Author: mark
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Podcast #159 — Planning the Trip of a Lifetime in Southeast Asia
Just put my dragon’s den on Airbnb January is a big travel planning month; people thinking about about the places they want to visit, spending days on the Internet researching itineraries, and putting in their week’s vacation requests. But what about a 9-week sabbatical you’ve worked 7 years for? In this episode, we talk about Continue Reading →
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Podcast #158 — Travel Potpourri for $400, Alex
Good End to 2019 Skipping the Chicago winter with trips to Phoenix and Sedona, Arizona, and a Christmas morning flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Talk about those trips, my good and bad Hertz experiences, and then gather up odds-‘n’-ends from my travel notebooks to see off 2019 in this New Year’s Eve episode. All Continue Reading →
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10 Best Gift Ideas for a New Traveler
Coming into the heart of the Christmas shopping season, when people are getting desperate for gift ideas, I thought I’d offer up 10 suggestions for gifts that a new frequent traveler will actually use. While many gift lists are pushing Away luggage, Huzi infinity pillows, and Aesop travel kits (these companies must’ve splashed a lot Continue Reading →
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Podcast #157 — Notes from the Baltics: Riga, Latvia and Tallinn, Estonia
Selfies with Friends in Tallinn Wrapping up my time in Charlottesville, VA with some “bleisure” travel, as well as some pure leisure travel with a quick trip in the Baltics. And a listener talks about the reason for his out-and-back day trip from Washington, DC to Hong Kong. All this and more at the direct Continue Reading →
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How To Choose The Best Carry-On Luggage
I spend a lot of time with my luggage. I average 40-50 trips and 100,000 miles a year. I hate shopping for luggage, though. I’d been putting off buying a new bag for a long time, as in years, until I was left with no working luggage when the handle died on my vintage Swiss Continue Reading →
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Podcast #156 — Airport Satisfaction; eScooters; Smaller Luggage
This Won’t Help Your Flier Sat Score In this episode, we talk with Michael Taylor, author of JD Power’s 2019 Airport Satisfaction Survey, about what keeps fliers happy. I also talk about what I like about eScooters, shopping for a smaller bag for upcoming flights on a Euro budget airline, and how Hertz’s contract updates Continue Reading →
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Podcast #155 — RJ Delays; Street Food in Poland and Hungary
Polish health food Didn’t have any problems with the 787’s flying 4,800 miles to Krakow or back from Budapest, but the 560-mile regional jet flights between Chicago and Charlottesville, VA have been causing me no end of hassles. We talk about this, revisit our discussions about iPhone dual SIM capability and American Airlines’ MD-80 retirement. Continue Reading →
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Podcast #154 — Will We Still Love Uber When The Prices Go Up?
The moment of truth Breaking out the mobile rig to record this episode in the Residence Inn in downtown Charlottesville, VA. Summer storms let me test Freebird’s re-booking service, I wrestle with AT&T so I can use my iPhone’s dual SIM capability on my trip to Krakow and Budapest, booking more relaxed flight itineraries lets Continue Reading →