Surprising My Dad 😍 The Portable Air Purifier I Now Travel With to Ensure Clean Air ✈ The Sunday Round-Up

It was another busy week in the travel industry and the COVID news coming out of Europe isn't great. Scroll down for all the travel news stories and my travel tips this week.

Surprising My Dad for His Birthday
If you subscribe to my daily travel tip (you can update your subscription here) or follow me on social (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), then you know I flew to New York's JFK to surprise my dad as an early 93rd birthday present. I hadn't seen him in months, including after he caught COVID-19, which truly made me worry I would never ever get to hug him again. It was very emotional for both us. Here's part one of my trip report.

Do You Travel With a Pulse Oximeter?
Before I went to see my dad, I visited my doctor for my annual physical and to have him check my breathing. I caught a nasty virus last month and it affected my asthma, which had been all but cured by a Chinese doctor in Malaysia in 2007. Since I was wheezing a little, he prescribed Advair, which made my voice hoarse. He told me to monitor my oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter. My wife wrote about why you might want to add one to your health arsenal when the pandemic began, but we never needed it until recently. My doctor says a pulse oximeter is the new thermometer so if you don't have one in your travel first aid kit (here are the 12 items I keep in mine), you might want to get one.

The Portable Air Purifier I Now Travel With to Ensure Clean Air
When I went for my physical, shockingly, my doctor's office didn't have an air purifier like so many of the doctor's offices I've been to so ... I busted out my own! I also brought it to Connecticut to keep the air around me cleaner while in the airport, on the plane, in the car service, at a restaurant and at my hotel. It gave me peace of mind and according to experts, it makes a considerable difference to air quality. Check it out.

15% Off Blacklane Promo Code
To get to and from the airport, I used Blacklane since I didn't want to deal with any labor shortages or tricks from ride shares and I had some vouchers left over. Blacklane is a much more luxurious way to travel but it's not cheap. You really get what you pay for. FYI: I have a 15% off code for first-time Blacklane users who book in November. It’s JOHNNY15NOV21.

Professional Photo Shoots Around The World
Speaking of promo codes ... In Thursday's newsletter, I mentioned our Flytographer photo shoot. The company has professional photographers around the world so you bring back more than just memories. You can bring back photos of you and your loved ones in amazing places, like the photo above, or have hometown family photos taken, like we did for our Christmas card. What I forgot to mention was the value of the code I shared. Use promo code JohnnyJet50 or Natalie50 to get $50 off your Flytographer photo shoot. It also makes a great gift for a loved one as you can apply the promo code to a gift card purchase.

Travel Contests
-Win a seven-night getaway to Riviera Maya, Mexico (Nov 15)
-Win a dream trip to Anguilla (November 30)
-Win an Orlando Vacation for 50 Friends and Family in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort (November 29)
-Create a design for the hull of cruise ship MSC Euribia (Dec 19)
-Enter for a chance to win a Carnival cruise for 2 (Dec 31)
See all contests here

P.S. As always, thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! I hope you like it and you share with your friends, family and colleagues so they can subscribe to either my bi-weekly newsletter or Daily Travel Tip.

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5 Family-Friendly California Road Trip Ideas From Los Angeles
There are many reasons to love California (the friendly people, the weather, those swaying palm trees!) but one of the things I love best is the endless opportunities for an epic road trip. We live in Los Angeles and two hours in any direction from LA will take you to a completely new and exciting part of the state to discover. With so many tempting California destinations just around the corner, we’ve spent a lot of time exploring Southern California lately. Did you know that California has 840 miles of coastline and more National Parks than any other state? Driving is the best way to see all that California has to offer so if you’re planning a road trip, here are 5 family road trip ideas from Los Angeles. Read the story.

Where Americans are Traveling for Thanksgiving in 2021
According to the annual Allianz Travel Insurance Americans are planning their trips and packing their bags for bright lights and warm beaches! Their Top 10 Thanksgiving Destination Index, which found that travel-ready Americans have made New York City and Cancun, Mexico their top picks for 2021 turkey-day destinations. Read the story.

The Sunday Round-Up | November 14, 2021