August 6, 2023  •   View this email in your browser

Greetings!

If you subscribe to my daily travel tip newsletter, then you know my family and I flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco. On the way up we took JetBlue and on the way back, United. I had expiring credits that I needed to use. We had a fantastic stay at one of our favorite hotels on earth, Cavallo Point. I will share my trip reports soon.

In the meantime, I've been busy writing trip reports from our epic five-week summer trip. I just added four more this week, which you will find below:

-12 Things I Learned From Traveling to Europe This Summer 
-The Taxi App You Need to Download When Traveling In Europe
-Trip Report: Los Angeles to Philadelphia on American Airlines
-The Philadelphia Airport Marriott Makes a 10-Hour Layover Easy
-Toronto to Barcelona in Air Canada’s Premium Economy
-Cruise Review: 22 Reasons to Sail on Enchanted Princess
-48 Hours in Rome and Our Stay at the Rose Garden Palace Hotel
-What It’s Like To Take the Fast Train From Rome to Naples, Italy
-Fast or Slow Ferry to Ischia, Italy? You Might Be Surprised
-Hotel Review: The Regina Isabella Resort in Ischia, Italy
-One Night in Naples, Italy at the Royal Continental Hotel and Eating at the Best Restaurant in Town
-Flight Review: Naples to Munich in Lufthansa’s Business Class (NEW!)
-Hotel Review: Hilton Munich Airport Hotel and an Afternoon at Marienplatz (NEW!)
-Trip Report: Toronto to New York on American Airlines Summer 2023 (NEW!)
-Trip Report: New York to Los Angeles on Alaska Airlines (NEW!)

It's been a busy week in travel and you can catch up on all the news stories below in 12 Things to Know in Travel Today (if you click the link, you will see the previous day's news as well).

Plus, we just added these two stories, which I think you'll be interested in:

-Woman Abandons ‘Emotional Support Dog’ at Pittsburgh International Airport When Airline Says It Didn’t Meet the Requirements

-You’ll Never Guess the Best State to Retire In: You Might Be Surprised Where California and New York Rank

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In this issue:

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

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook 

As of 9:10am PT, there have been 70 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,961 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 cancellations.

✈️ Monday

How Long Should a Layover Be When Booking a Connecting Flight?
One question I get a lot from readers is how much time to leave between connecting flights. It’s a great question and in the past few years, the recommended time has changed dramatically. Ever since the pandemic, airlines and airports have cut capacity and staff so it’s more important than ever to make sure you don’t miss your flight. There are now fewer flights and more passengers traveling, which is not a great combo for the traveling public. Here's the story. 

🏨 Tuesday

The 5 Questions You Should Always Ask Hotel Front Desk Agents
Checking into a hotel anytime soon? Before you do, consider what things might annoy you and try to avoid them before you even get to your room. These are the five questions I always ask hotel front desk agents when I check in or even before I arrive. 

🚢 Wednesday

My Top 10 Cruise Tips
I've been fortunate enough to go on dozens of cruises all over the world. My family and I recently returned from an epic 7-day Mediterranean cruise, which we loved. I learned some new tricks so I updated this post. 

 🚪 Thursday

Travel Hack: How to Quietly Shut Your Hotel Room Door So You Can Sneak Out
If you read my top 10 cruise tips post yesterday, then you already know this important travel hack. I used it again this morning in my hotel in San Francisco. Here's the simple travel hack as well as a 23-second video I recorded one early morning in Hawaii.

🌍 Friday

Trip Report: Naples to Munich in Lufthansa’s Business Class
If you’ve been following along with our epic summer trip, then you know that we’ve really been getting around. Here’s a quick recap of some of the highlights: We took a seven-day Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Rome, spent two nights in the Eternal City, then headed south to the island of Ischia. We took the ferry back to Napoli and spent one night there before flying to Munich. Our short flight on Lufthansa was one of the best experiences we've ever had, all thanks to the flight crew. Here's the story and all my tips. 

🧳 Saturday

How to Prevent Smash and Grabs From Ruining Your Vacation
My family and I just returned from a fantastic three-night stay at one of our favorite hotels on earth … Cavallo Point. It’s located in Sausalito, California, which is just over the Golden Gate Bridge. We were going to take our kids to the California Academy of Sciences, which is supposed to be an amazing museum. However, multiple friends warned us not to drive into the city and park because smash and grabs really are a thing. In fact, the California Academy of Sciences' own website states: “Please note: Car break-ins are unfortunately common in San Francisco. These break-ins can happen anywhere but unfortunately, especially in California, so it's important you know how to protect your belongings. Here's how. 

📺 Travel Video of the Week

Doctor Boasts in Viral Video About Refusing to Switch Business Class Seats So Family Can Sit Together
A Seattle pharmacist was flying on Air France between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). Dr. Sabra has caused quite a stir with the majority people taking her side ... but I’m not sure I’m one of them. Here's the video.

⚡ Travel Product of the Week

Beats Fit Pro
Noise cancelling headphones or earbuds are a must for travelers and the Beats Fit Pro are an excellent choice. Plus, they're currently on sale for 20% off. Check them out here.

🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today

1 Los Angeles city workers set to hold 24-hour strike on Tuesday
2 FAA sets up new process for Hawaii air tour operators to fly at lower altitudes after fatal crashes
3 Massive August storm to trigger severe weather across Midwest and Northeast
4 Portugal wildfire rages as strong winds and heat fan flames
5 Pilot lectures passengers in viral pre-flight speech: ‘He’s fed up with all these childish adults’
6 This woman used an AirTag to track her lost bag -- and fly to get it
7 Taylor Swift to play six Eras World Tour shows in Toronto 
8 California Joshua trees burned by massive wildfire
9 10 best cuisines in the world
10 The lowest price or your money back: Google tests a new program for airfare rebates
11 How to get married on a yacht, cruise, or charter boat 
12  Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers

✅ Currency Exchange            ✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ Miles and Points