Best Frequent Flyer Podcasts (2025)

Almost seven years ago to the day, on the NRL grand final weekend, a bizarre set of events unfolded. An injured woman knocked on the door of a stranger, saying she was escaping from two men, and that she needed help. The 19-year-old air force cadet who answered the door let the woman in and called emergency services before the men forced their way …

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Can Albanese claim credit for Trump’s peace plan? 26:49

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6d ago26:49

26:49

The prime minister has just returned from 10 days of high-wire diplomacy, initially at the United Nations in New York before swinging through London and stopping by Abu Dhabi on his way home. He’s claimed some credit for helping push along a potential peace plan for Gaza, spruiked Australia’s social media ban on the global stage, and drummed up int…

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Introducing: Diagnosing Murder 4:02

6d ago4:02

4:02

For decades, families in Australia and overseas, have been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable – child abuse. Diagnosing Murder is an investigative podcast about parents who've had their children taken away, sat in the dock and even done time in prison. All for something they insist they didn't do – shake their baby. Can we trust the scie…

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Why Western democracies are struggling against Russia's and China’s 'hybrid war' 28:08

7d ago28:08

28:08

On the weekend, Denmark reported unidentified drones had appeared above its major military bases. It was the country’s third drone alarm in a week and one of five European nations in a month to experience incursions - from either drones suspected of Russian origin or from the Russian Air Force itself. So why is Russia violating Europe’s skies, seem…

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Click to cancel: How hard should it be to end a subscription? 17:16

8d ago17:16

17:16

We all know how annoying it can be to cancel a subscription, whether to a streaming service or gym membership, but when do ‘'subscription traps’', as they’re known, legally cross a line? Consumer advocates, businesses and legislators are puzzling over the question as the government formulates new laws on unfair trading practices. Today, national co…

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The ‘remarkable breakthrough’ made for Huntington’s disease 15:01

9d ago15:01

15:01

Researchers say they have, for the first time, dramatically slowed the progression of a cruel and devastating neuron condition called Huntington’s disease. For sufferers, this potentially means getting years of their life back or the lessening of symptoms of a condition that robs them of physical movement and kills their brain cells. Today, Profess…

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Chemtrails to the elitist cabal: Why conspiracy theories are thriving in the White House 30:35

10d ago30:35

30:35

There was a time when people who believed that the government can control the weather, or that Wi-Fi causes cancer might have been social pariahs. Now, they sit in the higher echelons of power in the United States. So, why are conspiracy theories flourishing now? Today, British journalists Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey, authors of Conspiracy Theory: …

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Albanese’s warning on tyranny, dictators, and his selfie with Trump 23:31

13d ago23:31

23:31

Today we are bringing you a special international episode of the pod. The prime minister has spent the week in New York addressing the United Nations, recognising Palestinian statehood and chasing Donald Trump around Manhattan trying to get a meeting. We talk about all these capers with host Jacqueline Maley and our chief political correspondent Pa…

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Trump just insulted almost all world leaders, to their faces, but what does it mean? 25:07

14d ago25:07

25:07

How to make sense of the last two weeks? Because it isn’t just that Russia has stepped up its global aggression by invading the airspace of various European countries with drones, fighter jets and a surveillance plane. It’s also the tirade US President Donald Trump let rip yesterday to 150 world leaders at the United Nations – a blistering one, eve…

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Cracking the Code of Customer Contradictions 18:42

14d ago18:42

18:42

AI and data help tell us what people do, but not why. Lauren Taylor, global leader of BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, makes sense of the mixed signals that consumers give off. To truly understand what drives people, businesses of course value robust, real-time data. But they also must uncover the context, motivators, and human truth behind every…

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Charlie Kirk memorial: love, hate and Trump’s vow for the future 20:38

15d ago20:38

20:38

For many people who watched the coverage of Charlie Kirk’s memorial, it was the sounds that struck them the most. The triumphant 60,000 conservatives who erupted with yelps and claps after messages of forgiveness… and hate. Today, North America correspondent Michael Koziol, who attended the memorial, on what Donald Trump and members of his administ…

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Life, death and Optus: Should the telcos be trusted to run Triple Zero? 19:29

16d ago19:29

19:29

Optus is in the firing line once again over an outage that left customers unable to call Triple Zero for 13 hours. In that time, four people died – including an eight-week-old baby. Authorities later said they don’t believe the baby’s death is linked to the outage. Today, technology editor David Swan on whether the telcos can be trusted to run Trip…

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No fry zone: Should councils be able to block fast food outlets? 15:26

