Category: Uncategorized

August 1, 2016: Watch out when you book your next hotel room — major hotel groups are adding new twists and expenses to cancellation fees — normally travelers have until 6pm until day of arrival to cancel — unless they pre purchased a reduced rate no cancel reservation. Most resorts require longer cancellation times. Hotels are moving from a 6pm day of arrival cancellation to requiring 24-48 hours as well as a flat cancellation fee. Just another way, like the controversial mandatory resort fees, to nickel and dime travelers. If you want to chance a reservation, look to the HotelTonight site — select hotels dump day of inventory at some very good prices.

July 29, 2016: Yes — avoid booking a cruise with them if you have any thoughts about bringing your own beverages on board. Effective now, the ban includes bringing beverages onboard in your luggage or carry on — but you can bring your own wine onboard and pay a corkage fee. Norwegian says this change will help expedite security screening time — both Carnival and Royal Caribbean have different rules involving beverage carry on — the TC says it’s a “cheap shot” using security concerns as the reason, to enhance beverage sales — I mean really, $5.00 plus for a small bottle or water! Shame on you all!

July 28, 2016: A new start up called FlightCar has an interesting idea to help travelers avoid the cost of long term airport parking — drive to your airport and rent your car to an arriving passenger. Car owners get a small commission from the deal, avoid long term parking fees and a free car wash. Renters avoid the car rental counter hassle with a vip shuttle to the FlightCar off airport rental center. Not sure car insurance issues and messy renters are going to help this idea fly?

July 27, 2016: Luggage sales — $33 billion industry — has not progressed much since adding wheels to bags nearly 50 years ago. But, now comes “smart luggage” — with a company called Raden leading the way. Raden offers neat hard shell suitcases (in both carry on and checked sizes, starting at $295) that come with some extras: built in scale so as too not exceed weight requirements, a built in battery with 2 USB ports, and —here’s the best part — built in Bluetooth technology that lets you track your bag from check in to baggage claim on the other end. Currently Raden sales are consumer direct so don’t look for them in your neighborhood “luggage city” store!

July 26, 2016: Tough to sell a time share investment — here’s a couple of options:

1. Trying renting your “share time” to someone else — at a discount.
2. Offer it back to the resort — at one cost — and walk away.
3. Rent it — maybe you can do a deal with a potential renter that becomes a buyer?
4. Enjoy it — suck it up — it was a bad investment — or trade time for another location.

There are companies that offer to unload your time share property — but will charge a high fee — and watch out for scams that run off with your service fee. Best advice: Don’t do a time share — anyone, anywhere — in the first place. Why tie yourself down!

July 25, 2016: Seems like there are dozens of programs for rating airlines and their services  — magazines, web sites, media polls — so who do you believe?  Here’s one that just came out from a service most no one has ever heard off — Skytrax. The TC questions the entire process — kind of a rating hodge lodge one would say.  Note on the Skytrax world airline rating — no US carriers. Most US carriers do just the minimum with their overcrowded understaffed onboard services — but, Alaska/Horizon is one of the better carriers — consistency — and certainly deserves a number 4 or 5 position! Note to self:  many of the carriers listed on the ranking are government run with no need to ever make a profit. And really, no matter how good the service, do you want to connect through Turkey these days?

1. Emirates

2. Qatar Airways

3. Singapore Airlines

4. Cathay Pacific

5. All Nippon Airways/ANA

6. Etihad Airways

7. Turkish Airlines

8. EVA Air

9. Qantas Airways

10. Lufthansa

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!