October 14, 2021

Good morning! Today marks 21 years since my mom passed away from colon cancer. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of her and how lucky I was to have one of the most amazing mothers in the world. 

We hit the road again this week. This time, we took a 100-mile road trip from LAX. We spent two nights at the hotel above; can you guess the property? I will tell you all about it next week (I hope). I know I still owe you a story about last week's trip to Terranea.

I was planning on writing that story while away (welcome to the life of a travel writer), but about halfway there, I started going through my mental notes as I always do. I had a nagging feeling that I'd forgotten something. I'm sure you know the feeling... you're on your way to the airport or you're on the plane and you just can't shake the feeling that you've forgotten to do or pack something. It's happened to me before but fortunately, it's never come to fruition. Until, all of a sudden ... I realized I'd forgotten ... my LAPTOP! I was going to turn around but traffic going north was obscene so I took a deep breath and just went with it. 

My kids were happy because ... (continued below after a message from our sponsor)

My kids were happy because, without my laptop, they pretty much had my undivided attention and we went to LEGOLAND. Being in San Diego County felt like a world away from LA County because wearing masks indoors is optional as long as you're vaccinated, which felt strange.

There's been a ton of travel news this week and the two top stories are, no doubt, these ones:

The Real Reason Southwest Canceled So Many Flights
-The Southwest Airlines operations meltdown over the weekend, which they are still dealing with (32 cancelations today and 445 delayed flights so far). That inspired this tip: Why You Might Not Want To Book Southwest or American Airlines This Holiday Season.

Land Borders To Finally Open
-The week's other big story was Tuesday's breaking news that the USA is finally going to reopen the land borders to Canada and Mexico. Here’s what you need to know.

Buy Holiday Fares NOW
No doubt this news is going to drive more bookings between the two. I've been monitoring fares for an LAX-YYZ (Toronto) flight for 10 days before Christmas and the price just doubled in the last two days. If you you're thinking of flying for the holidays you better buy sooner rather than later before it's really too late. 
-10 Ways to Find Cheap Thanksgiving Flights
-10 Ways to Find Cheap Christmas Flights

Great News For Parents 
After reading a promising story in the New York Times that said, "an unvaccinated child is at less risk of serious Covid illness than a vaccinated 70-year-old," I think my wife and I are ready to start traveling with our kids as long as we go to places with low transmission rates and can stay outdoors most of the time. That's why we're not going to Toronto this holiday. But I did just book us tickets to Hawaii for January since fares are so low. 
 
TRAVEL TIPS 
The Silent and Green Solar Generator Everyone Will Want While Camping Or In Case of an Emergency
Being a father, I always want to be prepared to take care of my family, which is why I have a house (and car!) full of emergency gadgets. I wrote about the 10 items I have in case of emergency here. But I’m going to have to update that article soon since I need to add these two products.

Sorry T+L, You Got This One Wrong – Here’s How You Can Really Get Upgraded to First Class
Travel & Leisure posted the most ridiculous article I’ve seen in a long time earlier this week on Instagram. Their caption read, “Sometimes getting an upgrade isn’t about the right timing or knowing the right people. Sometimes, it’s all about having the right outfit. Find out what to wear to increase your chances of an upgrade, according to flight attendants, at the link in bio.” The notion that "the right outfit" will get you upgraded is ludicrous. If you want to make a left turn when you step aboard a plane, here's how you really get upgraded to first class.

Two Great Things to Keep in the Car For Road Trips
We just wrapped up our latest road trip so I thought I'd share two items that we always keep in the car that I bet not many people do. One is especially great for parents with little kids and the other is great for anyone who drives. And both are great gift ideas for the upcoming holidays. Read the story here.

New on My Podcast
-What It's Like Flying via Singapore, Doha and Traveling Around Thailand's “No Quarantine” Sandbox
 
Credit Card News/Offers For Travelers
-The first Centurion Lounge in Europe is now open at this major airport.
-Good news—Capital One has added six new 1:1 transfer partners. But, they're also losing their partnership with this popular airline before the end of the month.
-There's a brand new balance transfer credit card with an introductory rate of up to 21 months, plus no annual fee, cell phone protection, and more.
 
12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
— Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers
— United adds exotic destinations for next summer
— Southwest Airlines is sending vouchers of up to $250 to passengers stranded by the recent flight chaos 
— Americans are trying to carry guns on planes in record numbers
— United CEO confirms 232 employees are being fired for not complying with its vaccine mandate 
— Video of William Shatner floating in space
— Ryanair bars passengers from flying unless they repay pandemic ‘chargebacks’
— Couple surprised at airport with stowaway in luggage: their Chihuahua
— U.S. restores sites stripped by Trump
— New Peppa Pig theme park to open in February 2022 with rides and character shows
— Thai Airways to resume international services
— The Pope's airline, Alitalia, to fly last flight
(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 Contests (NEW)
-Win a seven-night cruise aboard The 2022 Soul Train Cruise  
-Win a seven-night Caribbean cruise for two  
-Win a seven-night getaway to Riviera Maya, Mexico 
See all contests here

Last Week's Travel Tips/News
-Canada Announced That All Travelers Will Be Required To Be Fully Vaccinated Even To Travel Domestically
-Which Trusted Traveler Program Is Right For You?
-The Most Dangerous Places to Be During a Lightning Storm
-To Spain and Back: The Do’s and Don’ts While Traveling During a Covid Surge

More Tips
-An Incredible Airline Status Match Opportunity You Won't Want To Miss
-Why You May Want To Avoid This Major U.S. Airport
-The Must-Have App For Travel to Europe
-12 helpful pandemic travel tips for the EU and the UK
-Renting Out an Entire Movie Theatre is Cheaper Than You Think
-The Essential Email Reminder Service I Use To Manage My Life
-American Airlines Flagship Lounges Are Reopening And They're Now Selling Day Passes
-And The Best Hotel In The World Is ... 
-Plan Your Leaf-Peeping Trip With This Fall Foliage Map
-Car Seat Tips For Keeping Your Children Safe
-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 
-A New Vaccination Requirement All Travelers Must Consider
-How To Make Sure the TSA PreCheck Checkmark is On Your Boarding Pass
-9 Tips For Avoiding COVID-19 On Planes and In Airports 
-How to Never Miss A Wake-Up Call Again
-This Travel Tip Will Save You a Ton of Money and Aggravation
-Sadly, It's That Time Again: Where to Buy N95 and KN95 Masks
-Too Soon To Start Holiday Shopping? Maybe Not 
 
The Anti-Fog Wipes For Your Glasses That Actually Work
I've received multiple emails and comments thanking me for the recommendation because the wipes actually work! Just be sure to buy the anti-fog wipes. Find the links here.

In Case You Missed It  
Air Travel Tips
-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:
-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

10 Air Travel Pet Peeves and What You Can Do About Them
After my flights last month, I was reminded of some of my top pet peeves while flying. Here they are, plus what you can do about them. What are yours? Leave a comment and let me know!

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