17d ago15:26

15:26

Once upon a time, the dangers of eating too much fast food were at the front of our minds thanks to documentaries like Super Size Me. But that was more than 20 years ago. Since then, the topic may have fallen off the front pages, but fast food chains have been on the march, opening up across Australia. Today, regional editor Benjamin Preiss and sen…

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Coalition combust over net zero. Will the anti-climate action stance work? 21:19

20d ago21:19

21:19

The government announced its 2035 emissions reduction target this week, committing Australia to climate action despite a retreat from the United States. Meanwhile, the Coalition looked a lot like it was about to take up arms in the climate wars - again. Chief political commentator James Massola joins host Jacqueline Maley. Subscribe to The Age & SM…

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A primer on Australia’s climate target 19:17

21d ago19:17

19:17

A flurry of numbers relating to climate change have been tossed around all week. But what do they mean? Today, environment and climate reporter Bianca Hall and climate and energy correspondent Mike Foley on what impact the government’s climate emissions target for 2035 will have on all of us. Subscribe to The Age & SMH: https://subscribe.smh.com.au…

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Why Gen-Z fury led to destruction in Nepal 18:59

22d ago18:59

18:59

Three years ago, mainstream newspapers in the West had a bit of fun ridiculing so-called nepo-babies, and the unfair advantage enjoyed by the children of the rich and the powerful, like Gwyneth Paltrow's daughter, Apple, or Lenny Kravitz’s daughter, Zoe. But in Nepal, nepobabies are no joking matter. They have just, in part, sparked the most widesp…

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From children’s entertainer to political celebrity. The rise of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price 28:47

23d ago28:47

28:47

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s charisma has led to her meteoric rise, and also, to her recent relegation to the back bench. Lambasted for her position on various issues including the Stolen Generation, the Black Lives Matter movement, and more recently, immigration, the Indigenous senator is celebrated by some of the most powerful conservatives in the …

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‘The cult of the leader’: The professor who left America says fascism is flourishing 28:33

24d ago28:33

28:33

US President Donald Trump is a fascist, running an authoritarian regime. We hear this allegation a lot, now. But is he? Really? Fascism expert Jason Stanley says he moved with his family to Canada so that he could leave behind, and protest against, the political climate in the United States. Today, Stanley, a University of Toronto philosophy profes…

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Why the sacking of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price could turn the senator ‘into a martyr’ 19:02

27d ago19:02

19:02

Controversial Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was sacked from the Coalition frontbench this week. Price left Opposition Leader Sussan Ley with little choice, after she refused to apologise for comments she made about the Indian community, and then refused to publicly affirm her faith in Ley’s leadership. Chief political correspondent Paul …

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Why Australia is trying to out-woo China for influence in the Pacific 20:37

28d ago20:37

20:37

When we think of countries trying to show the world their power and influence, we might think of muscular shows of force, like China’s army parading its newest nuclear weapons, missiles and lasers in a military parade in Beijing, last week. But then there was our government scrambling to out-deliver China with a tit-for-tat over, of all things, car…

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M&A Is Heating Up. Is Your Dealmaking Still on Ice? 21:33

28d ago21:33

21:33

M&A activity is waking up, but many companies are reluctant to leap into the fray. Daniel Friedman, BCG’s global leader of transactions and integrations, explains why bold moves now could pay off. Waiting may feel safe, but the cost could be forfeiting once-in-a-decade opportunities. Learn More: Daniel Friedman: https://on.bcg.com/4mWHyGW Mid-2025 …

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'Like an episode of the Sopranos': Life inside the clean-up of the CFMEU 20:11

29d ago20:11

20:11

More than a year ago, the CFMEU – one of Australia’s most powerful unions – was placed into administration, after an investigation by our mastheads, and 60 Minutes, revealed that it was infiltrated by bikie gang members and criminals who were guilty of corruption and cronyism. But now, some of the very union officials who have been tasked by the go…

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'No remorse, no pity': The sentencing of mushroom cook Erin Patterson 25:21

1M ago25:21

25:21

So now we know: Erin Patterson will be 82 before she gets the chance to get out of jail; if she gets out at all. This will make her one of Victoria’s longest-serving female inmates. But the revelations from Patterson’s sentencing hearing, in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday morning, leaned less to the historic, and more to the primal. Today,…

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The ‘tradwife’ movement: All flax and linen, or a pipeline to fascism? 17:23

