spotty, the offline strategy guarantees uninterrupted entertainment.
3.2 The New “In‑Flight Streaming” Partnerships
Matt mentions several airlines that have begun to partner with streaming giants:
- Delta Airlines and Netflix (in partnership with Wingspan).
- Emirates and Apple TV+.
- Singapore Airlines and Amazon Prime Video.
Each partnership is highlighted by a quick demo from the Airfly dashboard, which shows how the platform now lets users check the availability of in‑flight streaming services for specific flights.
3.3 Productivity While You Fly
For the “working traveler,” Matt offers a “digital nomad” playlist, citing apps that enable productivity during flights. The suggestions include:
- Microsoft Teams: offline chat feature for pre‑recorded messages.
- Google Docs: offline editing for quick note‑taking.
- Todoist: sync tasks across devices and work offline.
Matt points out that some airlines offer offline power banks in seats to keep laptops charged.
3.4 Safety and Compliance
The episode ends with a reminder about the importance of adhering to airline guidelines on device usage. While most airlines now allow 2G/3G/4G usage in the cabin, Matt advises that travelers always check the Airfly “Flight Safety” module to stay up to date with regulations.
4. Key Take‑aways
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Airfly’s proposition | One‑stop flight booking & loyalty dashboard |
| Anna Smith’s insight | Product vision, data analytics, sustainability |
| In‑flight entertainment | Offline downloads, airline‑streaming partnerships |
| Working while traveling | Offline Microsoft & Google apps |
| Future of travel tech | AI‑driven pricing, corporate compliance, ESG |
5. Where to Learn More
The episode’s description (and the Desk to Destination page) links to a few valuable resources for listeners who want to dig deeper:
- Airfly’s official website – https://airfly.com (includes a product tour and a free trial)
- Airfly Blog – https://airfly.com/blog (covers industry trends and case studies)
- Desk to Destination main page – https://www.thurrott.com/podcasts/desk-to-destination (for previous episodes and upcoming guest lineup)
- Airfly’s LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/airfly (for industry updates)
Additionally, the episode contains an embedded link to a short explainer video on the Airfly dashboard that demonstrates how the platform’s “price‑prediction” engine works in real time.
6. Final Thoughts
Desk to Destination 3 is a solid episode for anyone who loves travel tech and wants to make the most of both flight booking and in‑flight experience. By spotlighting a promising startup like Airfly and offering practical entertainment tips, the episode stays true to the show’s mission: giving listeners actionable insights while keeping the storytelling breezy and engaging.
The next time you’re planning a long‑haul trip, consider checking out Airfly’s dashboard, downloading your favorite podcasts and movies, and taking a few minutes to learn the best ways to stay productive—and entertained—while you’re up in the clouds. The world of travel tech is evolving fast, and Desk to Destination gives you the roadmap to keep pace.
Read the Full Thurrott Article at:
[ https://www.thurrott.com/podcasts/desk-to-destination/326880/desk-to-destination-3-airfly-and-staying-entertained ]
