Thursday, June 10, 2021

This week, one of our family adventures was going to the Los Angeles Zoo (pictured above). It's always a great place to go with kids and I'm compiling some of our tips to make your visit there that much better and cheaper so stay tuned for that. We borrowed our neighbor's wagon after seeing so many people with them at Legoland and it was perfect for a day excursion! It really made a difference and was so much better than a stroller. It was super easy to collapse and expand and the kids loved it. It's currently 15% off and makes a great gift for any parent with little ones. 

Right now, our kitchen smells like New York City because I ordered pizza from one of my favorite New York City restaurants, Rubirosa, via Goldbelly. I wrote about Goldbelly and how to get $15 off your first order with my promo code not long ago since I only discovered them during the pandemic, by watching way too many YouTube videos (I had to get my travel fix somehow!) 

A Goldbelly Order Makes a Great Father's Day Gift
Goldbelly has been around since 2013 but in short, you can get pretty much any popular food from the most famous places across the country delivered straight to your door: Pat’s Original Philly Cheesesteak, Joe’s KC BBQ, Guy’s BBQ Pulled Pork Trash Can Nachos, Ess-a-Bagel, Joe’s Pizza from NYC or even cannolis from Ferrara Bakery, banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery or cheesecake from Juniors. This is just a tiny sampling of everything that they offer. It’s not cheap unless you use these tips and this credit card. Here's how I got four NYC pizzas delivered for cheap and what it was like. 
 
Chase Sapphire Preferred Review 2021: NEW 100k Bonus Offer!
Speaking of credit card promotions, the best one of the year (and possibly of all-time) just came out this week. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a new sign-up bonus of 100,000 points! New cardholders can earn 100,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. This offer is worth $1250 when redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards website. But what’s even better is that you can get even more value by transferring your Chase points out to a travel partner like United, Southwest, or Hyatt.
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The CDC and State Department Just Updated Their Travel Advisories
It’s been another busy week in the travel industry. The biggest news is probably yesterday’s announcement that the CDC has lightened up their warnings for international travel. Remember a month ago, they made headlines for their ‘Do Not Travel’ list. Previously, they only had Bhutan listed as a Level 1 country. Level 1 is the safest and means: Exercise normal precautions. It goes up to Level 4, which, in short, means don’t travel. Thankfully, the CDC just updated the list and vaccinated travelers will be happy. Read the story.

How to Prevent Road Trip Theft
A friend of a friend recently posted about a terrible road trip experience. I’ve written about this before but it’s time for a refresher now that people are traveling again. Because if this happens to you, it will definitely ruin your vacation. Learn how to prevent road trip theft here. 
 
Don't Fall For This Hotel Scam
One thing that irks me about staying in hotels is how they always seem to try and sucker you. First, it started with outrageously overpriced phone calls but then technology advanced and people were able to use their own cell phones. Then, it was the mini bar but even by charging $5 for a small pack of M&Ms, hotels couldn’t make money so they got rid of the those. On a recent hotel stay, I encountered another way that many hotels try to deceive, or at the very least confuse, guests. Don't fall for this hotel scam.
 
Don't Make This Cell Phone Mistake
When I received my cell phone bill this month, my eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw a charge for an $81 phone call. I thought it must have been an error but it turns out it wasn't. Here's how to avoid making the same mistake.

2021 Father's Day Gift Guide
Looking for great gift ideas for Dad? Check out this year's Father's Day gift guide, full of ideas for the guy who loves tech and travel.
  
Travel Contests
-Win A Luxury Stay in Tuscany and A Prize Package Worth More Than $12,000
-How to win a trip to the world's first beer hotel 
-Southwest Airlines Sweepstakes: Win prizes that include 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000, or 50,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points. 
See all contests here.

DEALS OF THE DAY
Amazon Prime Day is around the corner but check out all of their Early Bird deals here. Plus, check out some of our top picks. 

16% off Compact Binoculars For Travel
These compact binoculars are great for land or sea adventures and come with a carrying case and lens cleaning cloth.

25% off 2-Pack Tempered Glass Screen Protector
When you spend hundreds of dollars on a phone, why not spend a couple of bucks protecting its fragile screen?

Check out more of today's Amazon deals here.

12 Things in Travel You Need to Know Today
— Canada rolls out new border rules – to a hostile reaction
— Spirit Airlines to start flying out of Miami International Airport in October
— Woman dies after falling in a canyon at Zion National Park
— Hawaii's rental car fleets decreased by more than 40% during the pandemic
— Former airline employee arrested after boarding plane for illegally entering airport
— Vaccinated and need a vacation? CDC relaxes guidance for Americans traveling to more than 100 countries
— The TSA can't hire enough agents to keep up with the summer travel boom, report says
— American Airlines CEO attends wedding of Southwest flight attendant
— New Air Force One jets may be a year late, cost more, Pentagon official says
— The world's most livable cities in 2021
— 20 facts you might not know about 'Die Hard'
— Yesterday's TSA checkpoint numbers 
(Read it all here in today's travel news round-up as well as the 84 other top travel news stories from this past week!)

In Case You Missed It  
What Travelers Should Know About Traveling to Iceland
Iceland is, without a doubt, going to be one of the hottest international destinations for American travelers. A Johnny Jet reader and listener just returned and was kind enough to share two posts about his experience. Check out all his Iceland travel tips below:
Part 1: Travel Tips for American Travelers to Iceland
Part 2: Travel Tips for American Travelers to Iceland

Insane Video of Passenger Knocking Out A Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant's Teeth
If you haven’t seen the video of a female passenger repeatedly punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, then take a look at the video, obtained by CBS News. The 48-second clip is shocking but perhaps not surprising since the pandemic seems to have brought out the worst in some people. It's also led to two airlines banning alcohol sales through September. Watch the video here.

10 Air Travel Pet Peeves and What You Can Do About Them
After my flights last month, I was reminded of some of my top pet peeves while flying. Here they are, plus what you can do about them. What are yours? Leave a comment and let me know!

How To Avoid Sore Ears From Wearing A Mask
What I didn't include as one of my pet peeves is how wearing a mask for a long period of time hurts my ears. Thanks to a reader, that problem has been solved. Here's how.  P.S. I wear a World Map mask when I travel it's an inexpensive find available on Amazon. 

15 Tips For Renting A Car in 2021
This post is chock-full of rental car tips since there's a shortage and prices are through the roof. Here are my 15 tips for renting a car.

3 Websites To Cross-Reference Before Traveling Internationally
In light of the European Union now saying that they’ll welcome vaccinated Americans this summer, I recommend that before you travel internationally, you also consult these three websites. 

How I'm Protecting My CDC Vaccination Card
I wrote about using a protective sleeve to protect your vaccination card and so many of you were interested but they were sold out. Update:Amazon has them back in stock and ready to ship in a couple of days. 

Tips for Traveling to Hawaii During COVID
-10 Tips for Traveling to Hawaii (Oahu) During COVID 
-Maui Advice for Travelers
-The App Every Traveler to Hawaii Needs to Download 
-Live Hawaii Webcams