1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:05,520 Speaker 1: It's night Side with Dan Ray. I'm telling you Boston's 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Speech Radio. 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,600 Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, this is the final all hour for me. 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 2: Dan will be in tomorrow night. And we continue with 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 2: Kevin Brasler of checkbook dot org, and we're talking about 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 2: some real solid tips for travel not you know, these 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 2: are real actionable stuff, stuff that will save you a 8 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 2: lot of money, stuff that might save your trip. In fact, 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 2: what should we talk about next? We didn't talk about 10 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 2: the insurance yet. I might as well get that out 11 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 2: of the. 12 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 3: Way, out of the way. Yeah, I have our argument 13 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:35,519 Speaker 3: about that. 14 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: We have an ongoing argument. I'm sort of changing my 15 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:41,599 Speaker 2: mind a little bit. But uh, do you recommend that 16 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 2: you get the insurance A the insurance the airlines offer 17 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 2: or B third party insurance? Why or why not? 18 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 3: Okay, definitely don't buy the stuff the airlines are offering you. 19 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 3: And definitely don't buy the stuff like all these travel websites, 20 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 3: these booking websites offer you, because what they're offering is 21 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,279 Speaker 3: like trip cancelation and interruption coverage. And if you if 22 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 3: you dig into these policies that like the American Airlines 23 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 3: Travel Protection Plan that they're selling you, you know, I 24 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 3: dug into what it's like thirty pages. There's all these exclusions. 25 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 3: They have all these reasons for, you know, denying your claim. 26 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 3: So don't buy those plans. If you want to buy 27 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 3: travel insurance, buy what's called there's two types. One's called 28 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 3: cancel for any reason, and that is what it sounds like, 29 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 3: where if you can't make the trip, either because there's 30 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 3: a death in your family, or somebody gets sick, or 31 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 3: there's some kind of turmoil in that part of the world, 32 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 3: or you just decide you don't feel like going, you 33 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 3: can cancel your trip and they'll give you your money back, however, 34 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:41,839 Speaker 3: any prepaid fees back. 35 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: However, there are restrictions. 36 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 3: There are still restrictions, and a big one is that 37 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 3: say so, the good news is these days, if you 38 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 3: decide not to take a trip and you cancel your 39 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 3: air ticket, you say, okay, I'm telling the airline I'm 40 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 3: going to cancel my tenerary. The good news is they'll 41 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 3: give you a trip credit. They won't charge you this 42 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 3: two hundred dollars change fee that they used to charge everyone. 43 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 2: They just is that a thing with all airlines at 44 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: all levels, even the cheap tickets. 45 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 3: Except basic Economy. With Basic Economy, you usually if you 46 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 3: cancel your ticket, you don't get your money back, or 47 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 3: you only get fifty percent back, depends on the airline 48 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,959 Speaker 3: where you're going. For these cancel with any reason travel 49 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,519 Speaker 3: insurance policies, they only kick in for money that you 50 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 3: have lost, that you prepaid for a trip that you 51 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 3: can't get back. And if you get back a trip 52 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 3: credit from an airline, they consider that, well, you didn't 53 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 3: lose anything, can you still the value of that ticket? 54 00:02:36,639 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 3: And so, as you know, Bradley, we've talked about this before, 55 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,040 Speaker 3: and I actually written about your experience once. Didn't use 56 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 3: your name, but you can use mine. But no, actually, 57 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 3: but you decided not to go to like Greece. You 58 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 3: remember that you had a Basic because I wrote about 59 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 3: it because and you had a Basic Economy ticket and 60 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 3: you so you said, I did it, decided not to go. 61 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 3: You had bought the cancel for any Reason policy, and 62 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 3: you called the insurance company and they said, okay, we 63 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 3: just have to prove to us that you didn't get 64 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 3: a trip credit. Well, you can't prove a negative. It 65 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:03,960 Speaker 3: was a Basic Economy fair there is no trip credit, 66 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 3: and it just it was a lot of hassle for you. 67 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 3: I think you did get your money back, but it 68 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 3: was a big hassle. It was interesting to get back. 69 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 2: It was interesting because, first of all, the restrictions on 70 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 2: that are significant. In that particular policy, you had to 71 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 2: do this cancel for reason within forty eight hours of 72 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 2: departure right number one and two. You only get seventy 73 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 2: five percent of your money back, right. 74 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 3: And another problem with these plans is that they are expensive. 75 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 3: You end up paying it's usually between fifteen to twenty 76 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 3: percent of the cost of the value of your trip. 77 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 3: So if it's a cruise and you paid five thousand dollars, 78 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 3: the travel insurance for that cruise could be like eight 79 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 3: hundred dollars. It depends on your age and where you're going, 80 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 3: because to me that much, well it can't be. You know, 81 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 3: as you're getting up in years, Bradley, your premiums are 82 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 3: going to go up for these plans because I might 83 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 3: drop that over there, or you just you get sick 84 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 3: before you go and you're canceling because you can't go 85 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 3: because you need surgery, or I had something happen, or 86 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 3: somebody your travel partner had something happen. So they're expensive. 87 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 3: They don't always cover the full cost to your trip. 88 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 3: But the good news is with these plans is they 89 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 3: don't have this long list of exclusions the stuff that 90 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 3: the airlines are, so this stuff the airlines are, Sonny 91 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 3: was dunk, please don't buy it. If I would say 92 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 3: that here's why you should buy travel insurance to cover 93 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:21,480 Speaker 3: the costs of your trip, is that if it's a 94 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 3: unique trip, if you're booking a cruise and there's no 95 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 3: refunds allowed period, consider getting travel insurance. Although personally I 96 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 3: wouldn't buy it. If you're gonna take if you're like 97 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,559 Speaker 3: doing some kind of group tour or package or something 98 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 3: like that in Europe, you have to pay up front. 