Greetings from L.A.

We're back from our epic trip to Fiji and Australia. We were gone for 13 nights: six in Fiji, five in Australia and two were spent on planes. Part one of our trip report is a review of our Fiji Airways flight from LA to Nadi in the very back of the plane.
Google News picked up the story, which I realized when I received this message: "Your article randomly came across my news feed on Google news. I actually happen to be on the exact same flight. My sister, niece and I all actually appear in your picture of Fiji immigration line. (2nd to last photo, I'm the dude with the white hat and Milwaukee marathon shirt on in the far left.) Great article and very well described the flight!" Talk about a small world, eh?

🌺 Fiji trip report: Part two
Part two of our trip report is about getting from Nadi Airport (NAN) to Castaway Island. The best part is the video I captured of the incredible welcome guests receive from the resort staff, which you can watch at the bottom of the article.
📰 Travel news
There was a lot of travel news this week so be sure to scroll down to read it all as well as my other tips.

In this issue:

✈️ Today's Travel Outlook

As of 8:45am PT, there have been 50 canceled flights to, from or within the United States and 1,063 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

Limited time deal: All-new Ring doorbell for only $59.99 (40% off!)
We bought our first Ring doorbell in 2014 and it saved us money within the first month. My wife and I were hiking Diamond Head when I got a notification that someone was at our door. It was the electric company coming to turn off our electricity because of a billing mix-up. Luckily, thanks to our Ring doorbell, I could speak to the representative right then and there. Otherwise, we would have returned home at midnight to a cold, dark and lonely house and an expensive bill to get the electricity turned back on. If you don't already have one, what are you waiting for? Buy it here.

✈️ Monday

Fiji Airways review: Flying from L.A. to Nadi in the very back of the plane
Back in May, Fiji Airways was offering a deal to fly from Los Angeles to Fiji for $550 roundtrip per person and it was just $65 more to add Australia. That’s less than what it costs us to fly from L.A. to Toronto or New York and those flights are a third of the flight time. Here’s what it was like flying Fiji Airways from L.A. to Nadi in the very back of the plane.

🧳 Tuesday

Travel Tuesday deals that have been extended!
The good news is that all of these deals are still available but most do expire tonight at midnight. Check them out here.

📸 Wednesday

Flytographer Photo Shoot
While we were in Sydney, we did a family photo shoot as we do on one big trip each year because the photos always capture our best memories and become our most treasured souvenirs. Flytographer has professional, local photographers in over 350 cities around the world and we love having a local be our guide and capture our special moments. A Flytographer photo shoot always makes our list of great gift ideas so if you're looking for a truly unique and special idea, consider giving a Flytographer gift card this holiday season. You can buy one here and use code JOHNNYJET50 to get a $50 discount until March 1, 2025 for first-time customers.
Photo credit: Shot by Yvonne for Flytographer in Sydney

❄️ Thursday

Tips for driving in the snow
It’s December and parts of the U.S. are getting slammed by winter storms. I’m looking at you, upstate New York, where they received five feet and counting! Other parts of the U.S. are getting snow too, including here in California, which brings me to today’s travel tip. Check out these must-know tips for driving safely in the snow.

️🌎Friday

How a VPN can save you hundreds of dollars on travel and keep you safe when traveling
Every road warrior and business traveler I know uses a VPN. VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and according to Merriam-Webster, it's “a private computer network that functions over a public network.” But it's good to know that a VPN isn’t just important for home offices. It’s imperative to stay safe while on the road and also navigate roadblocks on the information highway. And it can also save you hundreds of dollars when booking travel. Here's what you need to know.

📺 Travel Videos of the Week

🌎 Top 12 Travel Stories of the Week

1 Woman accused of hiding on plane appears in court
2 United CEO predicts Spirit Airlines will liquidate
3 American Airlines picks Citi as sole credit card partner, drops Barclays
4 Hannah Kobayashi case: LAPD says missing woman traveled to Mexico on own accord, has not been victimized
5 72-year-old believed to have gone overboard on Princess Cruise ship
6 US judge rejects Boeing plea deal in conspiracy case stemming from fatal plane crashes
7 JetBlue cuts more unprofitable routes, tweaks Europe flights
8 Airline executives defend seat fees before Senate panel
9 A record 3 million travelers screened at US airports on Sunday
10 Frontier Airlines to add first-class seating
11 Thailand, US to resume direct flights
12 2 Delta flight attendants fail breathalyzer in Amsterdam
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.