hotels Page 9

On the Saturday, June 1st, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, American Airlines faces a lawsuit after removing 8 passengers from a plane because of a complaint regarding smell. Then it put the 8 men back on the plane. They are all black men who did not know each other and were seated all over the aircraft. American is now facing a lawsuit from three of the men. Also in the news, Southwest is upping the ante on early boarding pricing. We'll have an update on this obviously popular Southwest add-on. Our Smarter Traveler segment addresses an important issue: Who you book your airline ticket, your hotel room, rental car, attractions with matters. If you choose to book with a "third party" online, ask yourself, will this company's customer service team support me if something goes wrong? We explain why when all things are equal you need to book direct. Restaurants in particular are trying to roll out some entertaining new junk fees. Entertaining to talk about, not so entertaining to pay. Seriously, a beef surcharge? Finally, a piece of tongue in cheek humor. It's from a hotel responding to a guest who feels they have come up a bit short on their promises. This one from the hotel's point of view is pretty funny to listen to.

On the Saturday, May 25th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, work has begun on the new high-speed rail between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area and food delivery services are putting the pressure on hotel room service - many hotels are discontinuing it altogether. Nine different airlines allow you to make a free stay over in their country when your flight connects there. Iceland and Portugal are among the choices. A link is here. Mark spent the week in Newfoundland (the show is coming from there). First, tourism folks share a bit about the province, then Mark gives you some tips based on his stay in St. John's, the capitol. His conclusion: Newfoundland is a unique destination in North America and should be on everyone's "must visit" list.

On the Saturday, March 2nd, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Marriott's Bonvoy Rewards Program passes 200 million members, we talk about why Hertz' move to electric cars bombed and how your next "flight" could actually be a bus ride. Your boarding pass has SSSS written across it. What does THAT mean? Extra security screening is the answer. We explain in our Smarter Traveler segment. Mark spent a week on the island of Kauai and has a broad range of ideas and suggestions. From accommodations to things to do and where to eat. The IRS baggage fees are not taxable. Which starts to explain why they are so popular with the airlines. The story is part of our odds and ends segment.

On the Saturday, February 24th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, United and American Airlines raise baggage fees, and American Queen Voyages (the river cruise line) is out of business. A new piece of technology in restaurants is a hand-held software system that allows the server to total your bill, then hand you the machine, in their presence, to decide on a gratuity amount. Is it just us, or is that "in your face" system designed to pressure the diner into a higher gratuity? Carry-on bags have been a pain for airlines ever since they started charging for baggage. If only they would enforce their own carry-on rules, the problem might be solved. We discuss carry-ons and how airlines on one hand are telling you to check your bags, when in many instances there is plenty of room for them in the overheads. What's up? The mailbag addresses a variety of issues you wrote us about, everything from airline customer service, to state park entry/parking fees and parking charges at hotels.