November 18, 2021

Greetings! Can you believe Thanksgiving is one week away?! I have a lot to be thankful for, including being able to hug my newly-turned 93-year-old dad again after his scary bout with COVID. If you get my daily travel tip newsletter or read Sunday's round-up, then you know that last Friday, I surprised him at his senior home in Connecticut. When my brother and I took him to lunch (photo above) he blurted out at the top of his lungs, “I’m so happy! The three of us never get to do this!” Here's Part One and Part Two of my trip report. Stay tuned for Part Three on Sunday.

How to Save Up to 60% on Hotels
If you read Part Two of my trip report, then you know I booked a last-minute hotel. I was kicking myself because I could have saved some serious cash (up to 60% off) if I'd purchased through the hotel wholesale company I've just partnered with. They've been around for years and if you want to save serious money on hotels, here's how. 

The Real Reason Thanksgiving Travel is Going to Be a Nightmare
One of the questions I’m getting asked most frequently these days is: Is Thanksgiving travel going to be a nightmare because of the Nov 22 federal vaccine mandate? (It was reported last month that only 60% of TSA officers were vaccinated.) And: Will the airlines (specifically American and Southwest) have labor issues?

I do think Thanksgiving travel is going to be nightmare for some but not necessarily because of the reasons above. Here's the real reason Thanksgiving travel is going to be a nightmare this year.

Book Holiday Flights
As I mentioned last week, if you haven't purchased your Thanksgiving or Christmas flights, you better get cracking. Airfares are rising 3-5% each day!

A Must-Have For Traveling With Kids
Last night we went to Manhattan Beach for their annual open house and pier lighting. It's always a fun event and it's getting more and more popular. Many stores had lines just to get in to shop. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season and we all had a wonderful time - until my son said he needed to go to the bathroom. Now! My wife rushed him into the smelly, not-so-clean beach bathrooms and she was SO GRATEFUL she had one of these on hand to make the experience a little bit better for her and Jack. Here's what she used and swears by for any parent who cringes at the thought of taking their kids into public bathrooms.

12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
— Disney cruises will require passengers ages 5 and up to be vaccinated starting in January
— American tourists break into Rome's Colosseum to drink beer
— American Airlines plans to build 15,000-square-foot lounge at this airport
— Mexico sends in troops to protect tourists from gun-toting gangs
— Must be fully vaccinated to attend NYC's New Year's Eve at Times Square
— Airbus smashes orders at Dubai Air Show, Boeing trails behind despite big 737 Max sale
— Emirates Announces Premium Economy Cabin Retrofit Program
— Margaritaville checks in to Key West
— Dr. Fauci says U.S. Covid cases need to fall below 10,000 a day to get to a 'degree of normality'
— Longest partial lunar eclipse in nearly 600 years coming tonight
— Cleveland baseball will share ‘Guardians’ name with roller derby team
— 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
"Laughter is an instant vacation." ~ Milton Berle
 
Credit Card News/Offers for Travelers
-These airline credit cards just got new bonuses (up to 100k!), just in time for the winter holidays.
-If you've got one of these cards, check out these holiday offers on shopping, dining, entertainment, travel, free coffee, and more.

Travel Contests
-The 'Pecanceled' Flights Set Right Sweepstakes (November 22-30)
-Win a dream trip to Anguilla (November 30)
-Enter for a chance to win a Carnival cruise for 2 (Dec 31)
-Win a trip for two to Puerto Rico plus $1,000 cash prize. (December 31)
See all contests here.

Last Week's Travel Tips/News
-Warning to Travelers with Clear, TSA PreCheck and Elite Status
-Should You Cancel Your American or Southwest Airlines Holiday Tickets and Rebook on Another Carrier?
-Something Is Really Up at Southwest and American
-How to Get Free Upgrades and Points on American Airlines
-A Brilliant Trick to Save Huge on Airfares

In Case You Missed It  
Air Travel Tips
-A Simple and Genius iPhone Hack to Track Flights.
-Toronto Pearson Airport Warning 
-Sorry T+L, You Got This One Wrong – Here’s How You Can Really Get Upgraded to First Class
-Which Trusted Traveler Program Is Right For You?
-Why You May Want To Avoid This Major U.S. Airport
-The Most Unreliable Airline in North America?
-The Real Reason Flight Attendants Tell Passengers To Hold On To Their Phones During Takeoff and Landing
-The Quickest Way to Get In and Out of LAX 
-How To Make Sure the TSA PreCheck Checkmark is On Your Boarding Pass
-9 Tips For Avoiding COVID-19 On Planes and In Airports 
-8 Ways to Make Sure an Airline Doesn't Lose Your Bag ... And That You Don't Get Robbed or Stalked
-How to Speed Through Airport Security
-How To Find Out If The TSA PreCheck Lane Will Be Open
-How To Reach an Airline's Reservations Agent Without Waiting
-My Number 1 and 2 Travel Tips

Road Trip Tips
If you're planning a road trip, then be sure to follow these tips:
-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 2021
-How To Prevent Car Rental Companies From Ripping You Off

International Travel
-A New Vaccination Requirement All International Travelers Must Consider
-To Spain and Back: The Do’s and Don’ts While Traveling During a Covid Surge
-The Must-Have App For Travel to Europe
-12 helpful pandemic travel tips for the EU and the UK

Lodging
-And The Best Hotel In The World Is ... 

Safety
-10 Things to Have in Case of an Emergency
-How To Always Have Clean Water
-The Pocket Thermometer You Should Never Leave Home Without
-Life-Saving Car Emergency Tips 
-5 Places an Infectious Diseases Doctor Begs You Not to Go
-My Somewhat Freakish Travel Habit Might Just Save Your Life
-11 Tips for Traveling During Cold and Flu Season. 
-What I Keep In My Carry-On First Aid Kit
-The Most Dangerous Places to Be During a Lightning Storm
-Car Seat Tips For Keeping Your Children Safe
-Sadly, It's That Time Again: Where to Buy N95 and KN95 Masks