On the Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, most of the news is BAD. Las Vegas hotels are raising resort fees and restaurants are raising their prices for the Super Bowl, Uber's rides continue to cost more, Jet Blue is going to charge you for advance seat selection for more seats on every flight, and the fees on Delta's credit card are going up 50%. Our Smarter Traveler segment talks about an endangered species - customer service. Case in point, American Airlines is cutting hundreds of call center positions that handle travel issues and complaints. And telling us it's going to make American BETTER. Can you say BS? Our Odds and Ends segment features stories about how travel companies are collecting your private information to create pricing, hidden cameras in vacation rentals and why you might need a special class to learn how to negotiate a Disney theme park. Charlie Leocha from Travelers United joins us to talk about the crowd coming in the skies. Charlie says flying cars, drones and other traffic is about to compete with airplanes and it's time to consider some regulations. Crazy? Maybe not.
On the Saturday, January 27th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Alaska and United have gotten the OK to put 737 Max 9 aircraft back in the sky after inspections starting tomorrow. Meanwhile, Kayak.com reports that more and more travelers are trying to avoid the Max 9. And California joins the list of states with digital licenses (think TSA). Travelers United has put out a list of driving tips for cold weather destinations. If you are headed into the Sierras, or other snowy destinations, or just know someone who lives in one, check out the list. United is selling miles by subscription. Are they a good deal? Find out in our Smarter Traveler segment. We'll also address airlines on time ratings and explain how they are created, and whether or not they are to be trusted. If you are thinking about one of those extended cruises, consider the fate of passengers who thought they were going around the world for three years, and instead are just out a lot of money. Plus, there's a ship now with cabins that open to the ocean. We share the details of the pluses and minuses of this new innovation in cruise ship accommodations.
On the Saturday, January 20th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, our former governor is in hot water over a watch he tried to bring into Germany; and Southwest is starting to add USB plug-ins to their planes. (About fr***ing time!) Our Smarter Traveler segment tells you how to avoid (and fight back against) ride-share overcharges. And Travelers United tells us about a great new resource for people who travel with assistive devices (canes, walkers, etc.). A link to it is available on this page. A former flight attendant offers up a list of 20 items for "Civil Travel" on planes. Some of them are pretty interesting. Which airline has the most room in coach in the US? Jet Blue. But who is second is really a surprise. We run down the leg room list for all US carriers.
On the Saturday, January 13th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, an update on when United and Alaska might have their 737-900 jets back in the sky; a series of storms is making air travel treacherous, especially in the middle of the country; and Costco and Southwest have a couple of travel deals, which expire January 14th. Our Smarter Traveler segment goes over the small things you can make a part of your routine on the plane that will make you safer in case of a bumpy ride or a missing door. We answer your questions from our Mailbag, including info on replacement tickets for canceled flights, sightseeing in Venice, free stopovers in Iceland and bogus car rental charges (again). Some of our regular contributors weighed in on what travel looks like in 2024 with a few predictions.