Transcript

Delta Co, Platinum Status, Mile-High Meet-Cute | Fact Check for Walter Isaacson Returns

From Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 33 min · 6,589 words · 197 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Delta Co, Platinum Status, Mile-High Meet-Cute | Fact Check for Walter Isaacson Returns", an episode of Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard published January 7, 2026 (33 min, about 6,589 words). It mentions 6 people, works and ideas, including Santa Monica, Delta Air Lines, Kmart, Del Taco, Herbal Essences.

What this episode is about

The discussion centers around a casual revelation regarding the humorous potential of a fictional company called “Delta Co” and an anecdote about the host's platinum status in a frequent flyer program. It highlights playful banter about trademark issues and a light-hearted moment involving the host’s kids while traveling back from Nashville.

Key takeaways

  • Delta Co: Where frequent flyer status meets fast food branding brilliance—talk about a corporate merger of taste!
  • Platinum vs. Diamond: Airline precious metals reveal ageism in air travel; get your miles up, millennials!
  • Desperate to keep that diamond status? Fly to Malaysia for a donut trip—who knew travel hacking could be an Olympic sport?
  • Frequent flyers: facing a love-hate relationship with miles; it’s a dream until you realize blackout dates are the true boss.
  • Who knew glitter could be more permanent than a platinum status? Airlines and party hats both know how to stick!

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Del Taco
  2. – 10:00: Santa Monica
  3. – 20:00: Santa Monica
  4. – 32:55: Santa Monica

Notable quotes from "Delta Co, Platinum Status, Mile-High Meet-Cute | Fact Check for Walter Isaacson Returns"

  • One point before we took off and I looked and it was a text message from my friend Monica who was several rows behind me and she just said I heard you cough [gasps] I am the worst man. I'm just I am the.
    about Santa Monica · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

Books & papers

Companies & orgs

Products & tech

Full transcript with timestamps

We hope you enjoyed this episode. Unfortunately, they made some mistakes. Oh, should we tell everyone um our incredible discovery last night flying back from Nashville?

Yeah. As we were checking into our flight. Yeah. That if Delta grows up and Oh.

and starts a company. Yeah. It's like Delta Company, but then she abbreviates it to Delta Co.

of course. Delta Co. is Del Taco. Yeah. Oh, I can't wait for her to start. I wonder if Delta will come after her for infringement and she'll go, I've had this name. This is my name.

This has been my name my whole life. I counter Sue. They can't come after her because it's Delta Co. It's just pronounced Delta Delco.

Yeah. I mean, this is great. She has to start one now. Like she has no other option.

Actually should look into incorporating her immediately. You really should. Well, that's sometimes you just get a little blessing lands in your lap and that's what it felt like last night.

I agree. Um, do you want to talk about the fact that I'm platinum? That was embarrassing. That was pretty embarrassing.

So, yes, we flew back last night cuz we had a really fun interview that we did in Nashville and then we came um back home. You, me, and the kids. Kristen had come home earlier.

Yeah. and we're in line ready to, you know, check our bags and somehow we got on the subject. Oh, I think Lincoln asked, "Are you platinum?"

She said, "What are you?" or something like, "What rank?" Yeah. Which why on earth would she have brought that up? I don't even know if she knows about the frequent frequent flyer on the ladder. Well, now she does. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I think they just overheard something they asked me and I said, "Well, I'm platinum." But it was it was a sim because I had written down already that I wanted to talk to you about this because on when I was flying out on my way to Nashville, there was a man in front of me, a young man, young fit man.

Uhhuh. Um who You left out the fit part. I did, but I'm adding I did. How young? 18.

No, no, no. Like my age. Oh, Jesus. Okay. So, middle-aged. How dare you? Um, no, because he he was young to to have when the lady checked him in say, "Thank you for being a diamond member or [clears throat] whatever."

Yeah. What are they even saying? I forget. Diamond Club. Yeah. And I overheard it and I was like, "Diamond? Whoa." But I'm platinum. Like that's the highest. So like maybe diamond's right below it. But I don't remember them ever saying diamond to me. A lot was going on through my head.

So then, you know, I checked in. Thank you for being a platinum flyer. Remember, whatever. And then I went and uh had to look it up. Diamonds that above platinum.

