On the Sunday, October 27th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the current administration in Washington has dealt another blow to those wishing to travel to Cuba. Within the next 90 days, all air flights to any city except Havana will be banned. This will make it difficult for Cuban Americans to visit family and relatives on the island, and for travelers to create the best itineraries to visit. The president had already told cruises ships they could no longer call on the island earlier this year. Marriott Hotels appears to be making a real commitment to less waste. The Marriott Marquis in San Francisco has done away with plastic water bottles, installed "filling stations" in the lobby and some Marriott Hotels are using non-plastic straws. We also have some wisdom on words NOT to use when you are trying to resolve a travel issue on the phone, across the counter or by email. The back half of the program features a Travel Round Table with Clayton Whitehead and Gwen Duncan. Both help sell travel to people like you, and they travel often themselves. From the new problem of over-tourism, to the real cost of room service and more.
On the Sunday, October 20th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, we talk about cities with the most fake hotel reviews (according to fraud detection company Fakespot). Houston and Chicago top the list. Remember the man who was arrested for "using a cell phone in the lobby while black" at the Doubletree Hotel in Portland last December? Even though he had his room key and was a registered guest? We update the story. Hint: It isn't going to end well for the hotel. More and more travelers are choosing a vacation home when they hit the road. But the new industry is having some growing pains. Like those nasty fees from the hotel industry are starting to become popular with landlords. Chris Elliott, our resident expert on vacation rentals shares his expertise in an extended interview. We have our share of characters who appear on The Travel Guys. This week, we have Meredith J. Eberhart. But we know him by his nickname, NimbleWill Nomad. We reconnected with Will, who likes to hike around the country, to see where he's been and where he might be headed. Learn more about him and his travels with the links below.
On the Sunday, October 13th 2019 edition of The Travel Guys on KFBK 93.1 FM/1530AM… In the Travel News, Sacramento was ranked by Wallet Hub as the #1 city in the country when it comes to the affordability and availability of highly rated restaurants. Quite a step up for a sleepy state capitol. The Empire State Building in NYC has reopened their observation level, after a remodel did away with many of the things blocking the spectacular view for decades. Uber says it will roll out Uber Pet in select cities on October 16th. Currently, the driver decides if pets are allowed in the vehicle. The new system will insure the arriving driver knows and will accept pets. There is a $3-5 surcharge. Seven cities will see that new service next week but Sacramento is not on the list. Airlines have devalued their frequent flyer programs this year by "floating" the number of points you need for award tickets. This is very bad news for travelers and in some ways spells the end of the Rewards programs as we know them. REAL ID will soon be the law of the land. We walk you through the process, with someone who just got their new ID last week. Is it actually possible to attend 365 sporting events in 365 days? We talk to a man who made that journey...
On the Sunday, October 6th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In The Travel News, the entry of Southwest into the Sacramento-Hawaii market has seen it's first casualty. Alaska Airlines will stop flying non-stop to Kona in March. The airline has been flying the route 3-4 days a week since the spring. With Southwest adding non-stop flights to Honolulu and soon to Maui, with direct service to Kona, Alaska decided to cut and run. A bay area Kona route was also dropped. Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants have set a November 20th strike vote date, after negotiations with the airline over two years have failed to get them the deal they want. With Southwest ramping up service to the islands, it might be an inopportune time for Hawaiian to have any sort of service disruption. Finally, Mark has the story of an elderly couple who say they were tricked into smuggling more than $1million worth of drugs inside of four suitcases in their cruise ship cabin. (Upon closer examination, the couple was convicted of trafficking cannabis near Norway in 2010, and despite a low income, had taken a string of luxury cruises recently). They could face up to 12 years in jail if convicted. Chris Elliott, our consumer advocacy friend (www.Elliott.org) updates us on legislation which might be moving resort fees (and their cousins, urban and other "destination" fees) towards the exit door. We open the phones and ask you to play "What overpriced things should I not purchase at the airport?" Should be easy, since everything is overpriced at the airport. Tell us the worst offenders and perhaps win a $50 Macy's gift card, just in time for Christmas shopping. Finally, we tell you why you should put one of your shoes in the hotel safe. Yes, really. Why? If you are prone to leaving things in your room, particularly in the safe, you aren't likely to walk out with only one shoe on, are you now? Pretty good idea, if you ask us.