On the Sunday, March 19th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, after a number of near misses on runways at the nation's airports, the government is calling for more air traffic controllers to be in the tower, and Carnival Cruise Lines becomes the first to sail 100 million passengers. Our Smarter Traveler segment offers a variety of tips - A warning about vacation rentals in Hawaii, a reminder on how packaging your hotel, air and rental car can often save you serious cash (links below), and a heads up to those needing a passport renewal in the near future. There's a brand new Ken Burns-style museum in Gettysburg (hint; it's all about the Civil War battle from a different point of view) as Gettysburg, Beyond the Battle, opens next month. Non-flight itineraries are on the rise. Why are more people choosing not to include air travel in their wanderings? One of our favorite travel bloggers says, get on, sit down, buckle up and shut up. It's actually pretty good wisdom. Check it out here.
On the Sunday, March 12th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Amtrak is expanding and looking to expand service, plus Frontier Airlines is in the news regarding gate-checked bags. Frontier charges a hefty fee to check bags at the gate and a recent customer dispute went viral. The airline says the customer was in the wrong, but there are a variety of interesting sidebars to this story, such as Frontier paying a commission to contracted gate agents who nail you for an oversize bag. Even though the airline may be in the right this time, the online reaction to to the retelling of similar situations has been brutal for Frontier. Mark is in Arizona for baseball's Spring Training. He offers some tips for folks heading down to Arizona in the Smarter Traveler part of the show - where to sit, how to cut your costs a bit, and even a tip on one of the best steakhouses in the area. St. Patrick's Day is next week, and what better way to celebrate than to bring on a guest who is an Ireland expert. Jack Kavanagh, author and leader of National Geographic Expeditions is our guest. His book is Always Ireland: An Insider's Tour of the Emerald Isle. We close with another edition of the Weird Travel News. They kept playing blackjack in Vegas after WHAT happened at the table? American Airlines has an option to let mother's sit AWAY from the family for a fee? Are these stories true? Hey, it's the weird travel news.
On the Sunday, March 5th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, another airline (American) joins the "of course families can sit together crowd," and Princess Cruises announces some sizeable (up to 40%) discounts for selected sailings. Our Smarter Traveler segment features a rundown on Basic Economy seating - cheaper but is it a good value for all? Mark is a veteran of many trips on America's most famous highway, Route 66. He'll share highlights for the eastern half of The Mother Road, as it's known, including lots of great places to eat and stop along the route. Mailbag question topics include airport connections, why gas prices are so high near airports and hotel housekeeping, all at the top of the list of questions listeners submitted.
On the Sunday, February 26th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, foreign visitors are waiting up to two years to visit our country and 80 mayors are trying to shorten the lines. Plus, some airlines are responding to the president's request to let families sit together on planes. We share the real story. Some destinations are growing weary of travelers. Juneau, New York City and Italy are trying to turn things around. When your bag is lost by an airline, they try to reunite you for 90 days. After that, it's likely your bag goes to Unclaimed Luggage in Scottsboro, Alabama. Savvy shoppers can buy unclaimed items online and in the store. We have the "Weird Travel News." From a couple who abandoned their baby and got on the plane, to an update from Portland, America's capital of weirdness, we have the stories at the end of the show we didn't feel comfortable sharing at the top of the program.