On the Sunday, August 12th, 2018 edition of The Travel Guys… On the Sunday, August 12th edition of The Travel Guys:
In the Travel News, Mark has a story about two elderly German guys who went missing...only to turn up at a big heavy metal festival 25 miles away! Alaska Airlines is changing a number of their consumer/traveler friendly policies to bring them in line with their competition. Too bad.
In the Smarter Traveler segment, Mark talks about seatguru.com, an app that can help you find the best (and worst) seats on the plane.
As the wildfires which have plagued the region for the last several weeks are brought under control, those in the tourism business within the fire areas need our help. We have a couple of guests who will help us understand what comes next in the Lake County area. tallmanhotel.com
If you have an RV that needs a home from the fires, or anything else, we have an idea for you, Cava Robles. A brand new RV resort near Paso Robles on the Central California Coast.
On the Saturday, August 4th, 2018 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Volaris Airlines is the latest to announce a new service at Sacramento International. The twice weekly red eye flights will take travelers to Leon, the largest city in the state Guanajuato. They will begin November 21st. American Airlines has a dud on its hands. Their *new* buy-on-board BBQ Chicken Sandwich didn't turn turn quite like they had hoped. It has been discontinued and will be served to prisoners of war while supplies last.
For years, we've told you never to bite on the offers the airlines make to buy points and miles. Up to now, that's been good advice. But for certain kinds of tickets, the buying mileage thing might be a better way to go. We are talking Business and First Class overseas. If you are spending that kind of money on a ticket, it could be a better deal to buy the miles and then use them to get the ticket. But as Mark pointed out, there are a few things that can go wrong along the way.Gwen Duncan joins us at 3:35, to share her list of things to bring to survive long haul flights. She has her list (below) and then we asked our listeners to call in and add their favorite item. The best add ons got $25 Whole Foods Gift Cards. We will print the entire list here next week. Luggage scale (do not pack too close to max i.e. 49.9lbs to avoid paying overweight charges). FYI, small carriers overseas have astronomical charges for overweight baggage Empty beverage bottles to fill with water to stay hydrated in flight Noise cancelling devices (airplanes can be very loud) Wet-wipes (avoid bacteria on trays and hand held controllers) Statistics for bacteria on planes are terrible!!!! Electronic books (any nooks, travel guides or novels can be heavy). Ron and I go to thrift stores and pick up relatively new guide books and rip out essential pages to take with us. Own snacks(for long airport layovers). Sometimes we just use airport lounges if long layovers..They are Great and if you don't have a priority pass can be purchased on-site a daily rate per person Compression socks can be helpful because in low humidity feet will swell Chewing gum (ease ear pain from elevation issues). Prescription meds and valuables. (NEVER pack valuables in checked luggage) Always have a copy of your passport in all pieces of luggage.
On the Sunday, July 29th, 2018 edition of The Travel Guys… In The Travel News, Marriott says the combining of its frequent guest program with that of Starwood, scheduled to happen in the next two weeks, won't be automatic. You have to do it yourself.
Click here for help. Boeing says they are interested in bringing back Supersonic flights; China says refer to Taiwan the way China wants it referred to, or take your business elsewhere.
In our Smarter Traveler segment, we give you some tips on how to protect your electronics when traveling. The Travel Guy for USA Today, columnist and consumer advocate Chris Elliott joins to talk with Mark about hotel resort fees, destination fees, facility fees, fee on fees and well, you get the idea. The guys don't like them and they tell us if help is on the horizon. New York City is a favorite destination for many Californians. We take you on a quick trip to The big Apple with some tips on where to stay, to dine, etc.
On the Sunday, July 22nd, 2018 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, TSA has a new rule about what you can put in your carry on. We tell you how to avoid extra screening. Hint: It involves powdered substances. In our Smarter Traveler segment, Clayton Whitehead, sitting in for Tom, asks if you know how to get out of your historic hotel if there's a fire; and Mark tells you what to do if you show up at the car rental counter and are told there are no cars available. SpaceX is a company set to offer flights to the average traveler soon, space flights if you will. Watch the video
here.
The guys are giving away some tickets to the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival. Listen in to learn how to win.