🦘 G'day from Australia!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family and much to be grateful for as we head into the holiday season. I have a lot to be thankful for this year but especially for the health of my family. As you may recall, my daughter was hospitalized with severe pneumonia earlier this month and a scare like that really puts everything into perspective. I am so grateful for her good health and for that of my whole family. I wish the same for all of you.
I also want to thank each and every one of you for your support. Many of you readers have been on this journey with me for decades and have followed along through all the ups and downs, often reaching out with words of comfort, encouragement, wisdom, sympathy and congratulations as I experienced many life milestones.
It's getting increasingly more difficult to be a flesh and blood writer these days. AI is quickly replacing the real-life experiences that writers like me and so many of my colleagues share in favor of computer-generated content. Which means I'm even more grateful that you're still here, reading real stories about real people and real travel experiences.

Last week, we left off from the amazing Castaway Island in Fiji. From there, we took an hour-long ferry ride and drove three hours south to Nanuku Resort (pictured above). From there, we traveled even further south and flew four hours and 10 minutes to Sydney on Fiji Airways. Then, we flew 70 minutes up to Brisbane on Qantas, where the photo at the very top was taken yesterday at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.

Unfortunately, the weather has been terrible but at least the skies cleared just enough to get the photo above, which was taken the night we landed in Australia from our unique accommodations at the Taronga Zoo, which offers arguably the best view of any Sydney hotel. That story is coming soon so stay tuned!
👌Smooth travels
So far, Thanksgiving travel in the U.S. has been smooth. There have been very few delays and cancelations and let's hope it stays that way as Americans are now starting to return home.
🌧️ Sydney, Australia
Just my luck, Sydney was leading the world in airline cancelations and delays a couple of days ago and of course, we were flying. We got lucky because our flight was only delayed 2.5 hours and we had access to the lounge, thanks to my status on American Airlines.
💸 The easiest way to save $70 on Southwest Airlines (SWA) flights
Costco brought back their Southwest Airlines (SWA) sale where SWA flyers can save some serious cash. Here are the details; the deal expires tomorrow, December 2.

🎁 Cyber Monday
We're a day ahead so technically, today is Cyber Monday here in Australia. I was surprised to see a lot of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales promoted in stores in Sydney and in TV commercials but it's much more low-key. We've rounded up some of the best Black Friday/Cyber Monday travel deals, which you can find below. And some of our favorite Amazon products for travelers are deeply discounted too - you can check them out here.
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In this issue:

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook

As of 12:30pm PT, there have been 72 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 3,492 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 cancelations.

🧭 Travel Product of the Week

Black Friday / Cyber Monday Deals: 30% Off SCOTTeVEST
I’ve long been a fan of SCOTTeVEST clothing because of the multitude of pockets that make it easy to keep your valuables safe and hidden. Many of their jackets, vests and pants also have the carrying capacity to act as a secret third carry-on when I travel - saving me money and helping me avoid checking a bag. SCOTTeVEST’s Black Friday sale runs through Tuesday, December 3rd and will give you 30% off a ton of their best-selling styles. Plus, you’ll get free ground shipping in the US on all orders over $50, and 50% off international shipping. Check out all the deals HERE.

🎁 Monday

2024 Holiday Gift Guide for kids who love to travel
Can you believe that Christmas is one month from today? This year has flown by and the holiday season is sure to do the same. If you have little ones on your holiday shopping list, it's time to get cracking! Check out our gift guide, full of gift ideas for kids who love to travel.

🧳 Tuesday

2024 Holiday Gift Guide for travelers
Yesterday, we shared our Holiday Gift Guide for Kids Who Love to Travel. Today, it's the grown-ups' turn. If you're ready to start your holiday shopping, here are some of our top gift ideas for the traveler on your shopping list. Or maybe you'll find some inspiration for yourself, too! Check out all of our favorite finds here.

🌎 Wednesday

What points transfer to American Airlines miles?
American Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines that serves just about every destination across the world. As it’s easy to redeem travel miles for award flights, you may try to transfer points to American Airlines to put them to good use and to stop your travel miles from expiring. But what points transfer to American Airlines? Here's what you need to know.

🦃 Thursday

This is the number one cause of fires and it triples on Thanksgiving Day
The kitchen is the heart of many homes and especially on Thanksgiving Day, a day for friends and family to gather together around a meal to be remembered. But that meal doesn’t cook itself! Many people will be spending hours in the kitchen today and if you are one of them, here’s some helpful advice we all need to heed.

️🛍️ Friday

2024 Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals
Since we’re heading straight towards the holidays and the biggest shopping season of the year, you may as well save some money as you buy gifts for loved ones (and maybe even yourself). We’ve rounded up some of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals on airfares, hotels, travel gadgets and other great gift ideas. Check out all the details here.

🤗 Saturday

Traveling this holiday season? This is my number one travel tip
We really are fortunate to be living in this modern aviation era. Many people, including me, love to rag on airline executives, but when you stop and think about it, it’s pretty mind-blowing how smoothly they run their operations, especially when you consider how large these companies are and how complicated the logistics. Here's my number one travel tip.

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

🌎 Top 12 Travel Stories of the Week

1 DHL plane crashes in Lithuania amid concern over Russian sabotage
2 Hostel staff detained after 6 deaths linked to alcohol poisoning
3 Senate report slams airlines for raking in billions in seat fees
4 17 people missing after Egyptian tour boat sinks on Red Sea diving trip
5 Stowaway discovered on board flight from New York to Paris
6 Southwest says it will end cabin service earlier to reduce injuries
7 Indian airlines hit by nearly 1000 hoax bomb threats
8 Winter storms could disrupt travel in the Northeast this Thanksgiving weekend
9 United blames FAA staffing shortages for causing ‘significant disruption’ at Newark Airport
10 Missing Hawaii traveler Hannah Kobayashi 'intentionally' missed connecting flight at LAX, police say
11 The world gets its first glimpse inside Notre Dame Cathedral after 5 years under wraps
12 ‘We are not Disneyland’: Outrage in Rome over Airbnb ‘gladiator’ battles at the Colosseum
Read it all here as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week!

✅ Currency Exchange

✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ Miles and Points

💳 Our favorite credit card rewards to earn in 2024
💳What points transfer to American Airlines miles?
American Airlines is one of the world’s largest airlines that serves just about every destination across the world. As it’s easy to redeem travel miles for award flights, you may try to transfer points to American Airlines to put them to good use and to stop your travel miles from expiring. But what points transfer to American Airlines? Here's what you need to know.
💳 5 reasons why the Bilt Card is worth it
The Bilt World Elite Mastercard continues to be the best way to pay rent with a card as you can earn 1 point per dollar in rent payments without fees. However, if you have a high monthly payment, you can reach the previous $50,000 annual earning cap before year-end. Thankfully, the annual Bilt points cap is being lifted so you can earn more points on rent. Here are 5 of the best reasons the Bilt Card is worth it.