On the Saturday, December 28th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the FAA has the results of the Southwest Airlines safety audit, and wildlife is dying out on Catalina island…without any concern from local residents. The Canadian Transportation Agency, which regulates airlines, has a proposal to make airlines more responsible for delays north of the border. They are actually more expansive than EU Rule 261, which protect passengers in the event of long delays or cancellations. If something like that comes to Canada, is it possible protections for U.S. passengers could be coming? Mileage and Mattress runs have been around as Frequent Flyer Program have existed. What are they and exactly why are they top of mind for many road warriors this time of year? Our Odds and Ends bag includes a story on why some Americans are suddenly choosing less expensive hotel accommodations and what that might mean to the travel industry as a whole.
On the Saturday, December 21st, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, hear about the newest fad, flying "naked"....yes, it's called flying naked. We'll explain. And small towns around the planet are starting to organize against the cruise lines big ships calling in their communities. "Stop overwhelming us" is their message. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we explain what the new Federal Trade Commission rules on junk fees imposed by hotels and ticket sellers mean for you. Southwest Airlines is bringing reserved seats and other changes to the way they board their airplanes in 2026. Many of those changes will impact tickets you buy in 2025. We have an update from Southwest's CEO. Our Odds and Ends part of the show features a story about "seat squatters" on planes. Music City San Francisco is the name of a most unique musician rehearsal space, hostel, restaurant and even a place to catch music on a Saturday night. We'll tell you more about this unique "music accelerator" in The City.
On the Saturday, December 14th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Mexico and the U.K. are creating new junk fees to trap travelers; and Delta confirms what top level frequent flyers already know, airlines are selling a much higher percentage of first class seats these days (meaning fewer complimentary upgrades for those top tier travelers). TSA officials at Sacramento International have shared a few tips for holiday travel. The most important is, make sure your bag is empty when you start to pack. Seems simple, but when someone has a prohibited item in their bag, the answer is always "I didn't know that was in there." Check your bag before you pack it. The mailbag is full of your questions and our answers. There were so many questions, we are offering an extended mailbag section in the back half of the program.
On the Saturday, December 7th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Venice, the city that began charging visitors a surcharge to enter the city in 2024, is expanding the program next year; and we'll tell you where Sacramento landed on a list of "Most Fun Cities." You will be surprised at the answer. For many years, European flyers have benefited from a plan which gives them refunds (EU Regulation 261) when an airline has a huge delay or cancels a flight (under certain conditions). It holds the airlines accountable when they are responsible. Now, the departing Biden administration has suggested a similar system in the U.S. We'll talk about the concept. But know this - the airlines are already against it. What if you had two or three small children and wanted to explore the planet? That's exactly what Jessica Gee and her husband did. Then she wrote a book. Stories of traveling with kiddos and tips on how to survive the effort highlight our interview with Jessica. Odds & Ends include updates on two previous stories - "pineapple dating" (on cruise ships) and "check-in chicken" (for airline flights), along with some Christmas gift ideas for the traveler in your life.