Did you do you remember how many miles you have to fly to earn that status? Over 50.

50 million. [clears throat] Yeah. Let's Rob, do you want to look? Yep. Rob, do you know how to look?

Lifetime is 3 million actual miles. Lifetime. Okay. You need to spend $28,000 in medallion qualification dollars each year.

MQ, what are we talking about? MQD. Medallion, not just miles flown. It's like 11 per dollar.

Okay, I know nothing. Well, I looked it up and I was like, you know what, this guy and then it got me so curious. I was like, who's this guy? like he flies so much and he's so young

and he's so fit. But also, so the youth may was interesting cuz it's like, oh, he he flies a lot. It's not like he's like 80 then Diamond might make sense, right?

You know, it's like this was born in an airplane. Yeah. So, this was very curious. Do you know I have a friend who and maybe I've already told you the story, but he had it must have been diamond status or something right?

Elusive. And when you have that one, you get the free upgrade like every time, right?

You can buy a coach ticket if you're diamond, you will get upgraded to first class almost all the time. He had this crazy status and he liked to travel and he wasn't rich.

Yeah. And his weird thing was, and I remember one time it was like the the end of the year was approaching and he needed another 15,000 miles and he went online and he found like just started searching for like the longest trip possible uh for the cheapest.

Uhhuh. I want to say on like December 30th, he flew to Malaysia and then just [ __ ] flew back.

No, that's where it's getting so he could keep his diamond status. Oh, but see, I get it. I get you want you want it. It's very

You don't want to lose it. It's the by loss bias or whatever they call it. Exactly. Exactly. You have a little bit of glitter. I see. Um

Yeah. You know, I put on that birthday hat at Bricktops and I still have glitter in all these places. Yeah. That that thing got everywhere somehow.

I have washed my face, rest assured. I don't know. it's embedded or maybe I I consumed some and they're now getting expressed out of the pores.

I think that's fun. Maybe all year there's just going to be glitter popping out.

So, back to line. We discover your um platinum and we discover I'm gold. Well, I tell you, oh, that's weird. I just got an email and I'm terrible at logging putting my number in when I fly and I got a whole reason why. And you know, it's so boring, but it's like every time I've ever tried to use those miles, it's a [ __ ] joke. Every time it's a blackout, every it ends up when I've used it, it ends up being like 120,000 miles to get a coach seat or something. And I'm like, this thing's a [ __ ] racket.

Now, a lot of people have great luck with it. And I and I concede to that. All to say, I go up to the counter first with the girls check in. And the woman behind the counter at some point says like, "Thank you for your gold status." And then you start laughing immediately kind of behind. And then I like look at you. And then obviously she clocks this whole thing somehow. And so then I step away. I've checked in the bags. And now you step up and we're like whatever 8 ft away from you. And when she checks you, she's like, "Oh my, we are so delighted to have your platinum status."

She like screamed platinum status. Really funny. She hit platinum status like three times.

She was a party. She was It was really fun and it was very funny. Um and then the flight Yeah. me holding in the farts and the pee.

Well, yeah. You you had a lot of farts and pee that you kept in. The girl next to me was asleep.

Yeah. And um boy, she looked like she was really peacefully sleeping. I could not bring myself to wake her up to to get out.

Yeah. And a couple things happened. One, I had to pee really bad. Yeah. Two, I had to fart so bad. And

I'm just really surprised you didn't do it. I couldn't do it cuz I was like, if this woman wakes up cuz she smells something. I I just I I couldn't do it and I had a bad hunch it was going to be aromatic, right?

So I held it and it was so uncomfortable. And then additionally mid-flight Delta comes up to my seat and she goes,

"Will you get my bag down, Daddy?" And I go, "I can't cuz she's sleepy. I can't step over." Blah blah blah. And she looked like kind of frustrated to the point where I felt really bad.

Yeah. So she left. She went back to her seat. I was thinking I was like, "God, if you're a little person and you just can't reach your bag, how powerless that is." But you have a daddy and so you ask him and he says, "No." I was started feeling really kind of quite bad about it to the degree that when we landed I wanted I said to her, "Hey, if I were you and I were little and I couldn't reach my bag and I I'd be very frustrated and I'm really really sorry, but I just really didn't want to make and then she hit us with she had had an enormous calamity."

