hotels Page 11

On the Sunday, August 27th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the big stories are about lawsuits: Hyatt Hotels is being nailed for charging those pesky resort fees; and Spirit Airlines settled a suit regarding overcharging for carry-on bags. Tell me it isn't so. They would never do anything like that, would they? Hotel chains and airlines....naw.... When should you buy tickets for air travel to get the best fare? Experts have shared that important info with us and we share it with you in our Smarter Traveler segment. September is a big month for grape growers and wine fans. It's the month the grapes are harvested, and crushed, and the vino flows all over the valley. We have an update on special events for wine lovers. Our odds and ends segment features a story on New York City cracking down on short term rentals (think Airbnb and affiliated companies); and Beyoncé and Taylor Swift both had huge concert tours this summer. We'll take you behind the numbers and tell you how they compared.

On the Sunday, August 6th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, good news/bad news on the airfare front - domestic fares are dropping while international airfares are still climbing; and new non-stops are arriving at Sacramento International, including destinations like Toronto (Air Canada), Miami (American) and Orlando (Southwest). There are times when it's wise to keep quiet and stick to the program, and two of them are: when crossing an international boarder and when speaking to the pilot of our airplane. We explain when even joking around is not a good idea. Mark spent most of last week on the island of Kauai. He has some tips and observations on travel to the Garden Isle and Hawaii in general. The mailbag segment includes answers to questions on seat selection (on planes), airport hotel rates and rental cars.

On the Sunday, July 30th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, we ask the question, "Can it get too hot for planes to fly?" The answer is yes and it has happened before. Plus, national parks close for snow or floods or other natural disasters, but not for heat. We have a warning for hikers. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we talk about seat switching on planes. You get on board and someone is sitting in your seat. They ask you to switch so they can be with family or friends. What is the proper etiquette here? Is there a time to say yes and a time to say no? Absolutely. And what if the person in question won't give up the seat you paid for? CLEAR is a paid airport program that allows you a line pass in exchange for paying a fee and providing a private company with a lot of personal information. Last summer, CLEAR had what is proving to be a major security breach. Is it time to do away with this private program, or is all this much to do about nothing? In our Odds and Ends segment, we have story that reminds all of us the importance of taking pictures of rental cars on their return; and if you run into a ridiculous priced airport hotel, there just might be an easy way around it.

On the Sunday, July 9th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the hotel strike situation in Los Angeles isn't settled yet, and maybe one of the reasons is a request by the hotel workers union to add a 7% surcharge to guests room charges to help cover the cost of housing in Los Angeles and Orange County. The workers at several dozen hotels are back on the job, but future strike actions are looming. Our Smarter Traveler segment takes on the subject of "airline hacker fares." That's when you buy a ticket with the intention of throwing part of it away. You buy a ticket to Milwaukee, with a stop in Chicago, because the fare is significantly cheaper. You get off the plane in Chicago and throw the Milwaukee portion of the ticket away. Fly to Sacramento, with a stop in San Francisco, and never fly on to Sacramento. Two examples of hacker situations. The airlines create this themselves, with screwball ticket prices that make no sense. But is using this kind of ticket breaking the law, or just messing with the airlines minds? The California State Fair opens next week, and Tom has his annual interview, talking about all the fun things to do at the fair. Fort Bragg is an isolated community on the California coast. Talk about off the beaten track. Come with us to Fort Bragg and the Noyo Harbor Inn and have a look around town.