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.
On the Saturday, November 30th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, we'll introduce you to Travel Tuesday, the traveler's version of Black Friday for travel deals. Plus, the US Senate reports US airlines have collected over $12 BILLION dollars in the last six years from baggage fees and seat assignments. Our Smarter Traveler segment features comments from regular guests Joe Brancatelli and Chris Elliott on the subjects of "Smash and Grab" credit card bonuses and some of the creative ways travelers are avoiding junk airline fees (why make yourself part of that $12 billion figure above). Scott Klier from Broadway Sacramento joins us to talk about the upcoming holiday show "Elf", and some of the challenges theaters and performing groups around the country are having attracting post-Covid audiences. Odds and Ends features a story about what an upside down pineapple on your door means to other Princess Cruise Line travelers, and on another ship, angry cruisers stage a hunger strike when their Antarctica stops are cancelled on a pricey voyage.
On the Saturday, November 23rd, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, United Airlines is now offering a Spanish language version of their app and airports are testing autonomous wheelchairs. Hooking up to international cell phone service can be very costly if you don't know what you are doing. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we have tips on international phone plans. The Sacramento Airport promises to be a busy place for the next ten days, and then again over Christmas and New Years. Scott Johnston from the airport's public information team joins us to talk about parking challenges, progress on the new build out and holiday entertainment. Our Odds and Ends rundown includes information on how you can see Rick Steves at the KVIE Studios; plus, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel is nearing reopening in Manhattan and we take a look inside.