1M ago17:23

17:23

Year 9 debaters in South Australia were given a topic for the third round of their debating competition a few months ago. The topic was whether the ''tradwife'' movement, a lifestyle in which women embrace traditional gender archetypes, was good for women. While it was deemed offensive by some, senior writer Jacqueline Maley today outlines why such…

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The rallies, the neo-Nazis, the flag-draping: How politics on immigration have led to this point 26:54

1M ago26:54

26:54

Political debate was dominated this week by the topic of immigration after anti-immigration rallies in major cities last weekend. Politicians from both major parties tried to strike a balance between listening to people’s legitimate concerns while condemning the extremist fringe of the anti-immigration movement. Chief political correspondent Paul S…

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Yulia Navalnaya’s blunt message about Putin, the president who murdered her husband 28:20

1M ago28:20

28:20

Almost immediately after Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny was murdered by the Kremlin last year, in an arctic penal colony, Russian president Vladimir Putin turned his eyes to Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya. She knows that nowhere is safe for her; not even flying to Australia, as she did this week. She was once a victim of poisoning. And a…

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An update from two travel industry giants 26:23

1M ago26:23

26:23

On this week's Eye on Travel Podcast with Peter Greenberg, Peter sits down with two giants of the travel industry: Bill Heinecke - Founder and Chairman of Minor International - and CEO of Kempinski Hotels Barbara Muckermann. They join Peter for in-depth conversations on the latest trends in hospitality, travel behavior, and the changing definition …

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Is Dezi Freeman being glorified like the other 'daring, desperate or deranged' fugitives who came before him? 19:11

1M ago19:11

19:11

The whispering forests and deep valleys of Victoria’s high country have long provided refuge for those on the run. Think of Ned Kelly and his gang, who roamed the north east Victorian ranges, before finally being captured by police in a shootout at the Glenrowan Inn. And, conspiracy theorist Dezi Freeman, who has been on the run for the last week i…

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March for Australia: Why weren’t neo-Nazis stopped? 22:31

1M ago22:31

22:31

Violent clashes, police with pepper spray and chants of “Heil Australia”. These were the scenes we saw over the weekend, as thousands of Australians marched in anti-immigration rallies, which have been endorsed by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. Why did this violence erupt now? And what does it mean that two prominent politicians attended th…

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When is it genocide? And is it happening in Gaza? 37:44

1M ago37:44

37:44

Venture to a pro-Palestinian rally at one of Australia’s capital cities, and you’ll invariably hear calls to “end the genocide” in Gaza. And in the international court of justice, South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide as well. It’s a claim Israel strenuously denies. So what is a genocide? And what evidence is needed to prove that o…

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Like a spy novel: How Iran orchestrated attacks on Australian shores 22:53

1M ago22:53

22:53

This week Canberra turned into a John le Carre novel, with the stunning revelation from the head of ASIO Mike Burgess, that the state of Iran directed at least two attacks on Australia’s Jewish community, on Australian soil. As a consequence, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expelled the Iranian Ambassador from the country. Joining Jacqueline Maley …

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Tackling air safety issues, over tourism, and more 36:59

1M ago36:59

36:59

This week's Eye on Travel Podcast with Peter Greenberg - from The Gale Hotel in Miami, Florida. Peter dives into the brave new world of Ozempic Travel with the Managing Partner of Embark Beyond Jack Ezon. Then, Peter checks in with Patrick Smith - the Founder of AskThePilot.com - for his update on travel in 2025 and a number of critical air safety …

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Porepunkah police shooting: What is the sovereign citizen movement? 15:22

1M ago15:22

15:22

As we record this episode, the Victorian High Country is the scene of an intense hunt for a man accused of shooting and killing two police officers, and injuring a third. The man Victoria Police say they are searching for is Desmond Christopher Filby, aka Dezi Freeman, a radicalised conspiracy theorist, and self-described “sovereign citizen”, who e…

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Don't Be a Statistic. Make Transformation Work. 22:04

1M ago22:04

22:04

Transformation isn’t a gamble—it’s science. Kristy Ellmer, a leader with BCG Transform, unpacks the research behind what really makes change work: involving employees in the journey, preparing for the “messy middle,” and building emotional and practical support into the process. Successful efforts focus equally on shifting behaviors and mindsets, n…

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‘Aimed at breaking social cohesion’: Iran blamed for antisemitic attacks on Australian soil 18:38

1M ago18:38

18:38

Many will remember a spate of frightening attacks against Jewish communities in both Sydney and Melbourne last year, including firebombings, vandalism and a van full of explosives. We now know, according to the country’s top spy agency ASIO, that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks. The government has responded swiftly, ex…