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She had she had poured an orange juice all over her shirt, all over her pants,

through her underwear. So, this poor girl when she wanted her luggage, she was soaking wet with apple juice and sticky. And then the best part is she was explaining to us how she dealt with it, which again, I'm kind of glad I didn't get her bag cuz she just had to deal with it.

Yeah, true. And she I think she told us she was pulling her pants down. Yeah. But no one could see they could air out.

I just imagine like walking by an uh one of the rows and there's just this little kid with her pants down.

Yeah. Just watching their iPad with their pants down. I'm not watching 10 Things I Hate About You.

Yeah. Um but Okay. So, there was a guy next to me on the flight and um Oh, I peeped him.

Oh, you did? Yeah. I mean, I saw that there was You were sitting next to Yeah. I was sitting next to this man and in the middle of the fight

Sorry. Okay. I did receive a text message at one point before we took off and I looked and it was a text message from my friend Monica who was several rows behind me and she just said I heard you cough [gasps]

I am the worst man. I'm just I am the worst. It's distinct your cough but I just know your cough ever everyone no one else everyone just hears people coughing. I just really can't figure out if it's a tick or I have a condition cuz I have a lot of stuff. It's not like I'm just dry coughing. God, this is disgusting.

I'm so happy you say are saying this out loud cuz I didn't feel like I could ever say this to you.

I think you've already said this to me. I have. Yeah, about the nose blowing. I just think you have some t Yeah, I have ticks. You

We all have things, but like I think you have um I know I notice it in editing. That's when I really notice it where I'm like he's not he it's it's like it's a tick the you're coughing and like um clearing and stuff and like nose blowing and stuff because because No, I it's like anthropologically interesting.

It's not annoying. It's fine. But is it chicken or the egg? I think I have like some issues. I had asthma.

Yeah. I don't think it's like out of nowhere, right? It's not entirely psychosmatic.

It's not, but it's 5050. Is it's 8020. It might be 8020. I mean, in here sometimes. I feel like it happens.

Oh, you're really scared to say this. I can tell. Well, like either you're like

a little if you get a little like agitated or something. I think I think like something

even you saying I was like [cough] like I know that face. I just felt like I was like, "Oh, thank you."

Yeah, it's really funny. We all We have so many idiots. I just want to thank everyone in my life. Like, clearly everyone in my life is very tolerant of the amount of noises I'm making.

That's fine. Who cares? Anyway, so there was a guy next to me. Yeah. And And he was young.

Yeah. And what did you say? Fit. Yeah. No, he was like he seemed a little younger than me, so he was prime. Um, and he was reading his book and stuff. He It seemed like he was solo,

right? Yeah. Some point in the flight like look over and he's talking to the a girl, a young woman

um next to him on but I was on the Okay. Yeah. He was reading his book and he was just like being I he wasn't talking to her until all of a sudden he was into me in the middle of the flight like I look over and he's just like talking, you know, and and I kind of am looking and I'm trying to listen a little bit but I have um so I couldn't really hear but it seemed to me they were meeting.

Oh me cute. And I was I was like, "Oh my god, I'm [clears throat] I'm a me cute is happening."

Yeah. Yeah. And at then, this is funny. Yeah. Then I was like, you got jealous.

Yeah, I did. I did. I was like, what the [ __ ] I'm sitting right here seat. Hey. Hello.

I'm sitting right here. Diamond status. Platinum. What are you? Platinum. I'm sitt and he he hates me so much. I'm so gross. He has to go across the aisle. He'd rather cross the aisle.

Exactly. No, but hold on now. You I got to Yeah. You can't build this argument because I was already witnessing it before you ever sat down.

I know, but listen. Okay. The trolley had left the station. So So they're falling in like, you know, they're they're flirting. So they're chit chatting and I was like, "Oh my god, a meat cute." And I was like,

"Oh man, I feel conflicted about this." Cuz I love me cute. So, like I'm happy for them, but also like

hello. I'm right here. Like, this is so rude. It's so rude. So, [snorts] and then

Well, it could have turned into a challenger situation. Oh [ __ ] I know. And I looked for the movie on the plane. It wasn't funny.

