travel stories

Podcast #198 — London Vacation Rental Woes; Hertz’s EV Retreat

London’s vacation rental market is broken and Booking.com is no help. Also, Hertz’s EV retreat, Sioux City, Iowa embraces their SUX airport code, a flash-in-the-pan airport delay crypto betting app.

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Podcast #197 — Renting a Tesla; 2023 Traveler Gift Guide

It’s the sustainability episode of the TravelCommons podcast, talking about my experience renting a Tesla from Hertz and my road-tested list of Christmas gift suggestions for the frequent traveler(s) in your life. I also talk about some new TSA biometrics equipment I faced (literally) in Nashville and yet another update on the EU’s ETIAS system…

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Podcast #196 — Cheers to Beer Tourism and Travel!

In this beer-focused episode, John Holl, editor of All About Beer, gives us his take on beer tourism and tips on how to beer travels. I talk about my experience planning my Asheville, NC taproom visits with ChatGPT. We also dive deep into the new JD Power Airport Satisfaction Survey and do a quick update…

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Podcast #195 — Checking Out Holland’s Tulip Festival

In this episode, I dive deep into our Dutch tulip-themed trip last April. Before the tulip festival stories, I randomly wander through a potpourri of travel topics — TSA passenger volumes returning to pre-COVID levels, having a surprisingly satisfying customer service experience with American Airlines, Hertz’s EV push, and a bit of a chuckle about…

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Podcast #194 — Best Laid Travel Plans; Roaming Entropy

Stubbornness fixed some ORD connection drama when coming home from a tulip-peeping trip in Holland, even after all my travel planning. We wander into the world of flâneuring, aimlessly walking around a city as a way to swerve overtourism. Listeners weigh in on Priority Pass lounge access and online passport renewal experiences, and I count all the apps I needed to go cashless.

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Podcast #193 — Making the Most of Miles; Nashville vs Nash-Vegas

Weather delay bar tab got me rethinking the economics of airport lounge memberships. Continuing to plan travel but focusing on making the most of the miles we accumulated on credit cards during the pandemic. And comparing Nashville’s music scene: Nash-Vegas honky tonks vs the smaller, eclectic off-Broadway scene.

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Podcast #192 — New Year Travel Planning Tips; Gin Conquers the World

Are people going back to their old travel planning ways? Should you book direct with travel providers or use a 3rd-party? Unpacking Southwest’s cancellation chaos. Gin goes global with a local twist.

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Podcast #191 — My Notes on Italy and Split, Croatia

Comparing long-distance drive times between gas and electric cars, and ChatGPT’s travel tips with mine; Talking about another Real ID delay, and my travel notes from Positano, Rome, and Split, Croatia.

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