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On the Sunday, June 11th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Southwest Airlines extends its schedule into January, a local congressman offers his office's help in getting your passport and soon it will cost you a toll to drive in mid and downtown Manhattan. One of Mark's staff recently had a suitcase lost by United Airlines. We talk about the "lost bag" experience, and give you some tips on what to do if it happens to you in our Smarter Traveler portion of the show. Trip Advisor is deleting some reviews, and has a strange way of justifying it. We talk a little about the value (or lack of value) of online reviews. A list is out of which US airport are the most and least expensive to fly out of. Sacramento isn't on either list, but is on another list that isn't such good news for local flyers. Could you soon be flying in double-decker seats or laying in bunk beds in ECONOMY class? Links to both stories on this page.
On the Sunday, March 19th, 2023 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, after a number of near misses on runways at the nation's airports, the government is calling for more air traffic controllers to be in the tower, and Carnival Cruise Lines becomes the first to sail 100 million passengers. Our Smarter Traveler segment offers a variety of tips - A warning about vacation rentals in Hawaii, a reminder on how packaging your hotel, air and rental car can often save you serious cash (links below), and a heads up to those needing a passport renewal in the near future. There's a brand new Ken Burns-style museum in Gettysburg (hint; it's all about the Civil War battle from a different point of view) as Gettysburg, Beyond the Battle, opens next month. Non-flight itineraries are on the rise. Why are more people choosing not to include air travel in their wanderings? One of our favorite travel bloggers says, get on, sit down, buckle up and shut up. It's actually pretty good wisdom. Check it out here.
On the Sunday, October 16th, 2022 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the State Department temporarily has reopened its online passport renewal program (link below) under certain conditions, and in Hawaii, visitor counts have hit a bump and some are concerned. Our Smarter Traveler segment features a discussion on the impact on your airfare, based on the day you fly. Monday, Friday and Sunday are generally higher. Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday lower; Thursday neutral. We'll explain why. Consumer Advocate Chris Elliott is on hand all the way from Cypress to discuss hotel service. Where is it headed post-COVID? We also go over words to be wary of when you are looking for a vacation rental. What does "cozy" really mean. Delta and Starbucks have announced a joint loyalty program. We'll share details and talk about the value of such programs.
On the Sunday, July 14th, 2019 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, the battle against Marriott Hotels, and the way they have charged their resort fees for years, has stepped up this week. The District of Columbia A.G. is seeking a court order to require Marriott to change the way they price their product immediately. Perhaps these hated fees may soon have to be rolled directly into the room rate, which would likely make them go away. This is a pretty big story and we will continue to follow it closely. Ultimately, it impacts many more hotel chains than just Marriott. But because Marriott is the largest, what happens here will dictate the direction of the industry. Hotels prefer to keep resort/destination fees outside of the room rate for a variety of reasons, among them not having to pay commissions on them, tax advantages and of course, the opportunity to advertise a room rate that isn't what you really pay. Be a Smarter Traveler by knowing Ten Great Pieces of Hotel/Resort Etiquette. Hint: They include the importance of optional tipping and not taking every free thing in the building that isn't nailed down. A link to the complete list is below. Gwen Duncan, of Cordially Yours Travel, joins us to talk about Travel Mishaps you can avoid before and during your travel, including what to do if you lose your passport when traveling. Hamilton is the most popular musical in history. It is currently playing is San Francisco on an open-ended run, extending into 2020. We talk with Ruben Carbajal, one of the principal cast members about what it's like to take the stage 8 times a week in this incredible show. Ruben also traveled with the San Francisco company recently to Puerto Rico, for some very special Hamilton performances.