Wednesday, June 29, 2022 Greetings from Toronto! It's almost Canada Day (July 1) here and can you believe that the Fourth of July is on Monday? No doubt North Americans will be traveling and celebrating in droves this weekend so be prepared.
2022 Summer Travel Survival Guide
If you are flying this weekend or even this summer, then check out my 2022 Summer Travel Survival Guide. It took me a good amount of time to write but I felt it was necessary because it's rough out there. I'm hearing from expert travelers including travel advisors who are getting stuck.
Airports Around the World Are Recommending Travelers Do This
One of the tips I wrote for my 2022 Summer Travel Survival Guide was about airport parking for those who are planning on driving. But I think it’s so important that it deserves a dedicated post. And don't take my word for it. See what airports are warning travelers about. Here's the story.
Is It Even Safe or Smart to Fly American Airlines This Summer? AA Pilot Sounds the Alarm
There are a number of reasons why all of these flight delays and cancelations are happening but mostly, it all comes down to staffing. The airlines sold more seats than they can operate and they can't hire people fast enough. American Airlines has already canceled over 200 flights today and it's not even 11am ET. After writing this alarming post, I'm hearing from tons of readers about their horror stories. People are pissed and I don't blame them. They're missing life events like weddings, funerals and non-refundable vacations. Give yourself plenty of time.
Trip Report: Toronto to Niagara Falls, NY for NEXUS/Global Entry Appointment
Last week I wrote this newsletter from Niagara Falls since I had a nearby appointment to renew my NEXUS/Global Entry membership. It's one way to make traveling to/from the U.S. and Canada so much quicker and smoother. Here's that trip report.
LAX's Global Entry Moved
Speaking of Global Entry. Reader Larry M sent over this tip for those international travelers arriving at LAX's TBIT. Larry writes: "A little morsel for your travel news: I returned Thursday, June 23 on LH 456 FRA-LAX at about 12:30pm in the Bradley Terminal. They moved the Global Entry entrance to an area immediately to the right of the escalator. There we were instructed to use the photo scan machines (no fingerprints or passports). Once scanned and recognized, the customs official read off our names, asked if we had anything to declare, and then pointed to the exit. I would estimate, less than one minute!"
And here are some of my travel tips from the past couple of days...
A Flight Attendant’s Tips to Stay Safe in a Hotel
My mother-in-law sent me a story from the Daily Express, a UK newspaper. The story, titled, “Flight attendant shares hotel room tip to stay safe on holiday” has a couple of good tips but I have better ones, which is why I’m sharing them. Read the tip here.
If You Use Apps When You Travel Don't Make This Rookie Mistake
For many, it's been a while since they've hit the road. But even if it's just been a couple of months, you will really want to make sure you do this. It might be common sense for tech savvy travelers but it's often overlooked by everyone else and it can really slow you down. Here's the tip.
What I Keep In My Carry-On First Aid Kit
So many of my friends and family are getting sick again with Covid. It's no fun to be sick but it's especially bad when you're on the road. Now that so many are traveling again (Sunday set a pandemic record), it's the perfect time to remind you to pack a first aid kit. I learned this the hard way decades ago so now I always have one and this is what's in it.
On a lighter note this story showed up in my Google Alerts and really confused me at first. At first, I didn't know if someone was pretending to be me, if I was getting sabotaged or what. Then I realized it was satire. Gave me a good belly laugh.
Johnny Jet announces he's changing his name to Johnny Boeing in sponsorship deal.
WGN Interview
This past week I did a number of interviews talking about the travel chaos and a number of other things. One of the shows I was on was WGN's Morning Drive with Bob Sirott. We discussed why traveling via airlines has gotten worse, increasing airline prices, TSA numbers, and the behavior of airline passengers. We also talked about various fees when booking with Airbnb and increasing hotel prices.
OPINION: Radisson Hotels Americas Joins the Choice Group – What You Need to Know
Contributor Micah Engber just wrote a piece about Radisson Hotels joining Choice Group. I recently received an e-mail notification from Tom Buoy, interim CEO and Chief Commercial Officer for the Radisson Hotel Group Americas. According to that announcement “… Radisson Hotel Group Americas will become a part of the Choice Hotels International family….” Here's the post.
Travel Product of the Month
How Expert Travelers Track Their Bags
Lost luggage numbers are up in the US due to the fact that more and more people are starting to travel and there are far fewer workers to handle the increase. Traveling with carry-on luggage is one way to make sure your bags never get lost but if you are checking bags, here's how to make sure you can find them if they ever get lost or stolen. Read the story here. PLUS: If you already have Apple AirTags or Samsung SmartTags, these handy keychains and holders will help protect them and make them easier to secure to your belongings. | 
