Tag: Chicago

On the Saturday, November 29th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, we introduce you to a Chicago hotel with a $5 room rate and a $125 “resort fee,” and as part of our nation’s continuing program to “welcome” international visitors...sarcasm intended...fees at national parks will rise to ridiculous levels in 2026. You can cruise the world in two very different ways. River and ocean-going cruises are both popular. We have some tips on mistakes to avoid when booking a river cruise. Many of us are traveling during the holidays, which often means passing through multiple airports, sometimes with time to kill. We’ll tell you which airports in the country go all out on their holiday décor. The show wraps up with two topics: A Door Dash survey tells us a little about the (good) health of Sacramento restaurants, and we even share a little insight about Door Dash's "take" on your order. Plus, we discuss service (or the lack of it) in hotels these days. From the phone to the front desk, life has changed and don't look for it to get better.

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 Saturday, January 25th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Marriott is experimenting with letting people pass on housekeeping and save on their hotel rooms - but Mark says it's a trap, to let the hotel chain ultimately charge extra for housekeeping services. Plus, there's the story of the young man who tuned a grand piano on the concourse in Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Truly, it's one of the best travel stories ever (see link to You Tube video here). In our Smarter Traveler segment, Apple Air Tags are the subject. Maybe you already use them, or another brand like Tile Tags. If not, we suggest you should consider them. We talk about some of the many Internet travel scams, and some basic rules to follow to avoid being a victim. The crooks cast a wide net, but following a few basics can keep you out of harms way a lot of the time. Our guest star is Annie Fitzsimmons and her book is 100 Hotels of a Lifetime. It's published by National Geographic and it's really cool. Lots of incredible pictures. Would look good on a travelers coffee table.

On the Saturday, May 11th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Amtrak is having a sale on many of their long distance trains through May 16th. Save at least 30% on certain classes of service. Business travel is showing a significant rebound, and a study pretends to tell us which day of the week to buy your airline tickets. We have our doubts about the findings. Consumer households are paying, on the average, $1,100 in credit card fees every year. Not late fees for missing a payment, but fees that are added to your purchases by merchants to offset the growing cost of your cash-back and triple rewards cards. Are you getting value from your travel credit cards? Mark was in Chicago and Seattle this past week, scouting hotels, restaurants and attractions for upcoming Sports Leisure Vacations trips. He shares tips for some of the spots he visited, including a dive restaurant under the tracks in Chi-town, made famous in a Saturday Night Live skit and Chicago Cubs baseball history. There's a new vacation rental company joining the fray. We'll tell you a little about "Rentalz," and why they say they are different from the others.