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John Walton

@thatjohn.bsky.social

3.4K followers 260 following 3.9K posts

Editor in chief of @theupfront.media: in-depth independent aviation journalism for the digital age. Subscribe today! Journo, Japan travel expert, bon vivant, lover of gardens, fan of 22°C, crocheter, Champagne enthusiast. Big 🏳️‍🌈 w/the 🏳️‍⚧️, 🇪🇺 in 🇫🇷, he/him.

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · May 26

I couldn't be more excited to bring you my newest exciting challenge: The Up Front.

Creating, designing and building the site — and over 15,000 words of content at launch — with @garius.bsky.social has been nothing short of incredible.

Join us for a fresh new approach to aviation journalism.

The Up Front @theupfront.media · May 26

Hello and welcome to The Up Front — in-depth, independent aviation journalism on the topics that matter for the people who live and breathe the passenger experience in aviation: airlines, passengers, designers, manufacturers, and the supply chain and ecosystem that surround it all.

theupfront.media

The Up Front

In-depth independent aviation journalism for the digital age

theupfront.media

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 11h

a woman wearing red lipstick and earrings is smiling

Alt: Aubrey Plaza as Miss France screams FRAAAAAAGHGHGNCE

media.tenor.com

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 11h

Fraiueouence, for Australians.

a woman is taking a bath in a bathtub with the words `` ar nuar cleor '' written on the bottom .

ALT: a woman is taking a bath in a bathtub with the words `` ar nuar cleor '' written on the bottom .

media.tenor.com

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 12h

France.

Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 13h

What’s the word where you’re from that, when pronounced exactly as it looks, identifies a tourist immediately?

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 13h

Pretty sure that’s more likely to be Brussels than Luxembourg.

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 13h

those views ain’t gonna enjoy themselves

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 14h

👀

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 21h

this is the worst version I have ever heard of Janet Jackson's 1995 classic Whoops Now

🎶 Mel and Laura 🎶
🎶 Mims and Jesse 🎶
🎶 Rob and Andrew 🎶
🎶 James and Stuart 🎶

*DJ fades out before it gets to "Helen and Priti"*

Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 22h

Whoops. Priti Patel. Sitting right there. Everyone else is mentioned, except her. Camera lingers. Priti trying to cover her seething - and failing. Is alienating your Shadown Foreign Sec wise, while knives are being sharpened?

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 23h

Oh, sorry, you said "to get people into the UK" so I thought you were talking about entry to the UK. What was it that you were meaning there? Getting kiosks and EU border staffers into the UK?

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 23h

Oh, you mean before the effective date of the UK leaving the EU?

Yeah, third country nationals now, need to play by the rules for everyone else.

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 23h

but jon what about ThE vEnEzuELanS

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 23h

To be super clear, this is EU infrastructure and staff for entries into the EU.

I don't in any way disagree with your other statements, however!

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 23h

i'm just saying, you can complain about tHe vEnEzuELanS ten times and EES still takes less than a minute

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

THANK THE VENEZUELANS

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 23h

Sure, but even if it's 100% of the 63,000 UK Interrailers, that's a tiny proportion of total entrants to the Schengen Area — around 10,000,000 Schengen visas alone last year, which does not include dozens of visa-exempt countries.

community.eurail.com/travelling-b...

This year 600 000 Interrail Passes sold! New Record! | Community

Hi, today some German speaking media has released that according to Deutsche Bahn (Eurail B.V. shareholder) the Interrail pass is more popular than ever: this year 600,000 tickets have already been so...

community.eurail.com

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 23h

Oh for sure, and my dad has great stories about hitchhiking from Bristol to Turkey when he was younger, but alas it is 2025 and border formalities have required an address (or at least your first address) for quite some time now.

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

THANK THE VENEZUELANS

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Amazing, have you ever been asked about those plans by a border officer at the tunnel/ferry? If not, I bet they used common sense and saw a British motorist with a British car, (presuming car here), peered into your car and saw your bucket/spade/swimming trunks, and clocked you as a holidaymaker.

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

I somehow can't THE VENEZUELANS bring myself to THE VENEZUELANS be outraged about a 38-second THE VENEZUELANS process, tbh

bsky.app/profile/that...

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Okay, I spent a few minutes cutting Calder's video down to the actual processing part, and it takes 38 seconds, even with ThE vEneZueLanS.

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Yikes — I wasn't intending to be condescending, but you do have quite the unusual situation there, so I'm glad I clarified. Most travellers know when the end of their trip will be, I'd imagine.

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Okay, I spent a few minutes cutting Calder's video down to the actual processing part, and it takes 38 seconds, even with ThE vEneZueLanS.

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Oh, I see — I thought you were implying you weren't using the Eurostar return option of your pass, so I'm glad I clarified!

In that case, I should imagine that your actual Interrail pass would be sufficient proof, similar to a flexible return air ticket, which is accepted.

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Let me check I have your use case right: you:

1) booked an outbound Eurostar months prior for the outbound advance fare,

2) have an Interrail and will thus be travelling around Europe for a maximum of one calendar month,

3) expect that the Eurostar fare will decrease in price during that month?

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Also, what's with the weirdly racist bit about Brits being "third country nationals, just like THE VENEZUELANS?!" here?

Not "third country nationals, just like THE AMERICANS?!" or "THE AUSTRALIANS?!"?

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Technically you should have proof of an onward/return ticket, but I would imagine if you take the Eurostar regularly enough to not always buy a return ticket in advance, and that you are wealthy enough to afford non-advance Eurostar tickets, you can probably explain the situation to an officer.

John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

Absent some sort of exemption (resident permit, special status like diplomatic passport, etc) a border officer is entitled to ask you for proof of return or onward travel to a point outside the EU.

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John Walton @thatjohn.bsky.social · 1d

"For the first six months there's going to be extra red tape", Calder says.

But the scan-scan-tap-tap kiosk that took him 40 seconds *is* all the "extra red tape".

I've had longer post-flight wees in the arrivals loos than that.

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