Where's Johnny Jet?

Greetings from chilly Los Angeles! Last week, I wrote about my upcoming round-the-world trip, which I had been planning for several months (here’s the story). My friends and family were concerned about me going to Asia amid the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Of course, I had some concerns, too. After asking for answers to the question, "Should I cancel my trip to Asia?" on both my website and my Facebook page, I was shocked by how many people thought that I should cancel. Some of the comments were coming from big-time travelers, including executives of Asian airlines.

So I’ve decided to cancel for a number of reasons but primarily to protect my loved ones. Through this whole experience, I’ve learned a lot, including which airlines are easy to deal with and which aren’t. Here’s part two of the story, which includes my experiences asking for refunds. Please leave a comment if you've canceled any of your own trips and, if so, if you were able to get refunded.

 

11 tips for traveling during cold and flu season
Since the Wuhan coronavirus is on everyone’s mind and people are worried not only about catching it but getting the flu, too, I’ve updated a popular post from several years ago: 11 Tips for Traveling During Cold and Flu Season. Feel free to leave a comment on the page with any of your own tips.

Have you used Shipt? My wife just signed up for this same-day delivery service and she loves it. It saves her so much time, time that can be better spent with our children, so needless to say, she's a big fan. This service, which allows you to shop from Target and other local retailers, delivers items to your home, sometimes within an hour. It's $99 for a one-year membership but with her code, you can try it out for $49 a year.


You may be eligible to get up to $50 off your next Amazon purchase
It's not every day you can save up to $50 on your next Amazon purchase. It's possible with a limited time and targeted offer by Amazon and a popular credit card. Using just one of these rewards point can be worth $50 in Amazon savings if you qualify. I qualified and got $40 off a $100 Whole Foods gift card. Read more here.


Where are Americans traveling for Valentine's Day
Are you planning a Valentine's Day trip? To determine where people are traveling for Valentine’s Day 2020, our friends at Allianz dove into the data. By looking at bookings that include roundtrip flights for two passengers departing and returning to U.S. airports, inside the extended V-Day weekend (February 13-17) or the weekend before it (February 6-10), Allianz was able to produce a ranking of Valentine’s Day destinations. Check it out here.