Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Greetings! It's been another busy week in the travel industry. There have been storms in the U.S. that messed up travel schedules and strikes in Europe. If you scroll down to 12 Things to Know, you will see all the day's headlines including a story about Lufthansa canceling most of their flights today. Just In: Spirit Airlines has announced they're terminating its merger agreement with Frontier, paving the way for JetBlue.

Don't Check Luggage or Drop an AirTag In Them
It's really hit or miss out there in terms of delays and cancelations but most of my friends' complaints are around baggage. If you want to have a much more pleasurable trip then don't check bags. If you have to check one, then drop an Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag inside. As you will see in one of today's stories, an American traveler flew back to Europe just to retrieve his bags thanks to his AirTag. 

How to Prevent Airlines from Losing Your Luggage
This topic is so popular right now that I did a travel segment on it for KTLA. Here's the video and my notes. I also called into Bob Sirott's Morning Show on WGN Radio in Chicago to talk about lost luggage and how to reach an airline’s reservations agent without waiting.

How to Make Your Black Bag Stand Out if it Gets Lost
As I mentioned above, I did an interview with KTLA, talking about how to prevent the airlines from losing your luggage. One of my tips was to not check a black bag, especially a hard-sided one, as they are the most common. If you already own a black bag, here are some ideas for making it stand out in a crowd of other lost black bags. 

Other Travel Tips
Travelers No Longer Have to Show Their Boarding Pass at These Airports
Good news for travelers who want to have one less thing to do when going through U.S. airport security checkpoints. Instead of showing both their boardings pass and photo ID, travelers can now just provide their ID. You might think that’s not a huge deal but it can be a big time-saver. Here's what you need to know.

Cybersecurity and Fraud Expert Shares Tips on How Not to Get Scammed When Traveling
I interviewed Adam Levin this morning for my podcast. Adam is a nationally recognized expert on cybersecurity, privacy, identity theft, fraud and personal finance. He was kind enough to take all of my questions on how travelers can protect themselves against getting scammed. We talked about everything from paying for gas at the pump to how to detect hidden cameras in vacation rentals. Here's the story, with links to the YouTube video and my podcast. 

12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
— Spirit terminates merger agreement with Frontier that was marred by JetBlue’s rival bid
— Lufthansa cancels hundreds of flights
— FAA did not properly oversee Southwest Airlines, U.S. watchdog says
— Jamie Foxx life of party on Italian vacay, grabs mic to lead Capri crowd in crazy song
— Sydney Airport staff are threatening to strike amidst airport chaos and "chronic" working conditions
— Virgin Atlantic makes emergency landing in Salt Lake City after unruly passenger charges cockpit
— Delta forgot to put a passenger's wheelchair onto a flight from New York to Ireland, then broke it on the way home
— Japan is now reporting more Covid-19 cases than any other country
— Heathrow boss blames passengers with too much makeup for massive delays
— US traveler flies back to Europe to retrieve stranded luggage
— Cayman Airways to start nonstop Los Angeles flights in November
— Travel agents say they are 'overwhelmed' by a massive surge in new clients amid airline chaos and 'confusing' international covid restrictions
— 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
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ~ Gustave Flaubert

Travel Tweets of the Day
@DawnGilbertson: @FlyFrontier just lost its bid to merger with @SpiritAirlines and one of the first things it announces: a $19 fare sale. 

@JTGenter: Best case, American Airlines is grossly negligent in how it treats limited-mobility passengers. But I'm starting to wonder if AA's policy is to intentionally mistreat limited-mobility passengers to try to keep them from flying AA. Prove me wrong @americanair. Do better.

New Rewards Card
If you want a card that keeps on giving, look no further than the Citi Premier® Card. It earns 3x points on travel and everyday purchases, including gas stations, supermarkets, and restaurants. This contactless card also comes with an annual $100 hotel savings benefit. And, for a limited time, the Citi Premier is offering the ability to earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening.

What can you do with 80,000 bonus points?

Cardholders can redeem points for travel rewards, including flights, hotels, cruises, and more. They can also transfer points to Citi transfer partners like JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, and Avianca LifeMiles, a member of the Star Alliance network (other Star Alliance members include United Airlines, Lufthansa, and Air New Zealand).

Alternatively, cardholders can use points for gift cards. While gift cards might not seem exciting, gift card partners include Airbnb, DoorDash, and Instacart. Restaurants, popular retailers, and movie theaters are also participants.

A third way cardholders can redeem their Citi points is through shopping online at Amazon.com or BestBuy.com. This is perfect for the back-to-school season or, dare I say, early Christmas shopping. Using points to offset purchases is an easy way to save some money.
We especially like this card for the fall since it's an excellent time to travel, thanks to cooler temperatures and fewer tourists. If you want to take this card abroad, there are no foreign transaction fees either. Plus, the yearly hotel savings benefit easily offsets the $95 annual fee.

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
-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
-Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Toronto
-Trip Report: Toronto to Los Angeles via DFW on American Airlines

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). 


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