That's your safest. So, so then I would have really got his attention. Yeah. Yeah. You nudged him and you pointed during the three-way and then you nudged him and said, "Nudge her. Hey, you see what's happening here?

Um, does this interest you? This concept of three people getting together intimately. [clears throat]

Okay. So then at one point and I am an observant and I am kind of closing my eyes a lot in the flight. So this is part of it I guess. So then at one point I look over and I'm like, "Oh, he has a wine." He hadn't had a wine

or a drink or anything, but his date was going great. Exactly. I was like, "Oh my god, he has a wine now." Like they're like literally on a date. But then I look over and I was like, "Oh, she's not there anymore." Okay.

Then I was like, "Oh my god, she went to the bathroom. She asked him to hold her wine." I was like, "What a move."

Hold on a second. Well, that's an interesting conclusion. Why Why isn't it his wine?

Did you think you would have saw him order it? I was like, I would have known that.

I got you. You look over and the wine had just materialized. I got you. That's more

It had materialized. It was a white wine. I was like, I know her. She was like, do you mind holding my wine? Like she didn't want to leave it out in the open like with this other stranger like the counterpart to me. How I felt.

I know. I felt horrible for him. What if you two would have caught eyes and rolled your eyes?

We got to meet you. That would be fun. What would be more fun is if you guys just caught you guys were both watching them and then you got caught eyes with each other and you both rolled your eyes like these these two losers cuz you were hurt.

Yeah, exactly. These two [ __ ] What the [ __ ] Stay tuned for more armchair expert if you dare. So I I was like I put it together. I was like, "Oh my god, what a move. Can you rewind?" But it's also a scary move cuz she doesn't know him. Like, he could put something in there.

She should have asked me if she was being smart. But anyway, and then I do see her come back and she, you know, she's smiling at him and then she sits down and I I am I'm watching at this point. I'm watching them my show, my TV show.

And he gives her the wine. You were right. I was right. Oh, wow. Thank you. And then I really in my head was like they are just me. Like the way she said thank you did not feel like if you held my wine.

Right. Right. Right. Right. And I was like oh my god it's for sure meet Q. How do you know they weren't together

then? Oh I forgot. We're in a Seinfeld episode. I forgot. Yeah. Stop stop cutting to the end. Stop fast forwarding. So then

I'm, you [snorts] know, stewing. Wow. You had a lot going on back there. I did. And I was like, God, I you know, I can't get a stylist. No one wants

to meet me. And um and and then there was like a second of turbulence. Like not very long.

Yeah. And I don't even remember it. Exactly. And you know, I'm kind of like just close my eyes and then I look over. They're holding hands,

Monica. They were already together. Nope. They're holding hands across the ais. I was like, "Oh my, they've gone from strangers to in love on this.

There's no way. They just went on the flight and they were holding hands during the turbulence.

This went from zero to 100 so fast." And then I did have to think, wait, how are they did they come together? But how? Because like he was just reading his book. wasn't talking to her pre-flight at all.

I don't know. And and it's still unclear. But I do think they went home together.

Yeah, cuz they came together. No, cuz they fell in love. It was an eventful flight.

It was a lot happened. We got home very late. We did. Very, very late. We really did.

But we had so much fun in Nashville. Yes, we did. Yes, we had a very fun birthday party.

Yeah, it was your birthday. We went to your favorite restaurant. It was so good.

It was so delicious. And I want to give a shout out to my neighbor Nate. I'm I got so [ __ ] lucky with our neighbors in Nashville.

Yeah. Uh one of them is Nate, my neighbor, who were the same age. Yeah. I kind of like that.

That's fun. Yeah, it is. I really like it. But he has grandkids. Oh, wow. Cuz he started real early.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. In some ways, we're living different lives cuz he already has grandkids. I just I guess if I see a guy my age that's like crazy active with his grandkids, he's so active with his grandkids.

I just immediately go like that's a [ __ ] guy right there. That's a standup dude.

Yeah. And my experience having neighbors in Michigan way different than my experience is having neighbors in LA.

In general, I don't know people that are friends with their neighbor. I don't have a single friend in LA and I have 35,

right? They do not hang out with their neighbors. That's true. I'm friendly to my neighbors.