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First home buyers can afford a mortgage, but not a deposit. So will the new 5% scheme make a difference? 17:09

1M ago17:09

17:09

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, or have someone in your life who’s in that age bracket, you know that the struggle to buy a home is real. So, what to make of the federal government's announcement that it will launch its newly expanded scheme to help first home buyers purchase a property earlier than expected? Today, senior economics correspondent Sha…

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More Australians are using AI now, but is it lying to us? 17:39

1M ago17:39

17:39

AI chat bots are fast becoming a part of everyday life with more than half of all Australians using them regularly, although just over a third of those users say they trust them. Today, explainer reporter Jackson Graham explores how artificial intelligence learns, how often hallucinations - or wrong information - occurs and whether AI can be truste…

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‘Intergenerational bastardry’ in our tax system: Do older Australians have it too good? 22:30

2M ago22:30

22:30

This week was an exciting one in Canberra, especially if you’re the kind of person who digs the philosophy of tax and transfer. We are talking, of course, about the economic roundtable, hosted by Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Meanwhile Health Minister Mark Butler began the necessary but painful process of reining in the enormous growth of the NDIS. Chief…

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Russia-Ukraine: Whose side is Trump on now? 25:31

2M ago25:31

25:31

Since Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine three and a half years ago, both sides have suffered catastrophic losses. More than one million Russian soldiers killed or injured. And on the Ukrainian side? Nearly 400,000. Both sides seem to agree on nothing except for one thing: whoever has the support of American president Donald Trump h…

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Exploring the real history of America's Great Lakes onboard the Victory I 35:48

2M ago35:48

35:48

This week's Eye on Travel Podcast with Peter Greenberg - from onboard the Victory I ship as it sails from Toronto to Chicago through the Great Lake -- America's largest bodies of water that few people have really explored. To learn more about the real history of the Great Lakes, Peter chats with celebrated cruise historian Peter Knego and Lakeloria…

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The country writers festival that descended into chaos 16:41

2M ago16:41

16:41

It was billed as a “vibrant gathering of readers, writers, and creative thinkers” who would spark “ideas, conversation, and inspiration”. So what happened last weekend to turn the Bendigo Writers Festival from an idyllic ideas-fest into an event that exemplified “an authoritarian abuse of power”, as the festival’s founder put it? Today, senior cult…

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A $90 million fine and a scathing court judgment. Is Qantas damaged beyond repair? 17:35

2M ago17:35

17:35

It may have once boasted one of the most heartwarming advertisement ever to grace our TV screens reminding us that Qantas meant coming home, but in the last few years, the airline has weathered multiple scandals, and allegations of ripping customers off. And then came Monday morning, when the national airline was slapped with a whopping $90 million…

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The unravelling of a star surgeon, and the journalist who took on the fight 24:42

2M ago24:42

24:42

For more than a decade of dazzling media coverage, Dr Munjed Al Muderis was lauded as a miracle worker to some of the most vulnerable people in our community, helping people to walk again, against all odds, after losing their limbs in accidents and warzones. This all came crashing down, after a months-long investigation by reporter Charlotte Grieve…

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Is there beef between Chalmers and Albanese? And, we talk Palestine, and productivity mixed-messages 26:01

2M ago26:01

26:01

This week the Albanese government announced it would recognise Palestine as a state, a huge foreign policy shift that was greeted with approval by many and criticism by others. Plus, the Reserve Bank assumes a fall in productivity right before the government's productivity summit, and is there tension between the PM and Treasurer? Joining Jacquelin…

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A 'war of deception': Why Netanyahu insists on a Gaza takeover 24:14

2M ago24:14

24:14

Two former Israeli prime ministers and now, the chief of staff of the Israeli defence force, have objected to Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial Gaza takeover plan, in the face of growing objections from the west, including Australia, to the starvation and death of Palestinians. But, as international editor Peter Hartcher pointedly argues, Netanyah…

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A visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio 36:00

2M ago36:00

36:00

This week's Eye on Travel Podcast with Peter Greenberg - from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Once given the negative title of the “mistake on the lake,” the new Cleveland is emerging as a cultural capital. Greg Harris - President and CEO at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum - chats about the history of the Hall an…

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Become the CEO of Your Health and Longevity 20:51

2M ago20:51

20:51

What happens when people live decades longer than before—but not necessarily healthier? Iana Kouris, customer experience leader at BCG X, explores how companies can help people live longer healthier. Businesses can jumpstart the longevity economy by leveraging CX, behavioral design and change management to develop new products for prevention and cu…