Tag: junk fees

On the Saturday, May 17th, 2025 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, American Airlines says they have new technology which allows them to hold some planes for connecting passengers; and a new rule involving junk fees went into effect last week. But will it be enforced? In our Smarter Traveler segment, we address two topics: The sudden dramatic reduction in value for Hilton Honors points, and we explain what it means if your boarding pass has "SSSS" on it. Caroline Beteta, the President and CEO of Visit California, joins us to talk about California's National Parks and some of the challenges of being the state's lead tourism official. Our Odds and Ends segment features a update on REAL ID. Turns out most people either have a REAL ID, a passport or another acceptable ID. But for those who don't, you will still need one. The day when you won't be allowed on the plane will come.

On the Saturday, December 21st, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, hear about the newest fad, flying "naked"....yes, it's called flying naked. We'll explain. And small towns around the planet are starting to organize against the cruise lines big ships calling in their communities. "Stop overwhelming us" is their message. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we explain what the new Federal Trade Commission rules on junk fees imposed by hotels and ticket sellers mean for you. Southwest Airlines is bringing reserved seats and other changes to the way they board their airplanes in 2026. Many of those changes will impact tickets you buy in 2025. We have an update from Southwest's CEO. Our Odds and Ends part of the show features a story about "seat squatters" on planes. Music City San Francisco is the name of a most unique musician rehearsal space, hostel, restaurant and even a place to catch music on a Saturday night. We'll tell you more about this unique "music accelerator" in The City.

On the Saturday, July 6th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, suddenly there are more pilots to fly commercial aircraft than we need; and our governor signed a last minute exception to the new junk fees law....benefiting restaurants in a big way. Reviews are an important part of the decision for many when buying hotel rooms, cruises, attractions and almost every aspect of travel. But reviews aren't always for real, and we tell you how to spot fishy ones in our Smarter Traveler segment. Getting through our airport in Sacramento is much more of a challenge than it used to be. The number of flyers is literally growing faster than they can pave parking lots. Our update with the airport folks includes info on parking, new service from airlines, a bit about airport jobs and the upcoming construction projects. Consumer Advocate Chris Elliott joins us from Berlin and talks about the dangers of being profiled when traveling overseas....and gives some tips on how to keep from being immediately labeled an "American."

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.