But when I go back to Aaron's house in Michigan, there's no fences in the backyards. And when it's summertime, like everyone's grilling, everyone's talking, people are walking back and forth in the yards.

You know, it's a community here. We're just very anonymous. You know, there's just so many of us and we're very anonymous. And so, um, whatever. It's just been 30 years since I had that kind of neighborly feeling. And I really love it. It's special. It feels like protective,

like I got your back. I'm watching out for, hey, I noticed this thing at your house and I, you know.

Yeah, it's very nice. So, I like it. Yeah, actually. Yeah, that's funny. I noticed that when I was in when I was home in Georgia, I was at my friend's house, Christina. Kids were coming over and I'm like, that's so cute. And I did have that growing up also in Georgia and in Tennessee. We would just like go to each other's houses.

Just in general, I do I do cherish that whole neighborhood vibe with a bunch of little kids.

It is really nice. I agree. I think we need to do one last thing. Okay. And it's a New Year's resolution update because it's pretty comical.

Okay. Which is if people remember my my resolutions were sprints. Yes. And um and not being affected by people's emotions.

Yeah. And so January 2nd on my birthday. Yes. And I this part I feel a little guilty about, but I didn't ask anyone to do it, but I think people did sprints because it was my birthday.

Sure they did. Yeah. So, it turns out like six of us, not me, not you knew better. And mind you, we made a ton of jokes about don't get hurt. Also, I laid out this whole strategy like anytime I get back into sprints, I like to do like 70% the first time, then 80 and I build my maybe my fifth time doing sprints, I'm full out.

Yeah. There were six of us. Yeah. And my f I my competitiveness took over and Eric was like I could hear Eric behind me. So, I was like turning on the turbo jets.

And the goal was to do six 30 second sprints, which again, too long. Not to bore anyone. When I've done the sprints in the past, it's generally like 40 yard dash.

Yeah. A 30sec sprint's like 200 meters. I I said this on the last I was like, that's too long. It's too long. Anyways, on the fourth one, we're walking back and I'm like, "Oo, my cal feels [snorts] dicey, but I can get through two more sprints." And then on that same walk back, Eric was like, I'm out. Just tore something in my butt cheek.

And I'm like, I'm still in and I got a third of the way through my fifth sprint. I was like, oh my god, I got to stop. I think I might be tearing something.

Yeah, I'm glad you stopped. All to say, the sprinting resolution is is proving to be more challenging. We're hoping That was Friday. I'm hoping by this Friday, my calf feels good enough to resume.

You're going to do it again. got to. Oh, but it was very comedic to wake up the following morning and Eric and I can't walk. We're both like hobbling around the house like welcome to 50s.

50s? No, that I said I said no one above 35 should be doing this. It is hard on the body. Really too hard. Anyway, yeah. So, that's over. Also, I want to give an update, too. Um, I do have a stylist now. Yay.

So, um, and I'm really really excited about her and she seems awesome and so we're gonna we're gonna give it a whirl. Um, all right. Well, let's do some facts.

Yes, ma'am. Okay. So, Walter, um, I got my dad this book for Christmas and he read it all. Read the whole thing in an hour. It's a small book. Um, but yeah, he he blew through it

and um, he loved it. He loved it. Yeah. Well, did he Well, like when he reads a book like that, will he then want to talk about some of the things he learned in it or he just wants to say he liked it?

He does want to talk about it, but I had to go to my room cuz I was tired. So, he did want to talk about it.

No, he just said, "Oh, I read one of the books." And you go, "Okay, I'm going to bed.

Wake me up when you don't want to talk about that book." No, he just was like, "Yeah, it was really interesting." And I mean he said a few things about it.

Yeah. Um but they were watching a movie. I don't know like anyway and now he's reading Sapiens. I got bought him that too.

He had not ever read it. He doesn't read a lot. Not a big reader. He's busy. But now that he's fake retired.

Exactly. That was sort of it. He was like, you know, I want to We had a riot talking about his retirement last night.

Yeah. Yeah. My sweet dad. I was saying because your dad is retiring, but he's also coming back as an a consultant.

