On the Saturday, May 23rd, 2026 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Southwest says you absolutely cannot bring your robot on the plane, and next time an older flyer tells you there used to be a lot more legroom on airlines, believe them, because it’s true. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we talk about online trip reviews. Are these “influencers” really giving you the truth, or are they swayed by the fact the airline, hotel or cruise line is letting them travel for free with the expectation of a good review. We’ll dig in and look for the truth. Are travel vendors pulling a fast one on you when you search for a hotel, an airfare, or other travel components. Are they keeping a book on your online searches to charge you more money? Chris Elliott joins us to discuss the issue. Finally, we tell you which state in our union has the most road rage...and which one has the least. Plus, the most and least congested traffic cities, just in time for summer driving.
Tag: airfare
On the Sunday, April 16th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, animal rides are being phased out as tourist attractions in many countries and we explore why, and the FAA says 250 people have been referred to the FBI over their behavior on airplanes. For many of these folks, a bad day is about to turn into a life-altering event. Is it a customer service crisis, or just a generational shift in the way business is done? Mark and Tom discussed declining customer service in the travel industry and suggest a couple of work-arounds. Google has announced they are enhancing features which let you explore national parks; and airlines are asking, can one pilot be as good as two? - We tackle those two stories at the bottom of the hour. We dip into the Mailbag to answer your questions about summer airfares and the cost of parking at hotels.
On the Sunday, April 9th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, many National Parks are now requiring reservations to enter (see the link to the list on this page); and airfares are falling...and rising...at the same time. Why is that? Tipping. It's a hot topic not only with travelers, but with non-travelers. Every time we turn around, a screen is asking you if you would like to tip someone. Where do we draw the line? Tipping is the subject of our Smarter Traveler segment. Richard Lewis has been heading up Sacramento theater for many years. The Music Circus is an icon in our community, along with Broadway Sacramento. Richard tells the stories of how his father started the Music Circus, how he used to help put up the tent every summer, and his progression to CEO. Now, it's time for him to start backing away, and so it's time to hear Richard's story. It's better than the story line for many a Broadway show, the story of a kid who grew up with the Music Circus. It's one of our favorite interviews ever.
On the Sunday, October 16th, 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the State Department temporarily has reopened its online passport renewal program (link below) under certain conditions, and in Hawaii, visitor counts have hit a bump and some are concerned. Our Smarter Traveler segment features a discussion on the impact on your airfare, based on the day you fly. Monday, Friday and Sunday are generally higher. Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday lower; Thursday neutral. We'll explain why. Consumer Advocate Chris Elliott is on hand all the way from Cypress to discuss hotel service. Where is it headed post-COVID? We also go over words to be wary of when you are looking for a vacation rental. What does "cozy" really mean. Delta and Starbucks have announced a joint loyalty program. We'll share details and talk about the value of such programs.