On the Sunday, May 14th 2023, Mother's Day edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, pilots from several airlines have voted to authorize a strike? What does this mean for summer travel? We share an important take on the situation. Airfares dropped a bit in April. Does this mean the long upward climb in fares is over? Clearing customs is always a bit stressful, whether you are coming to or going from the United States. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we give you some tips on how to make your customs encounter as brief as possible by helping you be prepared. Carnaval in San Francisco is a fun, all-free event that is back for its 45th year this Memorial Day weekend. Find more info on the event here. Chris Elliott, Consumer Advocate, joins us from Christchurch, New Zealand, to discuss the automation of the travel industry and why it might be moving just a little too fast, from a customer services standpoint. Plus, why does it take so long to get a refund everyone agrees you are owed. Chris reminds us the importance of being patient, polite and persistent when chasing your money.
On the Sunday, May 7th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, turns out car crash test dummies are only designed to test MALE reactions to crashes. FEMALE crash dummies don't exist, and the figures say they should. Ladies are different. Plus, we share some wisdom on exchanging currency in foreign countries. Our Smarter Traveler segment warns you about a new fee some smaller hotels are slipping in, and there is some good news on the Resort Fee front. Mark returns from a trip through Nevada with one of his Sports Leisure Vacations tour groups, and shares details of his journey, filled with tips so you can create your own Ghost Town journey in Nevada. There is another warning about public charging stations in airports, this time from the FBI; and Wallet hub tells us what it's survey says are the best and worst airlines.
On the Sunday, April 30th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, a woman got arrested in Sydney, after arriving on a flight from LA with a 24-carat gold-plated gun in her luggage. Yosemite National Park is closed after warm temperatures brought the much dreaded spring melt flooding. Mark relates two situations which occurred on a flight he was on Saturday night, as examples of games people play with flight attendants. Hiding over-the-limit carry-ons and not following rules regarding pets on board are two examples he witnessed. Conceding it's possible for a flight attendant to have a bad day, one has to keep in mind they can have you removed from the aircraft, or worse. Mark suggest picking your battles carefully, or maybe just not playing stupid little games. Do you really think you are the first person ever to use a coat to conceal an extra carry-on? Be a smarter traveler and give the flight attendants a break. Is inflation having a bearing on the travel decisions you make for this summer? Or just ridiculously high prices. The guys talk about why this might be the year to pick a less-popular destination. Finally, Mark shares some of his experience from the second half of his journey with 29 travelers down the Chicago-Oklahoma City portion of fabled Route 66. He highlights some of the classic attractions, hotels and restaurants along the old highway and talks about why you might consider a short journey if you can't make an extended trip.
On the Sunday, April 23rd, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, we tell you about an uninhabited island in Scotland that's for sale, and if you are headed to Maui, you will need advance reservations to visit one of the island's most popular natural attractions. As travel demand starts to level off a bit, and Covid is mostly behind us, many hotels in popular destinations are changing their refund policies to be a lot less friendly than in recent times. Mark warns travelers to beware in our Smarter Traveler segment. Each year, the travel industry holds a lobbying event on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Mark attended and shares why lobbying for travel is generally more accepted on "The Hill." Since Thursday, Mark has been traveling Route 66 with a group of Sports Leisure Travelers. He offers some observations on places to see on the first part of the route, and tries to explain why this old highway is still so popular 97 years after its beginning.