Yeah. A contract. He's Yeah. contractor, whatever. Contractor. And I was saying I would be a little mad if I was one of his co-workers

and we threw a big retirement party on Friday. Everyone got hammered and they had a hangover. And you got to work on money. You saw a sh sitting at his desk drinking coffee. You be like, "What? That's not how this works."

I know. I know. Luckily, no one threw him a party. Well, exactly. Does he sad about that? Did you

He doesn't care about anything. He doesn't care about anything. [snorts] I love how you like we both agree your dad's one of the smartest people on the planet, but then you also make room for him being the one of the dumbest people on the planet.

Not dumb. Not dumb. Just unaware. Just not like what he's not interested in, he's not interested in,

right, at all. Like he he doesn't care about a lot of things. Oh, you know what's fun? You just don't get to see your parents in other environments often than than them being your parent.

You don't get to see them with their other identities. Exactly. But one of my dad's co-workers came over to pick something up and she's a friend of my dad's too and they worked together for a long time but now she's in another department or something. But anyway, um she was chatting with us and like it was so fun to see like him [snorts] in with her talking about their work and their history and like you know my the her friend was like I'm glad I'm not in that department anymore. It would be too sad to know you were retiring.

Yeah. And like also she loved working with your dad. Yeah. And then even talking about like

how my dad is and I mean I shouldn't be surprised by this but like the best one there.

Yeah. No to joke. Yeah. No doubt. Yeah. Oh, your dad must have loved hearing that.

I know. Yeah. And um and I was so proud of him. Yeah. Yeah. You got a very good one.

I know. There's a lot of them out there. And you got a very good I got a really good pair. I have to say I even so I was getting my nails done this morning and I was talking to the nail esthetician

and um yeah, we got on the subject of my parents and we because I was talking about moving into the house

and and she was like, "Wow, that's such a big deal." And I was like, "Yeah, it is exciting." And she was asking about like why he came and I was like, "Oh, for acting and commercials." whatever. And I was talking about my first commercial, my first big commercial, the Herbal Essence commercial. And I had forgotten some details, but I was telling the story and I was remembering that, you know, I had like it was like three call backs for that commercial. My agent called me and was like, "Can you be here in like two?

Can you come in in like two hours? They're doing another call back. It's like three people. It's down to three people. You and two other people."

And my parents were in town. I was with them. We were in Santa Barbara. Oh. over their favorite place.

Yes. India. And I said, "I'm in Santa Barbara with my parents." Like, "No, I can't."

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then, you know, my dad was like, "What's going on?" And I was like, "Well, there's a call back." And you know, I can't. He was like, "We're going."

Yeah. [snorts] Right now. And I was like, "What?" I was like, "I don't think we" And he was like, "We're going like I You didn't come out here

to do this to to quit on the 99th yard to hang out in Santa Barbara." Like so he drove us back immediately and then you know I booked it and that was my first big commercial and they were there

and they were there for my booking and my dad said he said on that trip cuz you know obviously we had been driving around LA and looking at houses and all these things and he said

you're going to have one of those houses one day and I'm about to move into it. It's so and then I was telling her this and I was like she was like that's she was like what what a good dad. I was like

he is like they are and I really do not you're right as the child I don't I don't think about those specificities. I know and I know like how good I have it. But those things it's like yeah they're just really good ones

and I'm very very very lucky. But yes, but I hate you finish. But they drive me nuts.

Sure. They're family. But that's cuz they're family. But I I I love them very much. So anyway,

well I'm emotional now. I understand. I understand. They're nice people. Well, I have a birthday present for you.

You do? Yeah. Oh my god. Oh my goodness. This is fun. This is a um unconventional size box.

I know. You like generally when you get me something, it's a clothing item and it's in a bigger box.

Okay. It's a shirt. It is a clothing item in a tiny box. Oh my god. No way. A Kmart shirt. It's a Kmart shirt, but it's also a DARE shirt.

Oh my god. Kids against drugs. LAME. I know. I thought it was a double whammy for you.

Yeah. The bumper says, "Kmart kids race against drugs." There's a lot going on here. Why are they Kmart kids? Exactly.

How does one race drugs? Correct. How do you race? You can race on drugs. Yeah.

Um, it was a race. It was a race where they were against drugs. Do you know how old you were when the shirt was made?

