Learn how to fly
Give up long–haul Economy!
Enjoy being anywhere on the planet!
Do it all with points, whatever they are…
That’s right, well done, exercise the scrolling fingers
James Hall (Me).
Extremely long limbs.
Not a lot of spare cash.
Oops, I went around
the world again
I used to know nothing about how to fly. Then I spent 24 hours with my endless long limbs origami-ed on Scoot and realised this had to change. Fast forward a few years and I’ve been projected several times around the planet in Business class, and plunged into the minutiae of aviation things you don’t even want to know about.
So I’ve made this website, and you will benefit from it like this:
If you’re not intricately familiar with the infinite complexities of aviation, I’ll help rapidly guide you towards better flying. If you can afford long-haul Economy travel and you’re willing to put in some extra time, you can also afford long-haul Business class.
I intend to make the process NOT DULL, because too many things in life are dull and this is a big problem.
If you are an expert flyer, and you landed here because you just like planes, then maybe some of my blog articles will entertain/irritate you to an acceptable extent…
Much of the information on this site already exists online, but it’s not always much fun finding it. That’s where I intend to dance my way into your eyes (no matter how many you have), play in your mind like it’s a ball pit, and encourage you to enjoy the absurdity of our planet.
The last thing I want to do now, though, is go round the world telling everyone, “look at me, I made a website!” – so tell your friends all about it!
It’s a work in progress
In the meantime, here are the Top 10 Questions that I made up because I wanted to answer them, followed by another one because I came up with an irregular number that wasn't 10:
1. How do you travel everywhere in Business Class despite earning less than me?
Obviously I need some money to fly (in 2024 I went 2.5x around the world in total distance and it was not free), but the point of sharing my knowledge is to show some people that they too can travel better for relatively little more expense than Economy cash fares, and to show other people that they should not even bother starting, because it takes HOURS out of your time and, depending on your personality, might seem BORING as hell. If the latter is you, then fly Economy, watch a comedy movie and be grateful you weren't born in the Middle Ages.
2. You're British, why do you not want to live in your own country?
I'm tall, have long limbs and I'm very slim. I get cold quickly and easily. I'm "at home" when it's 30ºC and the 94% humidity means I could make use of gills.
3. Does your life have more profound meaning when you live it in so many exotic places?
After his time in concentration camps, Viktor Frankl claimed that other prisoners found purpose in life through caring for another prisoner, task completion, or facing up to suffering with what he perceived as dignity. If he could have seen me right now, writing this in a short-stay rental in Kuala Lumpur, would he have any new insight on meaning? Would he nod with approval, because making a website = 'task completion'? We'll never know.
4. Are you really "winging it" or did you actually plan for everything you do, with all the money coming from mummy and daddy?
Unfortunately “daddy” died a long time ago. I guess living for a year in Mauritius when I was a 7 year-old made me slightly less clueless about what it is to live on the other side of the world. But aside from that, I'm still making stupid mistakes often, and if I had cash on tap then this website would certainly contain nothing but my “art”.
5. Have you been to Kazakhstan yet? I've heard Air Astana is good and the people are really friendly.
I'm not trying to visit every country in the world, and "the people are really friendly there" is a reason given to visit pretty much anywhere, except France. Yet I still go to France every year, quoi qu'il en soit.
6. Why are you not a famous influencer?
I would rather die and be reincarnated as a wheelie-bin than become famous, and if I knew how to influence people I would exclusively do it to the super-rich.
7. But where are the photos of your legs tanning by the pool/smashed avocado on sourdough/Thailand sunset views?
As a kid I took pictures of lamp posts, now I take far too many pictures of staircases and bins. You're in the wrong place if you don't like it. Besides, I do occasionally take pictures of the sun setting… behind the bins.
8. Are you secretly running some kind of dodgy business? World tours in Business class sound like eccentric millionaire stuff.
No. In fact you might have a panic attack if you ditched your secure job to become like me. My grandma never had much money and she enjoyed her life right up until she got Alzheimer’s in her 90s. So far, I’m doing my best to follow in her footsteps.
9. What's your favourite holiday you ever had?
Probably going up a mountain in Bulgaria and then taking an overnight train to Istanbul. But I recommend neither things.
10. You always mention Junkspace in your Instagram stories, what is it?
10a. You're burning through carbon at a disgraceful rate and killing the planet you claim to love visiting so much.
How do you sleep at night?
Like a baby. I do not have a universal philosophy of goodness to sell to you; I embrace absurdity. I used to have a very small carbon footprint, as someone who avoids car ownership, resists shopping and so on. Now I’m slightly cancelling out decades of good work, but only very slightly. And since I don’t run a car and don’t do a lot of shopping, I might never get to the point of cancelling out the good work before teleportation arrives.
I may have technically "made up" this Q&A, but do you have other questions? If so, DM them.
If I haven't irritated you with my facetiousness by this point, then follow me on Instagram or fill in the box above, to see when I fill this site with stuff you might like. The way I budget and save money on flights is genuine and useful, it’s merely my attitude to existence that is otherwise absurd. You can read more of this outlook and have a new pair of eyes on your approach to travel by reading my articles.
