On the Sunday, September 20th, 2020 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, travelers desperate to go ANYWHERE are holiday airfare, Shivaji Ds, The 'Other' Shangri-La, travel trendsscooping up flights to NOWHERE, we tell you why it's pretty hard to get COVID while flying and the airlines are all holding their collective breaths, hoping for more taxpayer money to avoid major layoffs. Our Smarter Traveler segment features information on what to buy and what NOT to buy: Why you should buy your holiday air tickets now, and why you should never buy jewelry on a cruise ship... We take you to Singapore, to meet a local author, Shivaji Das. His latest book is "The 'Other' Shangri-La". We talk about COVID travel trends. People really are staying closer to home, because many refuse to fly, at least for now.
On the Sunday, September 13th, 2020 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, MGM Resorts in Las Vegas has a package to entice you to move your home office work into an MGM hotel room, at a pretty reasonable price. There's an updated travel warning involving Mexico and Holland America is putting five ships on European itineraries in 2021. We make you a Smarter Traveler by discussing COVID courtesy. What's appropriate has changed a bit, especially true if you are one of the few on the road right now. How do you greet someone, since hand shaking is not appropriate? What about tipping for take out and delivery food orders? Last week, Tom and Mark shared some of the history of Burning Man, the annual event in the Nevada desert, which was canceled this year due to COVID. We asked if anyone in our audience was there for one of the first "burns," back in the 80's, on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Guess what? We have one of the original Burning Man attendees, to give us a first hand memory of the gathering. Our guest is Gary Hogan, of Hawaiian Hotels. If that name sounds familiar to Hawaii travelers, it's because the Hogan family owed and operated Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays for many years, taking hundreds of thousands of visitors to the islands each year The family sold the main business years ago, and kept a few hotels, including the legendary Royal Lahaina on Maui's Kaanapali Coast. Gary and his family have a long Hawaii history, so he seems like the perfect man to discuss how the islands move forward on allowing visitors back to the islands.
On the Sunday, September 6th, 2020 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Southwest adds Palm Springs and Hawaii to its route map, as airlines try to pivot away from business travel to the leisure side. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we talk about the airlines getting rid of changes fees...or did they. Fact is there are many fares where the change fees are not waived. Plus, the airlines are playing a few other tricks. We have the first example of what Baseball Spring Training might look like next year, and Chris Elliott says to "beware of what "free" amenities might cost you in a hotel. Mark offers one of his Just One Man's Opinion pieces, focusing on the need for instant Covid testing to get travel started again. We tell you why it's a a good time to get your passport and we talk a little about the history of Burning Man, which has traditionally been held this time of year in the Nevada desert. In an unusual and fascinating interview we talk with the operator (and his wife) of a tiny ferry off the England coast. The operator, a former cruise ship employee, is taking advantage of cruise ships being temporarily parked off the coast in his area to offer special "Ghost Ship" or the idle cruisers. It's a story of how Covid circumstances and innovation is actually working in someone's favor. Welcome aboard the Mudeford Ferry...
On the Sunday, August 30th, 2020 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, a new 15-minute COVID test appears to be on its way to the market, and if so it would be a game changer for sure. Developed by Abbott Laboratories, it would allow on-the-spot testing for travelers. Cruise lines are already hedging their bets into 2021 with cancellations, and American Airlines touts a brand new corona virus disinfectant, but chemical experts are questioning its quick approval. We also have the latest Hawaii travel update. In our Smarter Traveler segment - The San Francisco Giants, known for their classy promotions, grounded into a double play with their offer from Alaska Airlines. They gave those who signed up 24 hours to buy reduced price tickets (which were not available at all on many prime dates). They made no mention of whether the tickets would be changeable or refundable without fees, as many airlines are doing. Note the Giants/Alaska Airlines extended this offer 24 hours at a time, 3 times last week. Perhaps the public wasn't ready to buy tickets under those conditions. Mark talks about his 3-day trip to the greater Portland area this week. He has a hotel and a restaurant recommendation if you are headed that direction, along with some advice about seeing the local volcano. Travelers continue to ask, "when can we go to Hawaii?". It's a complicated question, further muddied by governmental leaders in the islands. We talk with Will Lydgate, of Lydgate Farms, creators of amazing Kauai Chocolate, about the situation. Will's family has been on Kauai for many generations, and since his chocolate growing operation depends on farm tours and the people who take them, as part of their income, Will has been impacted. We'll get the scoop straight from the islands. Finally, we have a treat for you. The Phoenix Choir in Vancouver, BC, Canada, has created a catchy "Covid" time, changing the lyrics of Billy Joel's For the Longest Time. Hearing it is great, but the video below is well worth watching.