🌺 Bula from Fiji!
I apologize for not sending a newsletter out on Thursday and Friday but after flying 11 hours late on Wednesday night, crossing the International Date Line and getting on a ferry, it was a bit difficult. Combine that with the fact that we're on a remote island where the WiFi hasn't been great and it was nearly impossible to send a newsletter. There was a problem with the cell tower but fortunately, it's been resolved and we're back online, baby!
🦃 AAA Turkey Day Outlook
This week, AAA released their annual report and projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. This is an increase of 1.7 million people compared to last year and 2 million more than in 2019.
🥧AA's Projection
American Airlines also announced that they expect to welcome nearly 8.3 million customers across more than 77,000 flights for the Thanksgiving holiday. The most-traveled day will be Sunday, December 1, with the second most-traveled day expected to be Monday, December 2. For more numbers and tips for traveling during Thanksgiving, read Tuesday's travel tip below.
From Our Sponsor: Visit California
🎁 Unwrap California
This Christmas, skip the sweater and socks and give the gift of unforgettable memories with a trip to California. From the golden beaches of SoCal to the majestic redwoods of Northern California, the Golden State offers something for everyone. Treat your loved ones to wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma and explore the diversity of California's culinary scene. Delight little ones with an endless number of family-friendly experiences and enjoy countless outdoor adventures that are uniquely Californian. This holiday season, give a gift that creates stories to share and memories to cherish forever. Give the gift of California. Plan your California vacation here.
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✈️ Today's Travel Outlook
As of 7:11am PT, there have been 26 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 834 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.
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🧭 Travel Product of the Week
Apple's new update makes AirTags an absolute must-have for travelers so they can easily track down lost luggage
If you've been a subscriber to this newsletter for the past few years, you know that I've recommended traveling with Apple AirTags for a long time. Well, they're even more of a must-have now, following Apple's latest announcement about how AirTags will be integrated into airline systems. Also worth noting: At the time of this newsletter distribution, Apple AirTags are on sale for the lowest price we've seen (30% off). Read the story here.
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⚖️ Monday
Spirit Airlines just declared bankruptcy: Should travelers be worried?
Spirit Airlines just declared bankruptcy but what does this mean for consumers who have purchased tickets? Here's what travelers need to know.
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🦃Tuesday
12 tips for making Thanksgiving travel smoother and safer
As you can see from the numbers above, officials are predicting this will be the busiest Thanksgiving for travelers on record. Here are 12 tips for making your Thanksgiving travels smoother and safer.
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🧳Wednesday
12 things travelers can learn from the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles
My favorite Thanksgiving movie is John Hughes’ Planes, Trains and Automobiles. My wife and I watch this film every year at this time and I know we’re not alone. After watching it last night, I woke up in the morning thinking about all the mistakes Neal Page, played by Steve Martin, made. Although his mistakes are what made the movie funny, none of it’s funny if it happens to you in real life. Obviously, a lot has changed in the 30 years since this movie was made but much of it is still relevant; many of those travel snafus could still happen. Here’s how to avoid making the same mistakes Neal made in the hilarious movie.
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🥰Thursday
15 wildlife adventures in the Galapagos aboard a Relais & Châteaux yacht
There is something extremely special about coming off the open ocean to arrive at a new island where no one else lives but the wildlife, with endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Experience nature’s new adventures every day, when exploring the Galapagos Islands. Read the story here.
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️🚨 Friday
U.S. government warns travelers not to fall for this TSA PreCheck scam
It's getting increasingly more difficult to distinguish legitimate emails from scams because scammers are getting better and better at deceiving unsuspecting people. That's why the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is issuing this warning to travelers.
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💬 TRAVEL QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I fly economy class and I try to experience the same form of travel, the same experience that the average American and the average citizen of the world encounters" ~ Arthur Frommer |
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📺 Travel Videos of the Week
‘Jaw dropping’: TikToker makes the case for medical tourism after getting a complete check-up for $810 in a state-of-the-art facility
If you have ever bemoaned the cost of healthcare in the United States, you may be interested in learning more about medical tourism. One TikToker shared a video about the experience she had in Turkey and as she says, it's jaw-dropping. Watch the video here.
What was she thinking? Social media reacts to Oregon woman almost swept away by king tides
Accuweather shared a disturbing video of a woman struggling against powerful king tides in Oregon. Here's what happened and what you can do to stay safe if you're ever in a similar situation.
California mountain cams
It's beginning to look like Christmas, at least here in the mountains of California. Many of the local ski slopes are either open or they're planning to open this weekend. If you want to take a live look at what the snow conditions are like, check out these live webcams. |
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🌎 Top 12 Travel Stories of the Week 1 Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy amid growing losses and debt
2 Arthur Frommer (1929–2024)
3 Record 80 million Americans expected to travel for Thanksgiving holiday
4 American Airlines expands its crackdown on line cutters
5 Winter weather alerts issued in Northeast as millions brace for storm packing snow, rain ahead of Thanksgiving
6 Norovirus outbreak on cruise leads to over 100 passengers demanding compensation
7 Senators ask Biden administration to back higher pilot retirement age
8 Airline CEOs and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg fight over regulations even after election
9 Allegiant adds 44 new routes, 3 new cities in blockbuster expansion
10 Iceland volcano erupts, Blue Lagoon car park covered in lava
11 Miami International Airport Thanksgiving holiday travelers face Sky Train challenges
12 Trump taps Fox's Sean Duffy as transportation secretary
Read it all here as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week! |
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🧵 TRAVEL THREAD OF THE WEEK @jtgenter: Ugh, AA did it again! We booked an award for 11,000 AAdvantage miles per person x2 = 22,000 AAdvantage miles total -- as confirmed in the confirmation email. But AA took 44,000 AAdvantage miles from Katie's account. This is the 2nd time @AmericanAir has double-charged us for awards. Make sure to check your bookings and accounts carefully. |
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✅ Currency Exchange 🇪🇺 €1 Euro = $1.05 USD
🇬🇧 £1 GBP = $1.26 USD
🇨🇦 $1 CAD = $0.70 USD
🇦🇺 $1 AUD = $0.64 USD
🇲🇽 $1 MXN = $.049 USD
✅ Calendar Countdown 🦃 4 days until Thanksgiving
🎅 31 days until Christmas
🎊 37 days until New Year's Eve
❤️ 82 days until Valentine's Day
🐰 147 days until Easter |
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💳 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.
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