Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Greetings from beautiful Los Angeles! I snapped the photo above on our flight from Toronto to Dallas on Saturday and I just finished my trip report, which includes a lot of detail including how I purchased these First Class seats for less than coach. 

Amazon Prime Day Deals For Travelers
Today's the second and last day to snag some great deals from Amazon and we've updated the story with new picks for today. As I mentioned yesterday, there's a lot to choose from, from my wife's favorite shampoo and conditioner, normally $47, on sale for $19.99 to the always popular Apple AirPods Pro, which are 32% off. Some of the deals are truly great like the 32" Smart Fire TV for $99.99 and $120 off an Apple Watch Series 7 but some are only okay like the Apple AirTags, which are only 5% off ... but they're truly the product of the summer for anyone who's traveling and checking bags. If you're an Android user, you're in luck - the Samsung SmartTags are a great deal today. All of these products and many more of our top picks can be found here, which feature our affiliate links. It doesn't cost you anything to use our links but we make a small percentage on most purchases, which is a big help to us so thank you for the support!

32% off Apple AirPods Pro
If you've been waiting for a sign to invest in a pair of Apple AirPods Pro, this is it. They're on sale for Amazon Prime Day for 32% off. Regularly $249, you can snag a pair for $169.99. But hurry - they won't last long at this price. Buy them here.

40% off Roku Streaming Stick
A Roku streaming stick is such an easy way for you to enjoy all of your favorite streaming services while you're traveling. And they're 40% off right now, selling for $29.99 instead of $49.99. Read more and buy a Roku streaming stick here.

Labor Shortages Continue to Plague the Travel Industry
The airline and airport staff shortage is happening all over the world. It's really been hit or miss and fortunately, we missed any fallout on our two flights this weekend. If you do plan on traveling this summer, here's my 2022 Summer Travel Survival Guide to help you avoid the insanity. 
 
Great news for American travelers to Europe ... the euro just hit its lowest rate against the US dollar since 2002. It's now 1:1! 

15 Tips for Surviving a Long Flight
And for those flying to Europe, here are my tips for embarking on a big trip. Read the story here and please submit yours too in the comments section.

12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
— Thunderstorms disrupt hundreds of US flights
— Spirit Airlines delays vote on Frontier deal again amid concerns about lack of shareholder support
— Heathrow sets passenger limit for airlines
— American tourist falls into volcano crater while taking a selfie
— Southwest just launched a sale on fall flights
— Uptick in tourist snorkeling drownings in Hawaii revealed to have unexpected cause
— 29-Year-old woman arrested at Miami Airport after illegally boarding Spirit Airlines flight
— What a sinking euro means for consumers in Europe and US
— Airport chaos in Europe: Airlines cancel 15,000 flights in August
— UN expects India to surpass China as the world's most populous country
— Christmas in July: Holidays never end at these vacation destinations
— Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers    
(Read it all here in today's travel news round-up as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from the past seven days!)


Travel Quote of the Day
“Isn’t it amazing how much stuff we get done the day before vacation?” ~ Zig Ziglar 

Travel Tweets of the Day
@RonFilipkowski: Inflation is a Global Issue: 
Russia - 15.9% 
Brazil - 11.8 
Spain - 10.2 
UK - 9.1 
Nether - 8.6 
Italy - 8.0 
Mexico - 8.0 
Canada - 7.7 
Germany - 7.6 
India - 7.0 
South Korea - 6.0 
France - 5.8 
Australia - 5.1  

Travel Product of the Summer

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.

Travel Contests
-Win a 5-Night Moon Palace Resort Vacation (July 18)
-Enter to Win a Classic Only-in-Nevada Road Trip (July 30)
-Win a trip to Finland for two (Sept 13)
-Travel to Korea Begins Again: Win One of Eight Sensational Trips (September 30) 
See all contests here.

