October 8, 2023  •   View this email in your browser

🍂 Happy Thanksgiving ...!

... to our Canadian readers! Before the kids were in school, my wife and I would typically be in Toronto with her family on this second weekend of October to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. They enjoy the same meal we do, although if you're lucky, they might throw in some butter tarts alongside the pumpkin pie. And before anyone emails in to correct me, I know that Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday in October but according to my wife, most will eat their big Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.

Speaking of Thanksgiving and the holidays, if you haven't purchased your tickets yet, you might want to do it this week as airfares are expected to go up every day. Here are some helpful ways to find cheap Thanksgiving and Christmas flights. PLUS: According to Google, these are the best times to book flights.

Attacks in Israel and Egypt
It's been a busy travel news day and week, including the devastating news of the horrific attacks in Israel and now Egypt. Our hearts and prayers are with all those effected. Travelers should consult the U.S. Embassy in both countries. Here are the embassy websites for Israel and Egypt. 

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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 9:12am PT, there have been 71 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,297 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

‘I’m in a Flying Jail Cell’: Rapper Ice Cube Learns This Lesson the Hard Way on American Airlines Flight from London to Los Angeles
Legendary American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer, Ice Cube, learned the hard way not to rely on the airlines to keep yourself entertained. Ice Cube, whose real name is O’Shea Jackson Sr., posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that his 11-hour American Airlines flight from London to Los Angeles felt like being in a flying jail cell. Here's why and what he should have done.

💰 Tuesday

A Simple Money-Saving Tip For International Travelers
I think I speak for everyone when I say that getting ripped off sucks. I really can’t stand seeing people take advantage of others by making them pay more for something than they really should be paying. Unfortunately, more and more stores and banks are trying to get in on the action. Here's some simple money-saving advice all international travelers should heed.

📷 Wednesday

Forgetful? The Trick to Remembering Your Hotel Room Number or Where You Parked
We all know the frustration of not being able to remember where you parked your car. Or what your hotel room number is. Here's an easy trick so you never forget again. Read the story.

 ⏰ Thursday

The First Thing You Should Do When Checking Into a Hotel to Ensure a Good Night’s Sleep
Last week, I wrote a story about a rookie mistake a New York Yankees legend and current baseball announcer made at LaGuardia Airport. This week, I made a rookie mistake at a hotel -- here's how you can avoid disrupting your sleep. 

⚠️ Friday

Warning: Travelers Using Twitter Need to Know About This New Scam
If you’re at the airport and your flight is disrupted, you need to act fact and reach out to an airline in multiple ways. One of those ways is via X, formerly known as Twitter. But thanks to the new and lax safety rules, the social media platform has become a haven for scammers. Here's what users need to know about how the bad guys are duping travelers. 

🏨 Saturday

Caution: Criminals in California Use Insider Device to Break Into Hotel Rooms – Here’s How to Protect Yourself
A woman visiting California on business filmed someone trying to open her airport hotel room door from the outside using a clever but scary device. Fortunately, she was awake, not fast asleep or in the shower and she was able to prevent the criminals from entering. She also captured the terrifying experience on video. Here's what you need to know.


BONUS: The Secret Trick to Saving Money on Shoes
Continuing with our theme of not-a-travel-tip tip on Saturdays, here's a bonus story, which mostly applies to women. My wife is a self-proclaimed shoe-lover and as such, she always tries to find money-saving strategies. Here's one of her best tricks. 

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

VIDEO: New York City Rat Hitches Free Ride to Upstate New York on Car Hood
A New York City rat hitched a ride from the city to upstate New York on a three-hour drive on the hood of a car. Watch the video here.


Train Karen: Drunk Woman on New Jersey Transit Accosts German Tourists with Xenophobic Slurs, Loses Job, Reputation and Possibly Her Boyfriend.
A video circulating on social media shows an apparently drunk woman accosting male German tourists on a New Jersey Transit train bound for Manhattan. It’s not clear what set her off but it’s believed she thought they were talking about her so she aggressively gets in their faces and demands they translate what they said. Here's the video and story.  

⚡ Travel Product of the Week

Flat Plug Power Strip
It's so irritating when, either at home or on the road, a plug is too large to fit into a tight space. The flat plug on this power strip eliminates that problem. Plus, it just looks neater, too and of course, a compact power strip is a travel must-have. Check it out here.

🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today

1 Israel formally declares war against Hamas as it battles to push militants off its soil
2 A policeman in Egypt killed 2 Israelis and 1 Egyptian at a tourist site in Alexandria
3 Is it safe to travel to Israel right now?
4 Hotel workers at LAX-area properties walk off the job over healthcare proposal
5 Virgin Galactic launches its 4th "space tourist" flight
6 How a chatbot encouraged a man who wanted to kill the Queen
7 Study: Ancient footprints alter timeline of humans' arrival in North America
8 Wearing Prada on the moon: Fashion house to partner with NASA on lunar spacesuits
9 Diners are clamoring for earlier reservations. 'When did a 6:00 dinner reservation become the new 8:00?' New York restaurateur Danny Meyer asks.
10 Second LA-bound flight in two days declares mid-air emergency over Scotland
11 L.A. aims to court international tourists, undo COVID losses
12 Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers

✅ Currency Exchange            ✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ Miles and Points