Richard Quest: the fundamental traveller

The Life: CNN anchor Richard Quest has interviewed the world's biggest stars and most important people, clocking up 150,000 miles a year in air miles on average. He shares his traveller tips.

Thesigeresque: Richard Quest has clocked up between 240,000 and 320,000 kilometres this year; not all by camel. Photo courtesy CNN

CNN anchor Richard Quest looked for all sorts of reasons not to interview one of the world's biggest stars (who will remain nameless).

He started by asking how long he would get with her, expecting to be told five minutes. He was offered up to half an hour, plenty by any standards.

But could he ask about other issues aside from the book the interview was being arranged to promote?

Of course, replied the PR woman. The star was an adult, and if she didn't want to answer a question, she wouldn't.

After finding himself all out of excuses to cancel, the interview went ahead as scheduled.

"They sent me the book … and they sent me the wrong one. I sat down and said your new book "whatever whatever" and she just said "that's the old book. My new book is called …" It was as if the permafrost had just descended."

Ever the consummate professional, the star asked the PR woman to give him the right book, whereupon she got up and fell over a light.

"It was awful," he said.

"I was then given the book and was advised I only needed to read the preface."

Interviewer and star went at it on screen for 20 minutes but it was without doubt the "worst" interview the business presenter has conducted in his career.

And there are many to choose from. The CNN presenter, who began his career at the BBC as a trainee journalist, has interviewed many celebrities from Margaret Thatcher to the late Patrick Swayze. Among the best were Hugh Heffner and the Dalai Lama.

He visited the UAE this month to interview the three men at the helm of the Arabian Gulf's largest carriers: Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways, for shows that will air in the New Year from January 10 to 13 on CNN.

But it was not to do the same old tired story about how the trio have come to dominate the airline industry. It was to explain how the carriers went from the edge to the epicentre in the past year.

"In the last 12 months, individually and collectively they have turned the airline industry on its head. Etihad, its deal with Air Berlin, Air France-KLM; Emirates with Qantas; Qatar joining One World," he says.

"We have literally seen these three carriers that everybody shunned in the past … they are now at the heart of global aviation. We decided this was really interesting and we wanted to get to grips with it and explain it."

Travel is something that he does rather a lot of himself, having clocked up around 240,000 to 320,000 kilometres this year. He shares some of his tips he has learnt along the way.

Bring a change of comfortable clothes for the plane if the flight is longer than five or six hours.

Rest when you get to your destination. "Don't go to bed. Just go and have a snooze."

For some reason we have got the idea that we have to be supermen and women when we travel, he says.

Resist the urge to "go native" to try local "delights" such as fermented horse's milk. "It was revolting. It smelt awful."

Order a wake-up call from reception. "I can sleep knowing it's going to arrive," he says.

Never get on a plane if you are not earning air miles.

And last, but not least, carry a spare phone, currency and a credit card. Oh, and always put your passport in a safe place.

"The fundamental rule of the business traveller must be nothing must stop you from getting there."