November 3, 2024  •   View this email in your browser

Happy Sunday!

If you receive my Daily Travel Tip newsletter, then you know that my daughter has been really sick with pneumonia. We took her to the Urgent Care last week, to her pediatrician twice and made three visits to two different hospital emergency rooms. Each time but the last, the ER doctors said she could continue her recovery at home, even though two pediatricians said she needed to be hospitalized. By Friday, things got scary when her vitals dropped. She's been in the hospital since and will be here for a little while longer.

I can't tell you how stressed my wife and I have been. We haven't been able to think about anything else, which is why I only sent a couple of newsletters out this week instead of the usual five to six. 

As I'm sure some of you know, when your child gets very sick, your mind can wander to some really dark places. Fortunately, we have very caring friends and family who have reached out with so much support. 

The great news is that after 10 days of a high fever (it spiked to 105.1) Olivia is finally fever free and looks much better. She's not out of the woods yet but she's making great progress so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. 

Before Olivia was born, my wife and I asked each other how we could possibly love another child as much as we love our first born, Jack. And then, the miraculous moment she arrived, our hearts doubled in size like magic.

How to stay healthy during this busy travel season
With pneumonia cases like Olivia's on the rise and the risk of flu, Covid, RSV and countless other viruses out there, travelers will need to take precautions to stay healthy. But should you mask up every time you travel? Here's what one doctor says. 

⚾ World Series bummer
Don't even get me started. As a beloved Yankees fan, that fifth inning disgusted me, though not nearly as much as the two goons in right field who tried to rip the ball out Mookie's glove and grabbed him on Tuesday night. I can't believe some fans are actually treating them like heroes when they should be arrested for assault. The Dodgers outplayed the Yankees, they deserved to win and I'm happy for them, for our city and for Freddie Freeman, who is a class act. Whether you're a Freddie fan or not, you will definitely want to watch Travel Video of the Week below. ⬇️

In this issue:

• Today's Travel Outlook ✈️
• Travel Tips This Week ✅
• Travel Quote of the Day 💬
• Travel Thread of the Day 
• 12 Things to Know in Travel Today 🌎
• Travel Video of the Day 📺
• and more… 

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook 

As of 11:20am PT, there have been 39 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,976 delayed. Here's a link to the up-to-date stats and a live look at the FAA's National Airspace System Status. Here's what to do during weather delays and flight cancelations.

🧭 Travel Products of the Week

Limited time deal: 56% off no touch, infrared digital forehead thermometer
As we've been experiencing, it's the season for sickness. We never travel without a thermometer and this no-touch, infrared digital forehead thermometer is, at the time of this newsletter distribution, 56% off (on sale for $15.99). Check it out here along with the other health items we never travel without.

🏞️ Monday

10 tips to avoid getting ripped off in New York City (or anywhere you travel)
Did you know New York gets the most tourists out of any U.S. city? The city brings in a whopping 63 million tourists a year. If you are planning on visiting the Big Apple, the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers some simple tips for visitors. Here are 10 tips to avoid getting ripped off in New York City but many can be applied to any place in the world.

📷 Tuesday

🧢 Inside the Yankees' World Series travel, including their special pilot  
Speaking of the World Series ... One thing I’m fascinated by is the sports teams' charters and it surprises me that you can track their planes in real time. These are three things that I’ve found fascinating about the Yankees charters, which they do on a Delta 757.

🏆 Wednesday

Best U.S. airline and airport announced in Forbes’ Air Travel Awards
Forbes Travel Guide just launched its first-ever Verified Air Travel Awards, celebrating excellence in air travel across a range of categories, from luxury lounges to the best in-flight dining. They also name the best U.S. airline and airport as well as international winners. Here's what you need to know.

⛔Thursday

I can’t believe I’ve been carving pumpkins all wrong for 40+ years: Here are 6 brilliant tips for doing it right according to a grandma influencer
According to a grandmother of eight, who turned into an influencer during the pandemic, I have indeed been carving pumpkins all wrong. Here are her brilliant tips for doing it the right way.

🧙‍♀️ Friday

Wild: Passengers and flight attendants sing and dance their way to Taylor Swift on Southwest Airlines flight to NOLA
Taylor Swift fans got an unforgettable experience when Southwest Airlines flight crew played Shake It Off and everyone danced in the aisle. Watch the video here.

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

L.A. Dodgers' Freddie Freeman's inspirational journey to the World Series

🌎 Top 10 Travel Stories of the Week

1 Passenger attacked while sleeping on flight: "His face was bruised and bloody"
2 Fired Disney employee allegedly hacked into company system to change allergy info on menus
3 Spirit Airlines to furlough hundreds of pilots to cut costs
4 Dozens killed in southeast Spain, as flash floods sweep away walls and cars
5 Recovering Florida tourism plea – ‘We need you!’
6 Delta sues CrowdStrike over software update that prompted mass flight disruptions
7 Airlines are implementing DOT auto-refunds, and it’s bad news for travelers
8 After 101 years of flight, Czech Airlines takes off for the last time
9 American Airlines lands its longest-ever nonstop flight after 8,300 miles, nearly 16 hours
10 British Airways scraps flights from New York and UK airport until 2025
Read it all here as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week!

✅ Currency Exchange

✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ Miles and Points

💳 Our favorite credit card rewards to earn in 2024

💳 5 reasons why the Bilt Card is worth it
The Bilt World Elite Mastercard continues to be the best way to pay rent with a card as you can earn 1 point per dollar in rent payments without fees. However, if you have a high monthly payment, you can reach the previous $50,000 annual earning cap before year-end. Thankfully, the annual Bilt points cap is being lifted so you can earn more points on rent. Here are 5 of the best reasons the Bilt Card is worth it.