Greetings I hope you had a great week. Unfortunately, I didn't for a number of reasons. The biggest reason is that my brother's ex passed away at age 46. She leaves behind seven beautiful children. We're all heartbroken, as you can imagine. I was already sad because just a few hours prior to getting that devastating news, I'd had a difficult conversation with my dad's nursing home about his declining state. He's 94 so it's not unexpected but difficult nonetheless.
San Francisco
My family and I were supposed to be in San Francisco this weekend but my wife has a nasty cold or flu so we canceled our flights. The latter is obviously no big deal but for the past few months, one of our family members has been sick every week. It's mostly our two kids bringing stuff home from school and what I hear from friends and family around the country is that it's the same everywhere. RELATED: Add These 8 Health Items to Your Toiletry Kit When You Travel
Steve Martin Announces Leo Laporte's Radio Retirement
Speaking of Northern California, I was planning to do my weekly The Tech Guy travel segment from the studio in Petaluma, instead of Zooming in like I usually do. Obviously, that didn't happen but Leo Laporte, the legendary host, had his buddy and longtime listener and actor Steve Martin call in to announce Leo's retirement from radio. Steve called in at 1:05:00 into the show, just before I went on at 1:34:00. I know ... tough act to follow. Here's the link. The good news is that Leo and Mikah will continue their Tech Guys show on a Sunday podcast.
Thanksgiving Travel
Covid, flu, colds and RSV aren't slowing Americans down as they continue to travel in pre-pandemic numbers. According to the TSA, 2,148,196 people were screened at airport checkpoints nationwide yesterday, November 19. A year ago on the same day: 2,004,579. Three years ago on the same day: 2,194,291. Keep in mind that the airlines don't have 100% of their aircrafts or crew back so they're operating with almost 100% of 2019 passengers but only 85-92% of seats.
Remember: Do not miss your flight this week because if you do, you might not get on another flight for days (depending on the destination). For more Thanksgiving travel tips, see below.
-12 Tips to Make Thanksgiving Travel Smoother and Safer
-Don't Cancel Thanksgiving! Here Are 9 Ways to Save Money on Gas
-5 Ways To Save Money On Gas With Credit Cards and Apps
~ Johnny Jet |
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✈️ Today's Travel Outlook 
As of 11:02am PT, there have only been 82 canceled flights to/from or within the United States and 2,721 delayed. However, these numbers will most likely drastically increase since there's bad weather in NYC and South Florida. There's also expected to be some nasty storms this week which will really throw a wrench into travel plans. 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.
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✅ Today's Travel Tip 
Apple AirTags Are At Their Lowest Price Ahead of Black Friday
I think it's safe to say that Apple AirTags and other similar tracking devices are the Product of the Year for 2022. Lost luggage numbers soared over the summer when unprecedented numbers of travelers collided with labor shortages. As we head into the busiest travel season of the year, it's a smart idea to pop an Apple AirTag or other tracking device into your checked luggage for added peace of mind. Plus, Apple AirTags are at their lowest price ahead of Black Friday so it's a good time to score them while supplies last. Check out other great early Black Friday deals on Amazon here.
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✈️ Countdown to Upcoming Important Dates - 🦃 4 Days to Thanksgiving
- 🛍️ 5 Days to Black Friday
- 🕎 28 Days to Hanukkah
- 🎅 35 Days to Christmas
- 🎊 41 Days to New Year’s Eve
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✅ Travel Tips This Week
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY |
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💬 TRAVEL QUOTE OF THE DAY 
"You can start by wiping that f****** dumb-*ss smile off your rosy f****** cheeks. Then you can give me a f****** automobile. A f****** Datsun. A f****** Toyota. A f****** Mustang. A f****** Buick! Four f****** wheels and a seat!" Neal from Planes, Trains and Automobiles
This is one of the many funny scenes in the Thanksgiving classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles but just a reminder that this will get you nowhere. Pack your patience and plan ahead as you head into the busiest travel season of the year. |
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 TRAVEL TWEET OF THE DAY
@jimrosecircus1: A 150 ft. Iceberg passes through Iceberg Alley, in Newfoundland, Canada. See photo. |
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MILES & POINTS Last call on this 80,000-points bonus offer! The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is in its final days of the offer worth $1,200 in award travel. New cardholders earn 80,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. Since the Reserve has a 50% travel redemption bonus through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, those 80k points are worth $1,200 toward travel when redeemed through the Chase portal. Suppose you don't want to use the Ultimate Rewards portal. In that case, you can transfer your points on a 1:1 basis with top travel providers, including United, Hyatt, Marriott, Southwest, and Air France. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is a metal credit card with several perks, including a $300 annual travel credit, Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit, and the ability to earn up to 10x points on purchases. Plus, having the Reserve means you can access new Sapphire airport lounges. Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership (worth $429 for unlimited visits) comes with the card, and you can bring up to two guests for free. Up to $10,000 in travel protections plus rental car primary coverage and discounts are benefits of the card. Amenities with The Luxury Hotel and Resorts Collection and access to exclusive Chase events are included. Additional partner perks include: - Complimentary DoorDash DashPass access and credits
- One year of Instacart+ membership plus up to $15 in monthly credits through July 2024
- GoPuff credits of up to $10 monthly through December 31, 2023
While you won't pay any foreign transaction fees with this card, there is a $550 annual fee. However, using the $300 travel credit and the lounge access alone can offset the cost of having this card. |
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🌎 12 Things to Know in Travel Today 1 Finnair cancels flights as workers go on ‘illegal’ strike
2 LAX bracing for 11 busy days around Thanksgiving holiday
3 Sinking Bay Area transit: No weekend BART, bus lines cancelled
4 COVID: What can we expect from this latest wave, and how long is it likely to last?
5 The airline passengers getting 'unacceptable' treatment
6 Unaccompanied 11-year-old boy ‘inconsolable’ after being kicked off Jetstar flight
7 Why U.S. rail travel is so expensive
8 World Cup: Handshakes, shoes, coffee cups: Qatar etiquette basics to know
9 Don’t want to drive to catch a flight? We tried the new D.C.-Dulles train.
10 More Americans are living and working in Mexico. Where does that leave locals?
11 Pack your bags, we’re moving to ‘Roku City’
12 Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers |
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📺 Travel Video of the Day |
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 | | A fireball that soared over Ontario, Canada, early on Saturday was the sixth object to be detected in space before it struck Earth, the European Space Agency said. Observers spotted it across Toronto’s skyline and in the northeastern U.S. See the video here. |
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🎁 This Portable Device Could Save Your Life at Home and When You Travel |
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✅ Travel Tips from Last Week MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY |
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