smarter traveler Page 68

On the Sunday, May 23rd, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… Mark is live from Oracle Park in San Francisco, Tom is in studio in Sacramento. In the Travel News, Spain says if you’ve been vaccinated, welcome; as we predicted last week, at least half of the Alaska cruise season has been salvaged, and the Canadian and Mexican borders remain closed for another month - but there's a glimmer of hope. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we tell you which hotel chains have dropped mask requirements and/or enforcement, and which ones still want you protecting yourself and other guests. Mark relates being a part of a freak snow storm in Virginia City this week and how you need to be prepared for unusual weather when you are traveling. In a recent interview, Chris Elliott's advocacy firm got an "F" from the Better Business Bureau. Chris has the story and it's a good one. (replay) Tom had the chance to talk with Jesse Colin Young, a rocker from not so long ago, in an Entertainment Guys feature. (replay)

On the Sunday, May 9th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Hawaii is expecting a big summer with lots of visitors - but vaccine/testing requirements remain in place for most. USTOA, one of the country's largest tour operator groups, says despite limited cruising, Alaska is the most inquired about/booked destination for the summer, with Arizona, Florida, Wyoming and Utah close behind, as travelers continue to prefer beaches and wide open spaces in the US. In our Smarter Traveler segment, Mark talks about how he got caught in the exact car rental trap he warned listeners about last week; we explain The Jones Act, which is keeping cruise ships from going to Alaska this year; and more countries, and perhaps soon Hawaii, add themselves to the "you must be vaccinated to come here" list. We invite you to call and share your favorite travel memory with mom. Tauck Tours, America's oldest and thought by many to be the finest tour company in the country, gives us an update on their summer and fall seasons. Their products include river cruises, land tours and family-themed vacations.

On the Sunday, April 25th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, airlines are expanding summer flight schedules to meet growing travel demand and Hawaii reports hotel numbers are going up each month. Sadly, the Hotel Pennsylvania, the New York Hotel whose phone number, Pennsylvania 6-5,000, became a hit for Glenn Miller, is likely to stay closed. It shut down during the pandemic and its owner wants to demolish the hotel and turn it into a mixed-use tower, something it has been trying to do for nearly 20 years. In our Smarter Traveler segment, we introduce you to CLEAR, a better way to get through security lines at airports. CLEAR arrived in Sacramento in March and we have Mitch Nadler from the company with us to explain how it works, how much is costs and how you can join. In Mark's Just One Man's Opinion piece, he warns us that fuel surcharges are coming to travel very soon, and why on some level, the charges are legit. The second half of the show is for your input on the restart of travel. We open the phone lines, bribe you with an offer of possibly winning a See's Candy Gift Card, and give you the opportunity to share your opinions. Are you ready to travel now? Still waiting for a while? Where are you on vaccines for getting into theaters and events? It's always interesting to hear our audience's take. If you are reading this after the show is broadcast, you can hear the comments on the podcast. The link can be found on this page.

On the Sunday, April 11th, 2021 edition of The Travel Guys… In the Travel News, Carnival Cruise Lines threatens to move operations off shore if they aren't allowed to sail from US ports, many national parks will be tied or appointment entry only this summer and we tell you about a new airline taking to the sky, headquartered in Burbank. Baby's Away is the place to get travel supplies to help you go the distance with mini-travelers. Now you know all about them! Chris Elliott is not only the Travel Writer for USA Today and Forbes Magazine, he runs Elliott.org, a great consumer action web site, and is a regular guest on our show. Chris talks about his change in travel advisories for some groups, gives a great lesson on solving consumer issues and tells the story about how Elliott Advocacy got an "F" from the Better Business Bureau.