On the Sunday, July 10th, 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… In The Travel News, both the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) and the DOT (Department of Transportation) are after the airlines. The FAA says the airlines blaming them for the recent spike in delays and cancellations is a bunch of BS. "There are more flights scheduled than the system can handle..." said a United Airlines spokesperson. The FAA says on July 4th, the FAA had no staffing issues and the airlines still canceled 250 flights. The DOT says the airlines are charging families to sit together. If that doesn't stop, the DOT says it will issue a regulation requiring the airlines to obey. Princess Cruise Lines is advertising a $59 per night cruise from San Francisco. $59 a night? That seems WAYYYY too cheap. So we asked our cruise expert, Gwen Duncan, to investigate. She tells us it it's really true. The 5th Cordillera International Film Festival is slated for July 28-August 1 in Reno/Sparks. Rated one of the top 100 festivals in the world, the list of activities and film venues is impressive. Mark answered a variety of questions from the mailbag, including those on being bumped off of a flight, having your flight canceled and a shout out to the skycaps at Southwest Airlines.
On the Sunday, July 3rd, 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… Highlights from The Travel News - It appears Delta Airlines DID offer passengers almost $10,000 to give up their seats on a flight from Grand Rapids to Minneapolis Friday evening; and Holland America is eliminating the proof of vaccination requirement for a limited number of upcoming cruises. In our Smarter Traveler segment, Mark again reminds those traveling this summer to choose non-stop flights whenever possible. Fly early in the day if possible, opt for airlines offering multiple flights a day on a route, instead of just one flight, do your homework in advance and create a "plan B", join frequent flyer clubs and pack light when possible. Mark also shares his recent trip to Oregon and offered some visitor tips on Astoria, Newport and the covered bridges near Eugene and Cottage Springs. Chris Elliott, world traveler, syndicated writer and friend of The Travel Guys talked with us about when airfares might start to fall, the return of hotel services (like breakfast and housekeeping) and updated his European travels (he's currently in Paris).
On the Sunday, June 26th, 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Europe is adding a small visitors fee in 2023, there’s an update on Yellowstone and we share info on an upcoming new Broadway musical about the life of Neil Diamond. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we take you on an imaginary shopping trip for airline tickets. Are the ultra-low fare carriers like Spirit and Frontier really cheaper, or does it just look that way? First there were travel agents, who morphed into travel advisors, and now we have travel coaches. What’s the difference? Join us as we meet travel coach Sahara Rose and learn the details.
What are the best and worst airports to fly out of this summer? We have some up to date numbers to share to keep you informed.
On the Sunday, Juneteenth 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Delta Pilots are writing letters to the public, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is calling the airlines on the carpet, and hundreds of flights are getting canceled. What's the average traveler to do? Loyalty programs fostered by credit card companies, airlines, hotels and rental car companies are supposed to benefit consumers. At least that's the way they are presented/touted. Mark explains why you need to treat the benefits of those programs as moving targets. Because they are. Jessica Nabongo is the definition of a world traveler. She has visited all 195 countries recognized by the United Nations. She shares her takes on world travel and a wide variety of related subjects. Truly an interview worth listening to. See the show highlights for information on her book, The Catch Me If You Can.