October 15, 2023  •   View this email in your browser

🍂 Greetings from Carlsbad

As I mentioned last week, my heart aches for the victims in Israel after the unfathomably brutal and violent Hamas terrorist attacks. My heart is shattered for the innocent victims and civilians suffering right now and I pray for peace. 

Airlines have continued to modify their schedules and their waivers. United just released a new update, which has been extended to November 15. Other airlines have waivers through December. 

In happier news, my friend Lisa Niver has published a new travel book, Brave-ish, One Breakup, Six Continents and Feeling Fearless After Fifty. Forbes named it Best New Non-Fiction so if you're looking for a book to take on your next flight, it's available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart. You know Ice Cube could have used it a couple of weeks ago when he called his American Airlines flight a 'flying jail cell'. Here's that story.

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In this issue:

• Today's Travel Outlook ✈️
• Travel Tips This Week ✅
• Travel Quote of the Day 💬
• Travel Tweet of the Day 
• 12 Things to Know in Travel Today 🌎
• Travel Video of the Day 📺
• and more… 

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook 

As of 9:10am PT, there have been 44 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,309 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 cancellations.

✈️ Monday

Southwest Airlines Passengers Are Playing a Dirty Little Trick on Seatmates to Save Money and the Airline is Okay With It
There's a new, dirty little trick that some Southwest Airlines (SWA) passengers are pulling on fellow passengers. As SWA frequent fliers know, the airline doesn’t pre-assign seats, so it’s first-come first-serve. It’s their way to speed up the boarding process so passengers don’t spend a lot of time trying to locate their seat assignments. Here's what you need to know.

💰 Tuesday

Tech Gadgets, Luggage and More: 25 Amazon Big Deal Days Deals for Travelers
Amazon's Big Deal Days have some incredible bargains. Here's our round-up of some the best deals for travelers. Lots of them make great gifts for the holidays, too.

How to Open and Close Your Garage Door While You’re Away
My pick is a must for travelers ... and it's 40% off (currently $69). Whenever we go away and I need one of my neighbors to put our trash cans out (and back in) and collect our packages, I just tap a button on my phone to open and close our garage. The best part is that you can set a timer (mine is set for 10 minutes) so after that time has passed, you will get a notification that your garage door is open, which is key for not getting your belongings stolen or anyone breaking into your house. Here's the deal. 

Win Up to $25K Thanks to Delta Air Lines and T-Mobile
For those who don't want to spend money, then here's a tip to win some. T-Mobile and Delta Air Lines are joining forces to keep families connected this holiday season. T-Mobile customers can enter for the chance to win up to $25,000 in Delta Air Lines gift cards. All you have to do is enter to be one of the 500+ who will receive $500, $10,000 or even $25,000 to use on any Delta Air Lines flight or Delta Vacations package.

📷 Wednesday

The Best Amazon Big Deal Days Deals For Travelers Under $100
Amazon is back at it with Day 2 of their Amazon Big Deal Days and there are more great deals for travelers to be found. We've dug through all the discounts to find the ones we think you'll like best, like Apple AirTags, which continue to be one of the hottest accessories for travelers. Check them out here.

 💰 Thursday

The Easiest Way to Save $70 on Southwest Airlines Flights
If you plan on flying Southwest Airlines anytime in the next year or two, you might want to take advantage of this deal. It ends tonight.

⚠️ Friday

Fake Cop Alert: How to Protect Yourself Amidst Increasing Police Officer Impersonation Cases
Believe it or not, police impersonation cases are on the rise. If you're ever pulled over by someone you suspect is not a real cop, you should be on your guard. Here's what you need to know.

🎃 Saturday

I Can't Believe I've Been Carving Pumpkins All Wrong For 40+ Years - Here Are 6 Brilliant Tips For Doing it Right According to a Grandma Influencer
Here's today's Not a Travel Tip tip and it's a good one I hope you'll like! I've carved a lot of pumpkins in my life and it's especially fun with my two little kids. But I've discovered that I've been doing it all wrong, thanks to a 'Grandma influencer', who has taken TikTok by storm. Here are her absolutely brilliant tips. And if you're not carving a pumpkin yourself this Halloween season, then be sure to share this with anyone who is.


BONUS: The Family-Friendly California Pumpkin Farm You’ve Never Heard of But Need to Visit
Here's a travel tip for anyone who lives in or is planning to visit Southern California. This family-friendly pumpkin farm is one of the best we've ever been to and we return every year with our kids because it's so much fun. Read more about it here.

📺 Travel Video of the Week

Mosquito Mayhem: Volaris Plane in Mexico Swarmed by Bloodthirsty Insects
No one likes to be trapped on a plane under any circumstances. It’s so frustrating, for both passengers and crew members, when a gate is not available or the jet bridge is broken, or there aren’t enough workers. But when you add an outside element to things, like the plane being too hot, smoke, having sick passengers surrounding you or a deadly wild animal on the loose, it obviously makes things so much worse. Well, recently, a flight in Mexico just added a new one the list. Here's the story and video.

⚡ Travel Product of the Week

Super-Compact, Fast-Fueling Portable Phone Charger
My wife's top travel must-have is this portable phone charger, which is on sale for $21. She loves this charger specifically because of its compact size and handy digital screen. 

🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today

1 As Israel-Hamas war continues, Americans remain supportive of Israel in new poll
2 An unromantic message from the Grand Canyon: Stop leaving your Love Locks
3 Alaska Airlines has created a coffee that it says tastes better in the sky 
4 Louvre Museum and Versailles Palace evacuated after bomb threats with France on alert
5 Annular solar eclipse transfixes crowds across the Americas
6 Puerto Rico police find body during search for missing Indianapolis teacher
7 Disney-inspired home decor helps fans take home the magic
8 How doctors and medical pros handle in-flight emergencies 
9 The most unusual luxe hotel in the world
10 RIP Charles Feeney, co-founder of Duty Free Shoppers, donated $8b fortune
11 The future Of Santa Monica Airport (SMO)
12 The most popular Halloween candy by state, and which candies we hate

✅ Currency Exchange            ✅ Calendar Countdown

✈️ Miles and Points