On the Saturday, December 14th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Mexico and the U.K. are creating new junk fees to trap travelers; and Delta confirms what top level frequent flyers already know, airlines are selling a much higher percentage of first class seats these days (meaning fewer complimentary upgrades for those top tier travelers). TSA officials at Sacramento International have shared a few tips for holiday travel. The most important is, make sure your bag is empty when you start to pack. Seems simple, but when someone has a prohibited item in their bag, the answer is always "I didn't know that was in there." Check your bag before you pack it. The mailbag is full of your questions and our answers. There were so many questions, we are offering an extended mailbag section in the back half of the program.
Tag: first class
On the Sunday, January 29th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Amtrak restarts service on the Surfliner, between San Diego and Los Angeles, after it had been suspended since September due to track issues. The residents of Machu Pichu have called a strike against tourism. The historic site is a huge cash cow for the government of Peru and the people are against the people in power. If you are planning a trip in the next 6 months, do your homework. Our Smarter Traveler segment focuses on two topics - How tipping has gotten completely out of hand, with travelers regularly being asked to tip on "tax". Some credit card tip prompts are running as high as 30%. Mark and Tom say this is way out of control. Second subject was how domestic first class is being "dumbed down" by some airlines, even being labeled "business class" instead of first. But some transcontinental and international routes have much better premium seating. If you are buying up, make sure you know what you are getting. Mark took a group to Miami and the Florida Keys last week. He offers a host of tips on attractions, lodging and how to get the most out of a visit to Key West. In the mailbag, the guys gave wisdom to single travelers, explaining why it cost more to travel alone, plus talked about a possible luggage hack while flying, to save baggage fees.
On the Sunday, August 7th, 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Southwest Airlines has welcomed its first mother-daughter pilot team. The Department of Transportation is FINALLY ready to help you get refunds and performance from airlines, but they are putting part of the refund responsibility on the wrong people...travel agents/advisors. Our Smarter Traveler segment features a discussion about "who owns this hotel?" You thought you were staying at a Hilton Hotel. At least that's what it says on the sign. But are you protected by Hilton policies? Maybe not.... A man is sitting in economy on Jet Blue. A first class passenger gives him an eye mask. The flight attendant says, "you can't do that, he's in economy." Yep, it really happened. We have the tape of the conversation. So who is right? In entertainment news, Bruce Springsteen fans are paying up, really up, for some of his upcoming concerts. "Dynamic pricing" is the answer. Or is it? And we have details on Portland's annual Naked Bike Ride.