Recent Service Rankings of Hotels, Airlines, and More!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

On the Sunday, May 12th, Mother’s Day edition of The Travel Guys….

* In the Travel News, the Utah Attorney General’s office is investigating Expedia for collusion with some major hotel chains.  Speaking of major hotel chains, Hilton has taken over the top spot from Marriott in “brand value,” as measured by Brand Finance Hotels ranking.  Marriott’s brand value suffered a 30 percent reduction, while Hilton’s was climbing 17 percent.  The brand value is based in part on marketing investment, stakeholder equity and business performance.  Of course, Marriott has been plagued with a series of problems after its merger with Starwood.

* Our Smarter Traveler segment looks at recent rankings of hotels, airlines and other travel providers, based on their service levels.

* In our Travel Mailbag, Mark answers questions on passports for tiny travelers (babies), Southwest Advance Boarding Passes and how to find out if your cruise ship is clean.

* Finally, we take you to Oregon’s North Coast, where their latest tourism promotion is rewarding local service station attendants for being the best tourism ambassadors in the region.

Highlights

• Oregon’s Adventure Coast
• Advanced Cruise Ship Inspection Search
• How Dirty Is Your Cruise Ship? The CDC Will Tell You
• Delta Tells Employees to Buy Video Games Instead of Joining Union
• Nine DFW Airport Employees Admit to Drug Conspiracy Charges
• Airbnb Loses Major Battle in California, May Have Nationwide Impact
• Hilton Overtakes Marriott as World’s Most Valuable Brand
• Free River Cruise if You Have the Same Name as the New Royal Baby
• Expedia is Being Investigated for Collusion with Hotels
• Be Heard: Travelers United Gives You a Voice in Travel
• This is what happens when your baby needs a passport, but you didn’t get one
• Here are the best and worst airlines, hotels and travel websites
• www.travelersunited.org
• These Are The Best Vacation Spots In The World
• ‘It takes one bad step’: People die at the Grand Canyon because it’s a beautiful, dangerous place