Odds & Ends Page 11

On the Saturday, February 10th, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Boeing's planes are back in the sky, but would you fly on one (hint there have been very few cancellations)? Protesters have blocked the train tracks leading into Machu Pichu in Peru, keeping tourists from visiting. You are considering taking a cruise. Friends and/or family have decided to join you. Sounds wonderful, right? Sounds like a situation that will thrive with some advance planning and open discussion. Mark and Tom talk about how to take a cruise with first-time traveling friends and survive with your relationships intact. All part of our Smarter Traveler segment. The president's war on junk fees has had little impact. He's tackling family seating on planes now, and could potentially have more success. Our odds and ends segment features a story about a group that thinks they have found the remains of Amelia Earhart's plane on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. And Senator Ted Cruz wants more secure airport experiences for lawmakers. Private screenings included. But he may have some alternative reasons for his wish list. We'll discuss Cancun Cruz.

On the Saturday, February 3rd, 2024 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, most of the news is BAD. Las Vegas hotels are raising resort fees and restaurants are raising their prices for the Super Bowl, Uber's rides continue to cost more, Jet Blue is going to charge you for advance seat selection for more seats on every flight, and the fees on Delta's credit card are going up 50%. Our Smarter Traveler segment talks about an endangered species - customer service. Case in point, American Airlines is cutting hundreds of call center positions that handle travel issues and complaints. And telling us it's going to make American BETTER. Can you say BS? Our Odds and Ends segment features stories about how travel companies are collecting your private information to create pricing, hidden cameras in vacation rentals and why you might need a special class to learn how to negotiate a Disney theme park. Charlie Leocha from Travelers United joins us to talk about the crowd coming in the skies. Charlie says flying cars, drones and other traffic is about to compete with airplanes and it's time to consider some regulations. Crazy? Maybe not.

On the Saturday, December 23rd, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Southwest Airlines reached a $140 million dollar settlement over last Christmas' melt down, and there's a way you can get a share. Plus, did the TSA really find bullets wrapped in a diaper at La Guardia Airport? (They did.) Airlines are fiddling around with their frequent flyer programs, raising and lowering requirements to get points, and the number of points you need to redeem the rewards you want. Now the government says its time for these programs to be regulated. Our Smarter Traveler segment takes a closer look. If you show up at airport security with a gun or other contraband, is there a fine, or other penalty? Oh yes, there is. And it's not cheap. Our Odds and Ends segment discusses fines for begin stupid at the airport. What gift card is the most popular with travelers AND offers the best value? We have a list for your last minute gift buying.

On the Saturday, November 25th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Guy Fieri announces the first Flavortown Festival, to be held next June 1-2, near the campus of Ohio State University; and those with hearing problems who love the theater, there is a cool new solution for you, the SoundShirt. As the president and others turn up the heat on junk fees charged by hotels, airlines, restaurants and the like, the lobbying firms representing them are working like crazy to preserve the bogus fees. Will consumers or corporations come out on top? Our Smarter Traveler segment updates the situation. What if you signed up for a three-year-long-cruise and at the last minute, it was canceled. Think about the repercussions that could have for some travelers. Will they get their money back? Our Odds & Ends section of the show talks about why wheelchairs and other assistive devices used by travelers get so banged up along the way, and Tijuana gets it's first mainline American air flight.