No. You were 11 years old. Oh, wow. You were just about to start racing against drugs.

I Oh, I had been racing. I had been racing since I was five against drugs. And in 98, I was 23. I was on drugs.

The kids were really doing it for you, though. You know, they're racing me, but they couldn't keep up.

No, they couldn't. Oh my god. This is great. I just It's a Kmart shirt. You had to have it.

Yes. Oh, I love it. I hope I was just telling you that I watched a YouTube video on the history. Uh it wasn't It wasn't like the history of Kmart. It was just this graph that changed and it gave you the amount of Kmarts in different states starting in I think 63 or 8.

Yeah. And when it occurred to me, I had no idea and I'm bummed about it. Yeah. It started in Michigan and there were so many more in Michigan all the way up until the 80s.

We were like blowing the rest of the country away. Eventually it got passed by maybe California or a couple, but it stayed really high and I was like, "Oh, yeah. I I I was um my opinion of Kmart skewed by being born in Michigan. Your blood

I thought it was like as ubiquitous as Walmart, right? We had a lot of them in Georgia, but maybe later.

Yeah, I think later. and and um and in Michigan they were more numerous than Walmarts.

Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's in your history and your lineage, but you told me that story, but I had already I had your shirt [clears throat] already. So excited.

Yeah. Um Okay. So, Walter, so he mentioned a room where people gather that has a couch on the outside and cushions in the middle. It kind of sounds like a riddle, you know?

It does, but I looked it up. It says, "The room design you are describing is commonly known as a conversation pit or a sunken seating area."

I want one of those so bad. Yes. They're kind of making a comeback I saw in some architectural magazine.

Oh, wow. But as a kid, those were big in the ' 70s. And so when I was a kid, they kind of had gone out of vogue, but you could still bump into them. And I was like, I want a sunken in living room so bad.

Oh, yeah. I don't really know about them. Yeah. Just imagine the floor level is this and then it drops down another 2 and 1/2 ft so that the couch hole area square is like so your shoulders are like just above the floor line.

Interesting. Oh, I love it. Okay. Well, that's what he's talking about. It was on the back of TV Guide a lot.

Oh, is Bill Gates? That's tricky. Uh mom named Mary. Yes, Mary Maxwell Gates. Mary Maxwell Gates.

I like that. Maxwell. Did you have Max and Irmas down there in Georgia? Yes, we did.

Yeah. Yes, we did have Max and Iras. We were alive at the bullseye of the franchise restaurant.

I know. Like there was no such thing as a Chili's in my youth and then around my teenage years all of a sudden and it was the most exciting thing in the world.

Listen, I was by a Chili's last week and I asked my mom. I was like, "Have you guys been to Chili's lat?" She was like, "We went last week."

Oh, great. I was like, "Yeah." And I kind of I was like, "I want to go. It's [ __ ] delicious.

I know. I loved it. Yeah. They used to have chicken tacos, but they took them off the menu.

They did? Yeah. Oh, no. I know. Yeah. Not caloric enough. Yeah, I guess not. Okay. Well, so that is all the facts.

That concludes the fact portion of the program. [gasps and laughter] Yeah. He's too smart. What are we going to do?

Thank you for my Kmart shirt, Monica. You're welcome. Thank you so much. It was fun to open up a box.

It was a trick cuz it was a big shirt in a small box. Yeah, I like that. That's a metaphor.

Yeah, big things come in very small packages. Yeah. Yeah, we got there. All right. Love you.

Questions about this episode

What is "Delta Co, Platinum Status, Mile-High Meet-Cute | Fact Check for Walter Isaacson Returns" about?

The discussion centers around a casual revelation regarding the humorous potential of a fictional company called “Delta Co” and an anecdote about the host's platinum status in a frequent flyer program. It highlights playful banter about trademark issues and a light-hearted moment involving the host’s kids while traveling back from Nashville.

What is mentioned in this Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard episode?

6 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Santa Monica, Delta Air Lines, Kmart, Del Taco, Herbal Essences, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Delta Co, Platinum Status, Mile-High Meet-Cute | Fact Check for Walter Isaacson Returns"?

The episode runs 33 min; the transcript is about 6,589 words in 197 timestamped sections.

More from Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.