air travel Page 13

On the Saturday, August 9th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News: Do you have status with a hotel chain or airline and hoping for an upgrade? Those decisions are increasingly being made by AI. And, the cost of coming to the United States for a visit keeps going up. Imagine you are on a long flight and your seatmate has fallen asleep and his head is now on your shoulder. Or someone is watching noisy videos without headphones on the plane. How do you handle those and other situations? Details in our Smarter Traveler segment. Travelers United is probably the BEST advocate for all of us. Charlie Leocha joins us to talk about flyers rights and other conversation that will make you a smarter traveler. In our Odds and Ends portion of the program, Mark points out why the advertised price you are quoted by the rental car company is probably nothing close to what you will pay.

On the Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, our airport screens a record number of travelers in one day, and AI is being used to create fake travel destinations and take people on wild goose chases. Southwest Airlines has started charging bag fees and assigning seats. But not for all flights. We tell you where the line is drawn and how to deal with Southwest's "dueling systems" for the next few months in our Smarter Traveler segment. Japan is one of the hottest destinations on the planet right now. We sent a group of Sports Leisure Travelers to Japan in May and we talk with Donnie Anderson, who led the group, and get some tips on travel to the “land of the rising sun…” (Do you REALLY not tip in Japan?) Air traffic controllers have been in short supply for many years. Since the job pays pretty well, why can't they find people to do the job. We shed some light on the "why aren't there enough people in the tower" subject.

On the Saturday, July 26th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Uber announced a new feature that let’s women riders be paired with women drivers, and likewise men with men; you still can’t take full water bottles through security at the airport...yet, and United Airlines has made some awesome additions to its app that will make airport connections a little easier. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we have a check-in list for your cruise ship cabin. Make certain you have what you need BEFORE the ship sails. Road reporter Clayton Whitehead just returned form Switzerland with a group and has a variety of tips, ideas and suggestions for your Swiss trip. Mark has also been on the road and offers reviews of Fort Bragg on the California Coast, and Puget Sound, one of the most beautiful areas in the country.

On the Saturday, July 19th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, The iconic Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City reopens, with a remarkable new look; and Carnival Cruise Lines changes it's frequent cruiser program to more align with its credit card. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we explain why having the airline's app on your phone might be the most important thing you can do to keep yourself informed while flying. Syndicated Travel Columnist and Consumer Advocate Chris Elliott has been a friend of this program for a long, long time. He joins us for an extended interview to talk about shoes and liquids - improvements in airport security, plus, updates on the importance of travel insurance and rental car companies that hound their customers.