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Travel Tech Q&A: Skyscanner's Ewan Gray

Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia Pacific, shares some of his experiences while on the road and a possible solution to get his wife to accept letting him take one specific piece of tech on his trips.
Written by Irene Mickaiel, Contributor

Ewan Gray, Skyscanner's director for Asia Pacific, shares some of his experiences while on the road and a possible solution to get his wife to accept letting him take one specific piece of tech on his trips.

Ewan Gray

Ewan Gray
(Credit: Skyscanner)

What tech do you miss most from home?

My iPad. My wife rarely lets me take it with me; I must remember to pick one up [for her] in duty free.

What tech do you travel with and why?

Laptop for work, smartphone, Kindle and, sometimes, my iPad!

What's your favourite phone app for travelling and why?

Well, I am biased, but I use a few; Skyscanner for flights, Changi Airport for flight updates (usually, I am in or out, quick) and Chess.com for entertainment.

Most memorable travel story/experience

Staying at the Oberoi hotels in Udaipur and Ranthambore, India, and seeing tigers in the wild.

What was your biggest travel disaster?

I have been pretty lucky and have learnt to be patient with delays, lost bags or planes that go tech. My worst experience was arriving in Moscow at two in the morning — it was minus 28 degrees [Celsius]. Firstly, I was ripped off by the cab driver, but got to the hotel, which was the worst dump and in an unsavoury part of town. Next, having to walk the streets in the freezing cold, in a rough part of town, in only a lounge suit, [and then] trying to find a cab to take me somewhere more palatable. I survived and ended up in one of the best hotels in town; all is well, that ends well.

Personal travel advice/tip?

I travel a lot on my own, so I would say, pack very light and stay alert. But most of all, plug those headphones in and just zone out for the bits you don’t like, and absorb and make the most of the bits you do enjoy.

What (if any) travel websites do you use?

Skyscanner for flights and hotels, [and] Google maps.

Where is the best place you've been for duty free tech shopping?

Hong Kong.

What is your dream travel tech to have on planes/in airports/at hotels?

Teleportation machine? Non-iron shirts, that when they say non-iron, they mean it.

Favourite destination city to work/visit and why?

Tokyo. It has it all, in terms of tech. The 3G really is 3G, and fast; no need for Wi-Fi and Starbucks coffee shops to get on with stuff.

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