Los Angeles Page 2

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.

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.