On the Sunday, August 26th, 2018 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News,
In the Travel News, ASTA has changed its name from the American Society of Travel Agents; to the American Society of Travel Advisors. The name change doesn't require a change in monikers, it still remains "ASTA."
Ryan Air, one of Europe's low fare carriers, has endured several strikes by its cabin crews. As Mark relates, one of the crew's issues is having to buy their own bottled water on the flights. Burning Man is an annual phenomenon in the Nevada Desert. This year's event starts on August 25th. We talk with 20-year Burning Man veteran Jim Jacoby, about what to expect during the week in the desert. Steve LaRosa has a "What's Goin' On" segment, highlighting things to do in and around Sacramento.
On the Sunday, August 19th edition of The Travel Guys: In the Travel News, Southwest Airlines joins the crowd by limiting which animals can join us in the cabin, and United Airlines announces a new way to push the average traveler further to the back of the plane...
In our Smarter Traveler segment, we remind you that screenshots with your phone can be your friends. Whenever you are delayed by anything other than weather or Air Traffic Control, take a screenshot. They can be valuable later. Mark also discusses the pros and cons of putting a picture of your ID on your phone.
Our featured guest today is Jon Bier. Jon and his business partner Brent Underwood bought a ghost town in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Death Valley. What makes you want to buy a ghost town, especially one so far off the beaten track it would be hard for visitors to get there?
Cerro Gordo is the name of the town. Let's see where it goes from here, shall we?
On the Sunday, August 12th, 2018 edition of The Travel Guys… On the Sunday, August 12th edition of The Travel Guys:
In the Travel News, Mark has a story about two elderly German guys who went missing...only to turn up at a big heavy metal festival 25 miles away! Alaska Airlines is changing a number of their consumer/traveler friendly policies to bring them in line with their competition. Too bad.
In the Smarter Traveler segment, Mark talks about seatguru.com, an app that can help you find the best (and worst) seats on the plane.
As the wildfires which have plagued the region for the last several weeks are brought under control, those in the tourism business within the fire areas need our help. We have a couple of guests who will help us understand what comes next in the Lake County area. tallmanhotel.com
If you have an RV that needs a home from the fires, or anything else, we have an idea for you, Cava Robles. A brand new RV resort near Paso Robles on the Central California Coast.
On the Saturday, August 4th, 2018 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Volaris Airlines is the latest to announce a new service at Sacramento International. The twice weekly red eye flights will take travelers to Leon, the largest city in the state Guanajuato. They will begin November 21st. American Airlines has a dud on its hands. Their *new* buy-on-board BBQ Chicken Sandwich didn't turn turn quite like they had hoped. It has been discontinued and will be served to prisoners of war while supplies last.
For years, we've told you never to bite on the offers the airlines make to buy points and miles. Up to now, that's been good advice. But for certain kinds of tickets, the buying mileage thing might be a better way to go. We are talking Business and First Class overseas. If you are spending that kind of money on a ticket, it could be a better deal to buy the miles and then use them to get the ticket. But as Mark pointed out, there are a few things that can go wrong along the way.Gwen Duncan joins us at 3:35, to share her list of things to bring to survive long haul flights. She has her list (below) and then we asked our listeners to call in and add their favorite item. The best add ons got $25 Whole Foods Gift Cards. We will print the entire list here next week. Luggage scale (do not pack too close to max i.e. 49.9lbs to avoid paying overweight charges). FYI, small carriers overseas have astronomical charges for overweight baggage Empty beverage bottles to fill with water to stay hydrated in flight Noise cancelling devices (airplanes can be very loud) Wet-wipes (avoid bacteria on trays and hand held controllers) Statistics for bacteria on planes are terrible!!!! Electronic books (any nooks, travel guides or novels can be heavy). Ron and I go to thrift stores and pick up relatively new guide books and rip out essential pages to take with us. Own snacks(for long airport layovers). Sometimes we just use airport lounges if long layovers..They are Great and if you don't have a priority pass can be purchased on-site a daily rate per person Compression socks can be helpful because in low humidity feet will swell Chewing gum (ease ear pain from elevation issues). Prescription meds and valuables. (NEVER pack valuables in checked luggage) Always have a copy of your passport in all pieces of luggage.