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Hong Kong, airline chaos, and one very rough travel week (scroll down for timestamps)!
This week on Miles To Go, Ed and Richard are both back home — barely — after a pair of intense travel stretches.
Ed recaps a family trip to Hong Kong, including Disneyland, Victoria Peak, and the Big Buddha… but also shares a deeper take on how the city feels different than it did years ago. From cultural shifts to increasing Westernization, it's a thoughtful look at a destination many travelers still have on their list.
Meanwhile, Richard breaks down a whirlwind three-day, six-flight trip across the U.S. — complete with altitude sickness, broken Wi-Fi, and a reminder of why mileage-run style travel isn't as fun as it used to be.
Plus, a surprising bright spot: Starlink Wi-Fi that actually works — and why that's becoming more important than ever.
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✈️ What We Cover in This Episode
✈️ A Hong Kong trip with mixed impressions
• Why the city feels different than before
• Cultural shifts and changing traveler experience
• Where it still shines (and where it doesn't)
✈️ Victoria Peak and modern Hong Kong tourism
• A much more built-up, commercial experience
• Unexpected Western influence at the top
• When iconic attractions lose some authenticity
✈️ The Big Buddha and Lantau Island
• Cable car experience (and aviation geek bonus views)
• What makes it worth the trip
• How to plan tickets and avoid long waits
✈️ Hong Kong Disneyland review
• What's unique vs U.S. parks
• Best rides and surprises
• How to maximize your time (and money)
✈️ A tale of two Disney experiences
• Classic Disney confusion vs top-tier service recovery
• When things go wrong… and then very right
• Why Disney still stands out operationally
✈️ Hong Kong vs the rest of Asia
• Comparing to Japan and Taipei
• Where it ranks today
• Why you may want to visit sooner rather than later
✈️ A brutal multi-city travel run
• 6 flights in 3 days across the U.S.
• The realities of work travel logistics
• Why these trips hit harder than they used to
✈️ Altitude, exhaustion, and travel fatigue
• Aspen altitude effects (and a rough night)
• Why travel stacking can backfire
• Lessons for planning better trips
✈️ Airline Wi-Fi: still broken
• Multiple flights with no connectivity
• Why this matters more than ever
• The real cost of losing a workday
✈️ Starlink shines where others fail
• First impressions from regional jets
• Streaming, reliability, and performance
• Why this could change airline competition
⏱️ Episode 432 Timestamps
0:48 – Welcome back & rough week recap
5:20 – Planning the Hong Kong trip
10:00 – Upgrade strategy and long-haul flight experience
15:00 – Victoria Peak and how it's changed
20:00 – Big Buddha and Lantau Island experience
25:00 – Hong Kong Disneyland highlights and tips
30:00 – Comparing Hong Kong to past visits
35:00 – Why Hong Kong feels different today
38:30 – 6 flights in 3 days: brutal travel run
43:00 – Airline Wi-Fi failures vs Starlink success
