Odds & Ends Page 10

On the Saturday, March 30th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Uber and Lyft react to new minimum wage laws for drivers by saying they are pulling service from Minneapolis May 1. Wonder if they are bluffing? South Lake Tahoe and Truckee have banned plastic bottles that contain less than one gallon of liquid from being sold in stores. Good for them. Guess once you've seen hundreds of plastic bottles floating on pristine Lake Tahoe, you are ready for change. Our Smarter Traveler segment features 8 things people tend to forget about passports. With summer travel season coming up, it's time for a refresher. New international travelers especially. With one river cruise line out of business, are there still cruises on America's rivers? The answer is yes, and we talked to American Cruise Lines to find out more about their products. Jack Gallagher returns to town on 420. April 20th that is. This time, Jack in joined by his band (?). Music and comedy at the B Street/Sofia Theatre and it's time to get your tickets! Major cruise lines are trying to make check-in day go smoother. That story is part of our Odds and Ends wrap up.

On the Saturday, March 9th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, New York City has toughened up the rules under which you can rent out your place in The Big Apple, and hotels appear to be benefiting from the change. Plus, Costco has a great discount deal for Southwest flyers. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we discuss "authentic" travel experiences. If you want authentic, be careful and do your homework. Authentic in another country might be a fried dog hanging in a shop window (Viet Nam) or cooked eel (Sweden). Maybe authentic to you is having your hotel room overlook the town square. Except if there's a big celebration and noise continues until 4am, you might think that wasn't the best decision. Homework. Do your homework before making any major travel purchase. Charlie Leocha from Travelers United is our guest. Charlie explains that just because Congress passes a law, it isn't really a law until it's written and put into effect. That can often take years and more than one administration for things to actually be enforced. Family seating and compensation for delayed bags are two examples of things Congress approved but we are still waiting for the rules to be put in place. For 6-7 years we have been waiting. Our odds and ends segment offered tips on how to resolve issues with a vacation rental, the scary thought that dynamic pricing could be coming to restaurants and there is a new tipping app to cover those folks you never seem to have a couple of bucks in your pocket to reward their services.

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 17th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, US Travel Agencies set a January record for air sales; plus Uber drivers and flight attendants protest in selected cities across the country. Those and other stories in the news. Our Smarter Traveler segment focuses on how travel hackers are looking for your information online every day. We have a few common sense solutions anyone can use. Surge, peak, high season, whatever you want to call the highest prices for hotels, airline tickets and attractions, they are all managed by dynamic pricing. With summer just around the corner, Mark and Tom explain how dynamic pricing impacts your vacation and other travel. Our Odds and Ends segment features an update on the future of America's biggest river cruise line....the news isn't good, but it isn't horrible...yet.