On the Sunday, July 21st edition of The Travel Guys: In the Travel News, a lawsuit with a former concessionaire has been settled, allowing the National Park Service to call the Ahwahnee Hotel by its actual name again. Confused? We have all the details. And by now, you've probably heard the story about the early closing of Daffodil Hill this spring, pointing out how social media is exasperating the "over-tourism" problem.... To make you a Smarter Traveler, we have Travel Advisor Gwen Duncan on hand to talk about hotels. What to do if your reservation is lost, or more importantly, how to make sure it isn't lost before arrival. And what if you don't like your room? Gwen has some advice on that too, which also involves being pro-active before arrival. Most of us who travel use wi-fi in hotels, but we have a guest who says that's really a bad idea. Robert McGarvey talks about why you want to avoid hotel wi-fi, and what some of the alternatives are. We dig into our mailbag and answer some of your travel questions. Topics include REAL ID, saving seats on Southwest, the parking problems at Sacramento International and a reminder about what to do if your flight is delayed late into the evening, or early morning.
On the Sunday, July 14th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the battle against Marriott Hotels, and the way they have charged their resort fees for years, has stepped up this week. The District of Columbia A.G. is seeking a court order to require Marriott to change the way they price their product immediately. Perhaps these hated fees may soon have to be rolled directly into the room rate, which would likely make them go away. This is a pretty big story and we will continue to follow it closely. Ultimately, it impacts many more hotel chains than just Marriott. But because Marriott is the largest, what happens here will dictate the direction of the industry. Hotels prefer to keep resort/destination fees outside of the room rate for a variety of reasons, among them not having to pay commissions on them, tax advantages and of course, the opportunity to advertise a room rate that isn't what you really pay. Be a Smarter Traveler by knowing Ten Great Pieces of Hotel/Resort Etiquette. Hint: They include the importance of optional tipping and not taking every free thing in the building that isn't nailed down. A link to the complete list is below. Gwen Duncan, of Cordially Yours Travel, joins us to talk about Travel Mishaps you can avoid before and during your travel, including what to do if you lose your passport when traveling. Hamilton is the most popular musical in history. It is currently playing is San Francisco on an open-ended run, extending into 2020. We talk with Ruben Carbajal, one of the principal cast members about what it's like to take the stage 8 times a week in this incredible show. Ruben also traveled with the San Francisco company recently to Puerto Rico, for some very special Hamilton performances.
On the Sunday, July 7th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Mexico has a report on tainted liquor in tourist destinations, and
Tauck Tours has added a very unique experience to one of their packages.
Two new lounges have opened at our airport in Sacramento. We have an update on the cost of admission and what those dollars get you. Plus, who is grandfathered in the door...hint, think American Express Platinum Card. Tom has a report on this year's edition of the State Fair, opening next week. There's a Food Festival and lots of special days and discounts. Steve LaRosa presents his delayed special on Santa Fe, the second of his two-parter on the state of New Mexico. You can find tourism links below.
On the June 30th edition of The Travel Guys... In the Travel News, Boeing is being sued by pilots who say they are losing money and patience with the world's largest builder of airplanes over the Max aircraft issue. Three California cities are on the list of best places to celebrate the 4th of July, with Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco all breaking the top ten. And what about the lady who found herself locked inside an Air Canada plane in Toronto? Mark talks about the danger of medicating yourself before flying... Mark is live from NYC, where today a month of LGBT Pride wraps up with a big parade. He also shares his love for live theater, particularly Broadway theater, and talks about why "live" is so much of a difference-maker to him. Steve LaRosa joins us to talk about Santa Fe, in the second part of his New Mexico series.