My East Coast Trip Reports
-Trip Report: Los Angeles to New York
-Delamar in Greenwich
-Watch Hill Inn
-Hotel Review: Weekapaug Inn  
-Trip Report: New York to Toronto 
-My Wife Got Randomly Selected For Covid Testing on Arrival at YYZ
-Trip Report: Toronto to Niagara Falls, NY for NEXUS/Global Entry Appointment


Credit Card News/Offers for Travelers
-Book award flights, earn cash back at Costco, gas stations, restaurants, gyms, or even on live entertainment, or build your credit score with the best credit cards from this bank.
-These 8 credit cards are fantastic for earning points, miles, or cash back on recurring spending items (such as gas, groceries, food, Netflix, and more).
-This global hotel brand has a bunch of new, limited-time offers available on several of their cards, including on their no annual fee card. Get 5 Free Nights, earn up to 75,000 bonus points, or more.
-You can earn up to 150,000 points (worth several free nights!) with these new, limited-time offers from this hotel brand with over 2,300+ locations all around the world.
-These cardholders can earn more miles with their cards. Plus, there's a new 75,000 bonus miles offer and the opportunity to earn up to 10x miles on Turo.
-It's never a bad idea to start earning rewards for a trip abroad. Here are some of the best cards for international travel (that also earn rewards when staying close to home). 

Need A Cruise Agent?
Interested in going on a cruise? We have partnered with Cruise Planners which is a top rated travel agency to help plan your perfect trip.. Contact Mike Gelman (1-800-724-5868) and tell him Johnny Jet sent you.


Air Travel Tips
-If a Flight Attendant Asks You Not to Do This, Please Don't
-Here's how to get JetBlue and other airlines to extend your travel credits
-12 Ways to Save Money on Baggage Fees
-The Service That Makes Covid-19 Testing So Much Easier For Travelers
-FBI Says Sexual Assault on Planes is Increasing - Here's How to Protect Yourself
-How To Reach an Airline's Reservations Agent Without Waiting
-10 Ways to Find Cheap Flights This Summer
-Can You Travel With the Lithium Ion Batteries Found in Phones, Tablets and Chargers?
-How to Prevent In-Flight Thefts 
-How to Avoid Long Lines When You Travel ... And at Home
-Why American Travelers Should Book International Travel on US Carriers ✈ 
-How to Track Airfares by Signing Up for Fare Alerts
-Here’s How You Can Really Get Upgraded to First Class
-How to Speed Through Airport Security

Lodging
-The First Thing I Do When I Check into a Hotel Room
-3 Ways to Get a Refund on a Nonrefundable Hotel Room


Road Trip Tips
If you're planning a road trip, then be sure to follow these tips:
-Here Are 9 Ways to Save Money on Gas
-DON'T Do This When You're Driving Because It's Just Not Worth It
-One of the Worst Decisions Travelers Can Make
-Two Great Things to Keep in the Car For Road Trips
-3 Ways To Save Money on Gas
-How to Prevent Road Trip Theft
-15 Tips For Renting A Car in 2022
-How To Prevent Car Rental Companies From Ripping You Off

International Travel
-How to Avoid Being Ripped Off When Traveling Internationally  
-Rick Steves' Solid Advice About Travel This Spring and Summer  
-Can The US Government’s Free COVID Tests Be Used for Travel?
-The Sleep Hack Every Traveler Needs to Know 
-The Must-Have App for Travel to Europe

Safety
-ALWAYS Leave These at Home When You Travel
-Bet You Don't Know What an ATM Skimmer Looks Like.
-Don't Fall for These QR Code Scams
-How to Reuse your N95 and KN95 Masks
-10 Things to Have in Case of an Emergency
-Life-Saving Car Emergency Tips 
-My Somewhat Freakish Travel Habit Might Just Save Your Life
-What I Keep In My Carry-On First Aid Kit

Good to Know
-The Super Cool New iPhone Feature You Didn't Even Know You Had
-The Inflation Vacation: Read This If You Plan to Travel This Summer