January 20, 2022 Good morning from Los Angeles! The weather is perfect today and if you take a walk on the beach at low tide or early in the morning, there's no doubt you will be treated to some of Mother Nature's most amazing masterpieces like this sand dollar pictured above. Yes, I threw it back.
There's plenty of travel news today as well as my travel tip of the day so please scroll down after a message from our sponsor.
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5G Snafu
The big travel news this week was the fight between the airlines and the telecom companies. It's not easy to explain briefly but essentially, the airlines and the FAA were worried that the new 5G service would mess with cockpit altimeters since they have similar signals and it could be catastrophic in bad weather. The crisis has been averted, at least temporarily, though some international airlines have still canceled flights or switched aircrafts to the U.S. Emirates president called it "the biggest screwup I've witnessed in my career."
Delays and Cancellations
The second biggest story was all the delayed flights over the weekend because of the winter storms. Fortunately, the airlines don't have a shocking amount of cancelations today but here’s my updated advice on what to do if your flight is severely delayed or canceled.
Today's Travel Tip
Warning: Domestic Airfares Will Increase Each Month
According to travel booking app Hopper’s new Consumer Airfare Index, domestic airfare will increase monthly through June, reaching 2019 levels by April 2022. Find out by how much and what else you need to know.
Can The US Government’s Free COVID Tests Be Used for Travel?
In Tuesday’s daily trip, I gave subscribers the heads up that the U.S. government’s website, where Americans are able to order four free COVID tests, was live a day early. It officially rolled out yesterday and I had no problems ordering mine which took less than a minute. After I sent the newsletter, I received multiple emails from readers asking if those free tests sent by the U.S. government can be used for international travel. Here's the answer.
DON'T Do This When You're Driving Because It's Just Not Worth It
I remember once sitting next to an Australian dude and we talked almost the whole flight, from Atlanta to LAX. The biggest takeaway, which I think about often, was something he told me about where he was living in Mexico. At the time, it wasn't something I was too concerned about in the US but sadly, road rage incidents are on the rise here and his advice now seems more pertinent than ever. Read the story here.
The Word Game You're Going to Want to Play
The really fun, free game that's taken social media by storm. The best part is that you can only play once a day so it's not a giant suck on your time. Read more here.
3 Rewards Cards with Airport Lounge Access
For many people, aspects of traveling can be a chore. But I figured out the ways to get rid of most of the hassles at an early age. This includes gaining elite status, not checking a bag, signing up for CLEAR and TSA PreCheck to zip through security lines, boarding early to get overhead space, and of course, getting the right credit cards to earn more miles and points, and gaining access to airline clubs. There you can avoid crowds, enjoy free food/snacks, wait out delays more comfortably and have access to the top reservation agents to help change tickets. Almost everything listed above can end up costing you next to nothing if you get the rights cards. Here's what I have in my wallet.
How to Reuse your N95 and KN95 Masks
If you are traveling, there's no doubt you will want to wear the right mask. By now you know that experts say it’s time to ditch cloth masks in favor of more highly effective masks like N95s and KN95s. Here's how they can be reused. | 