Category: Uncategorized

July 22, 2016: Yes, most airlines are concerned about low advanced demand for summer and fall travel this year, and are launching special short fuse sales. Many times these sales last less than 12 hours and are only found on the airlines website. The TC’s suggestion: Do your shopping late at night or early AM mornings — and don’t be shy, call the airline as their telephone agents usually have the most current pricing and will bend the rules and book you direct or send you to their website. Don’t depend on the online booking sites like Expedia and Travelocity — sometimes they’re the last to know!

July 21, 2016: American Airlines takes top honors for being the stingiest in awarding frequent flyer tickets — and that’s shameful since they originated the program back in the early 1980’s — and Southwest and Air Berlin fly off with top honors for being the best in awarding travelers mileage awards. Most improved program goes to Delta, who for years has held top honors as the worst performer in giving out frequent flyer seats and upgrades. Award seats and upgrades are managed by the airline pricing gurus — so the more retail demand for tickets (demand changes with the seasons) the fewer awards available. Net net, all the airlines want travelers to use their miles for awards other than travel — more retail like gift cards, flowers, and the best low value mileage dumping ground — magazine subscriptions. The TC says, “I earned my miles flying and I want to use them flying!!”

July 20, 2016: Listen to consumer advocate Christopher Elliott tell travelers how to “bend” TSA ID rules when traveling — and quick passport replacement options.

View the full USA Today story here

July 19, 2016: At the overpriced and unfriendly MGM Grand Resort, you can get married in the morning and be out on their Lazy River pool complex by noon. The MGM Grand property is a massive disconnected complex of more than 5000 hotel rooms, 3 separate signature condo style complexes thousands of footsteps away from the , show rooms, 15,000 plus indoor stadium and numerous overpriced dining options — minimum $4.50 for a small cup of Starbucks! It might not be so bad if the service was at least friendly and hospitable!

July 16, 2016: No adequate directional signage when you arrive at the sprawling “hodgepodge” Las Vegas International Airport — well, unless you look about!

July 15, 2016: The current focus for most Las Vegas hotels and resorts — import Food Network shows and stars to the Strip to run an expensive restaurant the public will flock too! Well, that seems to have backfired with the new Giada dining spot inside the small Cromwell Hotel, just off the Strip and across from parent owner Caesars Palace.  Featuring a fresh interior with comfortable seating — this new “in spot” seems to break with Vegas tradition and feature great food, very good service, and all in a comfortable setting. Share a couple of appetizers and entrees — and try the warm homemade cookies for dessert — 4 people can escape for around $100.  Only downside, expect to over pay for drinks and wine — wine at more than 3x’s retail — with it hard to find anything worthwhile under $100 a bottle. Mixed drinks, well I think they they even charge for the ice!

July 14, 2016: Gotta give Las Vegas credit for creating unusual sites to impress and wow visitors. At the entrance to the Hersey Store — located inside the New York New York gaming and entertainment dark and dreary interior, one would not want to miss the life size “red vine” Statue of Liberty!  No better way to celebrate America than with a handful of red vines.  Don’t let it be said Vegas doesn’t have class — or, maybe thats better said “lack of class”?  New York New York is part of the MGM Grand Group of Vegas hotels and s — that make up a good portion of Las Vegas real-estate!

July 13, 2016: Yes — and please add some Black Cherry, Dad’s Root Beer and Barritt’s Ginger Beer. Then you want to find Galco’s Old World Grocery in Highland Park Los Angeles — where you can find over 750 varieties of soda from all over the world — including the Republic of Georgia. Check out http://www.galcos.com.

July 12, 2016: Used to be that TSA pre check was a neat deal for a few randomly selected travelers — the initial idea being travelers would like the expedited security lanes and search and pay a fee for the service. It seems Pre Check did just the opposite and created even longer lines. TSA says it can process 150 passengers an hour in standard lanes and up 300 an hour in Pre Check lanes. Permanent TSA Pre Check and Global Entry for international travelers require a lengthly application and interview, usually at an airport or off site hard to find location. Some appointments require a 45 day or longer wait time — and appointments can run hours late — add to that long clerical delays slow distribution for ID’s. Once enrolled in either program, you’re good for 5 years — Pre Check one time fee is $85 and Global Entry $100. TSA’s goal is to have 25 million travelers in enrolled in both programs. Current membership is around 10 million. Not sure the inconsistent Pre and Global are worth the investment?

July 11, 2016: The new system, currently testing in Atlanta, can speed up security lane wait times by up to 30%. Delta coughed up more than $1 million for the test — basically two parallel conveyor systems, one that sends empty plastic bins to waiting passengers and a second that moves the bins (with everything passengers have placed in them) towards the X-ray machine. Unlike the current system, the bins keep moving no matter how slow the people move in front of you — as well as those pulled out for extra screening. The TC experienced the new system recently departing Amsterdam — once again, Europeans have figured this out and have in place way ahead of our slow moving single lane government infused system.