Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.
Name: John O’Nolan
Occupation: Entrepreneur / Designer
Hometown: Err, nowhere really. My background is so mixed that I don’t remotely associate with any place as “home”.
Residence: Also nowhere (this is getting off to a great start). I do the nomadic thing, constant travel.
Website: Nowhe…. I kid. John O’Nolan and Travelllll
Twitter: @JohnONolan
Facebook: John O’Nolan
Short Bio: I’m a designer and an entrepreneur. I’ve created websites and applications for people like Virgin Atlantic, WordPress, Google, Ubisoft, Nokia, Microsoft and, most recently, easyJet. I founded Travelllll.com in 2011 and I do my work by traveling non-stop around the world, interspersed with Kiteboarding and general tomfoolery.
How often do you fly: Every 3-4 weeks
How many countries have you been to: 30 countries and 207 cities, at last count
How many continents have you been to: 5 – aiming to make it 7 by the end of the year
Favorite American city: Don’t have one, I’ve spent almost no time at all in the USA
Favorite international city: Don’t particularly like cities, but if I had to pick I guess I’d say Salzburg, Austria
Least favorite country: I wouldn’t tarnish an entire country with one brush, but my least favourite place is Benidorm, in Spain
Favorite World Heritage Site: I’m not particularly into UNESCO – but my favourite place of that sort of description is Lacke Mountain in Mieming, Austria
Favorite airline: Virgin Atlantic
Favorite aircraft type: A380, easily. I pay extra whenever there’s the option to take a different route and fly on one.
Aisle or window: Emergency exit, wherever there’s space.
Favorite airport lounge: Changi, Singapore
Favorite U.S. airport: Don’t have one.
Favorite international airport: Changi, Singapore
Favorite hotel: Sha Wellness Clinic (it’s a hotel, too) in Alicante, Spain
Favorite cruise line: None.
Favorite island: Boracay, The Philippines.
Favorite fancy restaurant: El Bulli, before it closed
Favorite hole in the wall: Seriously? People have a favourite?
Favorite fruit: Mango
Favorite food: Panna cotta
Least favorite food: Papaya, coconut, cinnamon, pineapple
Drink of choice (In the air and on the ground) Red wine, generally. Sex on The Beach, if I’m feeling festive. Yes, I know it has pineapple in it. I pretend it doesn’t.
Favorite travel movie(s): Umm…
Favorite travel show(s): MissAdventures. Those girls are awesome.
Favorite travel book(s): Twitchhiker, by Paul Smith – Phenomenal and highly underrated book.
Right now I am reading: Mission Mongolia: Two Men, One Van…No Turning Back
Five things you bring on a plane: Kindle, iPhone, Laptop, Monster Beats Earphones, Earphones Plane adapter thingy
What do you always seem to forget: Laptop charger. God dammit.
Favorite travel iPhone app(s): TripIt, Everyday, Figure, Buffer, Foursquare
Most embarrassing/worst travel moment: Trying to get to a city called “Roxas” 2 hours away by bus on The Philippines and ending up on a boat to a city called “Roxas” 6 hours away by boat in the middle of the night. Sigh. OR realizing after about 60,000 miles flying with Star Alliance partner airlines that I didn’t have an airmiles account with any Star Alliance partner airlines. Double sigh.
What’s your dream destination: Bora Bora
Favorite travel website(s) – besides JohnnyJet.com, of course!: I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE! I’ve always been a big fan of Almost Fearless and Fevered Mutterings from a storytelling point of view. Outside of blogs, I’m a huge fan of AirBnB. And I like what the smart people over at Maptia are doing.
Best travel tip: Stop planning. The best things that happen when traveling are always unplanned. Give them more opportunities to happen by not planning other stuff to get in the way.