John Walton, Aviation and transport journalist, travel columnist and AIRLINE cabin interiors expert
I’m an award-winning independent journalist and analyst specialising in transport, aviation, airlines, safety, and the passenger experience. That’s airlines, rail, cabins, seating, interiors, aircraft, lounges, frequent flyer programs, stations, airport — whatever affects the journey for you, the traveller.
With in-depth industry expertise, a global scope, an analytical perspective, excellent sources, and the ability to explain what we know, when we know it, I’m also a go-to person for fast-breaking news.
In mid-2025, I launched The Up Front, my new home for independent, in-depth aviation journalism, connecting the dots between the passenger experience, seats, cabins and the rest of the industry.
You’ll also find me writing about travel — especially one of my great passions, Japan — for Lonely Planet and other outlets. I’m always open to travel work, as well as report-writing, speeches, and project work inside and outside aviation.
Other written and speaking work includes: Aircraft Interiors International • The Air Current • ADBR • Aviation Week • The Australian Financial Review • the BBC • Business Traveler • CNN • DirectIndustry and AeroExpo • FlightPlan • Lonely Planet • Monocle • National Geographic Traveller • Passenger Experience Conference • Raconteur • RedCabin • The Royal Aeronautical Society’s magazine AEROSPACE • Runway Girl Network • Vice • Yocova • other reporting, project and white paper work, including breaking the news of the ET702 hijacking on social media • and my live coverage of developing aviation news.
You’ll see me writing, appearing, speaking or quoted on TV, radio, print and web publications worldwide — from the BBC to Al Jazeera, from Deutsche Welle to Sky News to the Independent, from TIME to the Times of India.
You can also read my book for children 5–8, The Airport: The Inside Story, an exciting tour of everything at the airport! Available where all good books are sold — find the US edition and the UK edition from Macmillan’s Neon Squid imprint.
Read more about me, drop me a line — john@walton.travel is the best way to get in touch — or follow my socials:
Bluesky: thatjohn.bsky.social
Instagram: @thatjohn
LinkedIn: johnintheair
