Thursday, September 15, 2022 Today is a very special day in our family ... Not only are my wife and I celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary (10th!) but it's our son's sixth birthday! It's strange but at times, it feels like my son was just born but it also feels like I've known him (and his sister) my whole life. I'm just so fortunate to have a healthy, happy and loving family. An added bonus is that the kids are great little travelers! If you feel like talking a trip down memory lane with me, here are the posts from two watershed days in my life, both of which happened on September 15: Baby Jack has arrived | My wedding
FYI: The photo above was taken by Ella for Flytographer, an amazing photography company we've used all over the world. Read more about Flytographer here and get our promo code for $50 off your first shoot.
U.S. Air Travel Outlook Today
Good news! Not only was a rail strike averted but it looks like today is another great day to fly in the U.S. There have only been 56 canceled flights and 1,734 delayed (as of 11:36am PT). Here's the up-to-date status and a live look at the FAA's National Airspace System. Here's what to do in weather delays and flight cancellations.
The bad news is that it looks like French air traffic controllers are going to strike tomorrow, which is going to mess up all kinds of flight schedules as airlines will most likely have to avoid French air space. This happened to me several years ago and it sucked because we were delayed and almost missed our connection.
Travel Tips
Say It Ain’t So! American Airlines Eliminates its Best Online Booking Feature
If you book flights on AA.com, then no doubt you're going to be bummed out too when you learn what feature American just eliminated. Read the story here, as well as my advice for what to do.
What Travelers Can Learn From LA Shooting of Rapper PnB
On Tuesday I had a breakfast meeting with a friend who’s in town from Bangkok. We were eating at The Farm of Beverly Hills and I couldn’t help but say, “You know, you really should turn that big shiny ring of yours around because it’s not wise to wear expensive looking jewelry anywhere in the U.S. these days.” She was surprised and said, “Even during the day? Even around here?” I said, “Yep.” Unfortunately, according to Time magazine, "violence in major American cities still remains dramatically higher than it was before the pandemic." Here's what travelers need to know.
Now That the Queen Has Died Do You Need to Exchange Your UK Bank Notes?
According to the Los Angeles Times, there are “4.7 billion U.K. bank notes worth 82 billion pounds ($95 billion) in circulation and about 29 billion coins, British money bearing the queen’s image," which, they say, will likely be in circulation for years. If you have bank notes from the UK, Canada or other countries where the currency bears the Queen's visage, do you need to exchange them? Read the story.
Travel Deals
-Southwest $59 airfare deal, with travel available for the fall, winter, and early spring.
-JetBlue The Fall in Love Sale: Flights from $39. Book by tonight (11:59pm ET Sept. 15)
-Air Tahiti Nui, announces a special offer for travelers to visit two countries for the price of one! The offer includes roundtrip economy airfare to Auckland (AKL) departing from Los Angeles (LAX) or Seattle (SEA) with a three-night free stopover in Tahiti at Hilton Hotel Tahiti, which passengers can redeem on their way to or from New Zealand for as low as $999 USD per person. To make a reservation or receive more information visit www.airtahitinui.com or call 877-824-4846.
-Best Western Rewards (BWR) members will earn double points on every stay at any participating Best Western branded hotel in the U.S., Canada, or Caribbean Islands. BWR members will also receive 5,000 points back after they complete a free night of 12,000 points or more in the U.S., Canada or Caribbean Islands. To be eligible, BWR members must register on bestwestern.com/doublepoints prior to the completion of their first stay.
Currency Exchange
€1 Euro = $1.00 USD
£1 GBP = $1.14 USD
$1 CAD = $0.75 USD
$1 AUD = $0.67 USD
¥1 JPY = $0.0069 USD
฿1 Thai Baht = 0.027 USD | 
