On the Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In The Travel News, Mark has a cute story about a grandmother who posed for a picture on a small iceberg....which was grand, until...grandma floated away! She was rescued by the Iceland version of the Coast Guard. Or maybe you heard the one about the man who threw coins in the engine of a Lucky Airlines plane for good luck. It didn't turn out to be very lucky for him. And then there's the reminder of what happens if you don't get back to your cruise ship on time. It leaves without you! Clayton Whitehead, one of our Road Reporters, was a guest in January before he departed with a group on a cruise in Australia and New Zealand. It was a long flight and a long cruise. We asked Clayton for his tips on that kind of grueling travel BEFORE he left. Now that he has safely returned, we want to know how his tips worked (and didn't work). A brand new commercial airport is opening north of Seattle Monday. It's Paine Field, home of Boeing. Twenty four flights a day, operated by Alaska and United, will serve the airport, just north of Seattle near Everett. Las Vegas is constantly adding new things to do as it pivots away from just being a gambling Mecca. The Cannabition Cannabis Museum is the latest.
On the Sunday, February 24th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Princess is upgrading the wi-fi on their ships and New Jersey is creating the Anthony Bourdain Food Trail, based on the stops in one of his episodes.
In our Smarter Traveler segment, Mark has a rant about the weird designs in new hotel rooms. What were they thinking? Plus, his ideas on how to solve airline overbooking and a comment on traveling when you are sick.
Guests in the second half of the show include the writer of a book on the Coca-Cola Trail, a compilation of Coke landmarks around he country; and a San Francisco-based travel writer you had to rely on Uber and Lyft to get around for two months. Let’s hear how his experiment went.
On the Sunday, February 17th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… Steve LaRosa is in for Tom Romano and joins Mark in the studio.
In the Travel News, United Airlines is offering TV for free. That's on the 211 aircraft which have the in seat back screens. Previously there was a charge, but now you can watch the screens or on your own device for free. Southwest Airlines has declared a "operational emergency." It appears a combination of having to pull aircraft out of service for FAA mandated repairs and a "sick out" by technicians who have been negotiating a new contract for SIX years has left the airline short of planes. The U.S. has issued travel warnings for Turkey and Haiti.
In the Smarter Traveler segment, Mark reminds travelers the Marriott Rewards program officially becomes Bonvoy the first week of March. There is a new VERY high point redemption level for top properties. If you are planning to use your Marriott points for something this year, booking it now might mean you burn fewer points. A reminder that the cancellation time for a hotel is local time could make a difference, particularly on overseas lodging.
Steve LaRosa has a version of his popular segment, What's Goin' On, in and around Sacramento. Gordon Lightfoot, the French Film Festival and Jack Gallagher headline the list (see links below).
Finally, we go to San Francisco to talk with the authors of a new book, 100 Things to Do in San Francisco Before You Die. The guys have picked out a number of items from the list to share with you. A link to the book is below.
On the Sunday, February 10th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Britain has declared war on resort fees and other "add-ons," by declaring all fees must be included in the initial price. FTC in Washington, DC, are you listening? Plus, we tell you whether it's best to use soap and water or hand sanitizer in the airplane restroom (spoiler alert, hand sanitizer is the right answer). And there's a flight attendant who went out and walked on the wing. While the plane was in the sky. No kidding. Gwen Duncan of Cordially Yours Travel is in house to talk about cruise, airfares and why you might want to have a travel advisor, even if you are a very independent traveler. Finally, Paul Robins (remember Paul & Phil on Y92 FM for years...) is back on the radio and back from New Zealand. He talks about his trip and his new afternoon show on his old station, 92.5 FM.