hotels Page 6

On the Saturday, April 5th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… Beyoncé and Marriott "get into bed together," as the hotel chain partners with the vocalist on her upcoming tour; and we have a list of the most popular "pilgrimage" sites in the country. Places people go to remember a famous person or occurrence. What do you suppose is the number one spot in California? In the country? Our Smarter Traveler segment addresses the issue of unwanted advances and indeed, sexual assaults on planes. We have some tips to keep you out of harm's way. Plus, what do you do when you return to the Sacramento airport and can't remember what row your car is in? We have the easy hack. With the president’s announcement of tariffs this past week, many folks who plan to travel internationally this summer are wondering if traveling abroad is safe. Chris Elliott shares his wisdom on international behavior. (Hint: Don't let your clothes or your backpack get you in trouble.) Wallet Hub tells us which airline has the best Frequent Flyer program, and how they arrived at their conclusion. You'll be surprised at the results (we'll also tell you who has the worst benefits).

On the Saturday, March 15th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, driverless taxis got almost 600 tickets in San Francisco last year; and in the big story this week, Southwest Airlines is changing its long time two bags free policy and charging for baggage starting in late May. When an airline offers a “Lifetime Benefit,” you would think that would be easy to define. Well, United Airlines is changing one of their “lifetime” policies, another reminder that those points and miles you earn do not really belong to you, they belong to the hotel or airline. It’s the topic of our Smarter Traveler segment. We talked with Chris Elliott this week about the controversial tariffs the president is proposing and how they might impact international travelers. He also weighs in on the Southwest changes and a new book he has written, The Unauthorized Travel Manual: Secrets For a Smarter Trip From a Nationally Syndicated Columnist and Consumer Advocate. We also took calls from listeners on the Southwest changes.

On the Saturday, March 8th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Southwest makes massive cuts to earnings in its frequent flyer program (more on that subject later in the program); and a United airlines employee is busted in a huge bribery and payola scheme at the Newark Airport. The Smarter Traveler segment of the program addresses the value of taking the "first flight out in the morning." There are ups and downs of getting up before the chickens, and the guys explain why rising early is probably a smart move. Palm Springs is a popular destination for travelers from our area, and Mark shares a host of opinions on restaurants and attractions, plus tells you one hotel you might want to place on your "do not stay" list. Reward and loyalty programs for hotel chains and airlines are big business. But recently, the changes in the number of points needed for rooms and air tickets has been changing, and not in the favor of the traveler. Now Southwest is cutting the number of points you earn in its Rapid Rewards program on its most popular tickets. We'll update you on the state of rewards programs.

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.