Meet Gabriel Leigh, a man who wears many different hats from running Altimtr.com, a company dealing with all things travel & flyer miles to film making, with his short length documentary Frequent Flyer and also juggling duties as a writer for CNN travel & correspondent with the world briefing media company Monocle. Gabriel took some time from his busy schedule to come together with SandalTraveler.com for this interview. Hope you enjoy!

1. What was the concept on creating altimtr.com?

Gabriel: I was seeing a lot of coverage of airline products (seats, etc) and lots of content containing frequent flyer news and tips, but it seemed to me there was space to do this in a new way, with professional quality writing and photography (and at some point we'll add video too), with a nicely indexed archive of intelligence on everything to do with taking to the sky, and earning and spending the points that make that possible, with some ground-based content too. It's very much a work in progress but it's an attempt to begin to craft the ultimate resource for everything to do with frequent flight. I have big plans for it.

2. Do you recall the first flight you’ve ever taken?

Gabriel: My first flights were as a baby so I don't remember the first bunch, but one of my earliest memories is on a plane – it was a Japan Airlines flight between New York and Tokyo (we lived in Japan when I was young), and I got lost roaming the aisles. I remember a flight attendant reassuring me that my parents couldn't be far away because there's only so far they could go inside a 747. At the time it was a great comfort.

3. I'm in love your 20 minute documentary Frequent Flyer. It was intriguing to see the lengths people will go to collect flyer miles. Will there be any more film projects like this in the future?

Gabriel: I'm working on a feature length version of Frequent Flyer, hopefully to be around 70 minutes in length and go into more depth on the subject, meet some new people, etc. It's taken me longer than I'd initially planned to complete it, and I'm working right now to get to a place where I can devote the time necessary to really figure out the story and wrap the project up. Stay tuned.

4. Which airline has the best first class/business seating in your opinion and why?

Gabriel: The best first class is really a tough one because there are so many great examples and each has their strengths. We gave Singapore Airlines the 'Best first class' in the Altimtr Awards this year but that's mostly down to service and the fact that they have the A380 Suites. But I'm always partial to Cathay Pacific which I think has one of the best seats. So for seat: Cathay, for service: Singapore, and for food: Asiana. Business class is easier: Cathay Pacific has the best one. A number of other airlines (and growing) now use this same seat because it's great. American Airlines on the 777-300ERs is a good example – it took their business class from mediocre to one of the best. AA's new 777-200 business class looks like it may be even better; they've taken that basic concept and tweaked it. But I haven't seen it in person yet so we'll have to wait for a final verdict.

5. Between being a correspondent for Monocle, running altimtr.com & jet setting earning miles, what would be considered down time for you?

Gabriel: I have very little down time these days – there aren't enough hours in the day, as they say. But I do try to find an hour or two in the evening to watch a great series or film with my wife. I also take my young daughter for walks when I can – in Stockholm we have a lot of water and greenery so when it's a nice day (as it has been most of the past week) it's nice to stroll around. And occasionally, of course, I plan a getaway for all of us – it's hard not to let work creep in (reviewing the flight and hotels, for example), but getting away is important, for sure.

6. What is your current location?

Gabriel: Stockholm, Sweden. And later this week we'll head out to the Stockholm archipelago for a break (they have great 4G coverage out there though so if any work demands arise, you're not stuck.) Next week it'll be France. The next big trip I have planned is Mexico City in August, though I may have to delay that one, depending.

7. What’s the best part of traveling by air? Is it heading to the terminal, is it take off? Landing? Or inflight services?

Gabriel: The best part of traveling by air: it's a tie between the incredible fact of flying through the sky and the slightly hazy, surreal feeling once you arrive at your destination, especially if it's far away. It may take a dozen hours to reach Tokyo but having landed there it feels like it should have taken a month. Add the time zone reversal to that and you've got yourself a dreamy few days ahead of you. I'm truly addicted to that feeling of being in a new place (even if it's a place I've been many times before). Inflight services are great but they pale in comparison.

8. What advice would you give to people who have fear of flying?

Gabriel: I actually started to get pretty afraid of flying in my early teens, to the point that I dreaded flying at a time when I had to fly transatlantic often (shuttling between boarding school in New Hampshire and my family home in England). My response to it was to learn everything I could about airplanes and how they work, and it was an extension of that which saw me learning everything I could about loyalty programs. For me that was really effective, just learning a lot, and understanding the mechanics. But I imagine for some people that might have the reverse effect. I think everyone probably needs to find their own way, but number one, as with any fear if you ask me, is to face it. Don't let it stop you flying because it will build and grow the longer you avoid it – keep getting back on the horse, as it were. I think the usual thing where they say "well flying is so much safer than driving" or "you're in more danger crossing the street" is really ineffective. It's absolutely true, but to someone that has a fear that doesn't mean much. A fear like that tends to go deeper than a rational understanding of the statistical reality. Oh and sitting in first class with a bottle of champagne to yourself – I think that goes a long way to soothing the nerves too.