On the Saturday, November 8th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the big story is the mandatory reduction of flights by the FAA. Mark flew trough Chicago Friday and has a report. We also have some insight about which flights are being canceled and what you can expect if your flight is canceled. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we discuss how hotels are following airlines by unbundling services. A new trend is charging you to park a car regardless of whether you actually have a car. That's right, pay for parking even though you have no vehicle. The nickel-and-dime your customer battle enters a new phase. The second half of the program is dedicated to an interview with Sacramento Kings Broadcaster Gary Gerould. Gary travels more than most people, doing his job as a play-by-play man. He'll share lots of stories with us, including life on the road and how he came to be the voice of the Kings.
On the Sunday, January 31st, 2016 edition of The Travel Guys… January 31st edition of The Travel Guys is dedicated to our mission of making you a smarter traveler and our all-star consumer advocates are here to assist you.
Chris Elliott writes a column which appears in the travel section of the Sunday Sacramento Bee. He heads up the travel section for USA Today and writes a column for the Washington. He has a terrific consumer web site, elliott.org. Chris addresses "price guarantees" that aren't what they seem to be; and we discuss "fakers," people who feign disabilities in order to cut the line, board early, etc.
Ed Perkins has been a regular guest on the program since it began. He wrote the Consumer Reports Travel Newsletter for many years. We talk about some of the problems which can arise when you rent a car. Ed also has some ideas on how to save money on "CDWs" (collision damage waivers) when you rent. How much and which insurances do you need?
Finally, we put on our entertainment hats and talk about the Sierra Repertory Theater in Sonora and Columbia. Great theater at a reasonable price in historic settings.
On the Sunday, July 11th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, The mayor of Maui, Hawaii asks the airlines to cut the number of seats on flights to his home island. Too many tourists, the mayor says. Canada updates its travel policy, but it doesn't help Americans; and Hilton becomes the first major chain to eliminate daily housekeeping at most of its hotels. In our Smarter Traveler segment, with summer flight delays and cancellations on the increase, we give you some tips on things you can do BEFORE you travel to help lower the possibility of getting stuck somewhere on the road, and if you are stuck, our tips might make it a little less painful. We solicited Travel Tips from our listeners. The best ones will be posted next week. Mark did a special goodbye to John Ascuaga, the owner and operator of the Nugget Hotel/Casino in Sparks, Nevada, for over 50 years. Mark shared a tribute from Nevada's governor and a personal story about John. A fine farewell to one of the nicest people you could ever meet. The Travel Guys would like to wish a Happy 75th Anniversary to President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter! 1979 - President Jimmy Carter stops to kiss his wife before departing the White House
On the Sunday, April 14th edition of The Travel Guys.... In the Travel News, Mark talks about his trip to Disneyland.....er, Washington, DC this week, to lobby on behalf of the travel industry. Delta Airlines decides to reduce conflict over reclining seats with a simple solution...reduce the amount of recline for their seats. And American quietly introduces a new plane. You know, the one with 15 more seats stuffed into the same sized cabin. We have the stories, links are below. Last week, United Airlines announced they are dropping their award chart, basically floating the number of miles needed to get a free seats on their flights based on supply and demand. While this seems like it makes great business sense for the airline (Delta had previously done the same thing, expect American to follow quickly), it's terrible news for frequent flyers who like to snag those seats at reasonable mileage prices. Mark explains (check out the podcast).
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Tuscan Women Cook is the name of a small company, offering first class full-immersion culinary experiences.
Each summer in the Sonoma Valley, wonderful outdoor theater is presented at Jack London State Park by the Transcendence Theatre Company. This year's schedule is unveiled on the show, beginning with A Chorus Line.