99 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 3: I guess consider buying it, but just know it's expensive. 100 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 3: I alce took a trip to Alaska and I stayed 101 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 3: in this lodge and like the other side of Denali, 102 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 3: And it was one of those things where, uh, well, 103 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 3: my wife, is that. 104 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:50,839 Speaker 2: The one where there went farest fires? 105 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 3: Well that was that was a different thing. It was 106 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 3: the same trip, but this place was like six hundred 107 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 3: dollars a night and I was going for like five nights, 108 00:04:57,920 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 3: and I was like, man, my mom hasn't been well. 109 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 3: I end up not buying the insurance, but I mean 110 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 3: I didn't feel good about it. Those are the types 111 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 3: of trips where if it's high risk, if you know, look, 112 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 3: something might happen, I might not be able to make 113 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 3: this trip and I have to prepay for a lot 114 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 3: of stuff, maybe it's worth buying the insurance, but even 115 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 3: then it's it's expensive for what it is. The other 116 00:05:15,880 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 3: type of plan that you should consider buying, though, are 117 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 3: medical plans. If you're going abroad and you're on Medicare 118 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 3: and you don't have a Medicare advantage plan, especially if 119 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 3: you're just on straight Medicare, you do not have coverage 120 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,720 Speaker 3: for medical costs while you're abroad, it won't cover you, 121 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,160 Speaker 3: and some private health insurance plans won't cover you either. 122 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 3: So if you have private insurance or Medicare advantage, check 123 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 3: to see what you get. Does it cover foreign medical care, 124 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 3: Especially if you're older, it's important that you might be 125 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 3: important to you have that coverage, especially going a part 126 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 3: of the world where the medical care isn't very good 127 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 3: and you might need to be kind of extracted or 128 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 3: ambulanced back, that's when it gets expensive. I had a 129 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,200 Speaker 3: friend who was in Uganda and she got in this 130 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 3: really bad car accident, had this really add back injury, 131 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 3: had to be evacuated back to the US for like 132 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 3: emergency surgery. And let me guess, okay, well now I've 133 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:07,520 Speaker 3: given you. 134 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 2: You gave me the first numberty grand. 135 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:11,919 Speaker 3: No, it was like it was around two hundred thousand 136 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:13,880 Speaker 3: dollars is what it cost her to get back. 137 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 2: Uh. 138 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 3: And fortunately somebody at her church stepped up and paid that, 139 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 3: because otherwise she's gonna be paralyzed for life. 140 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: I'm gonna go on to church. Yeah, joined the Church 141 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 2: of Latter day Saints. They'll take care of me. 142 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:32,719 Speaker 3: No, But so yeah, I think you know that's something 143 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 3: worth buying, is if you're going abroad, especially if you're 144 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 3: on Medicare, you don't have coverage for it. Uh, you 145 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 3: always say, and you should buy insurance to protect against 146 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 3: something against risks that if they happened, they would be 147 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 3: financially catastrophic to you. So you need to ensure your 148 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 3: home because if your house burns down, you're gonna lose 149 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 3: what for most of us is our biggest asset, right, 150 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 3: and even if you're renting, you're gonna lose all your belongings. 151 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:58,359 Speaker 3: If you haven't sure, you need to ensure. If you 152 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,599 Speaker 3: own a car, you need to have adequate vehicle insurance, 153 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 3: not just to protect the value of the car, but 154 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 3: in case you hurt somebody and get suited. Yeah, that's 155 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 3: the big one. That's a big one, a liability. These days, 156 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 3: everyone really needs healthcare insurance. Otherwise, you know, if you 157 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 3: get sick and you're not gonna be able before people 158 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 3: go bankrupt trying to pay medical bills. I don't think 159 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,440 Speaker 3: you need to buy insurance to protect yourself for a 160 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 3: four hundred dollars round trip airfare or even a three 161 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 3: thousand dollars vacation. That's not gonna be funny. It might 162 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 3: be a disruptive and it might hurt, but I don't 163 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 3: think you should buy insurance for it. But you should 164 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 3: buy insurance against the risk of needing to be evacuated back. 165 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm on the same page as this is what 166 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,280 Speaker 2: I did this time for the upcoming trip. I only 167 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,559 Speaker 2: they said how much is your cost? I said fifty bucks. 168 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 2: And even though I'm only ensuring my trip with the 169 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 2: fifty bucks, all that medical stuff still counts. Yeah. 170 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 3: So the good news is that these plans. These days, 171 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 3: there's there's a couple of websites, ones like I don't 172 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 3: know It's at cover your Trip or travel insurance dot com. 173 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 3: These these websites have these comparison tools or for multiple policies. 174 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 3: You can click with you want, I do want medical 175 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 3: coverage and I want it at this you know limit 176 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 3: I do or don't want? Cancel for any reason. You 177 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 3: put in your age and where you're going and how 178 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 3: much your trip costs, and they spit up premiums and 179 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 3: you can kind of zero down to the company that's 180 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 3: going to charge you a lot. 181 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 2: And if you don't want to do that online they 182 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 2: do have there's a company, at least one company that 183 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 2: is sort of an independent insurer. Way you can tell 184 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 2: them what you want and they will help you decide 185 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 2: on which policy is right for you. Say I need 186 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:28,640 Speaker 2: this that, and they asked do you want do you 187 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 2: want waiver of pre existing condition, et cetera. Can we 188 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 2: go back to something you said? I want to make 189 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 2: sure I heard it correctly. If you are on Medicare 190 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 2: and you have medical original Medicare, you are not covered. 191 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 3: If you just have Plan A and B or just 192 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 3: A for Medicare you do not have coverage for for medical. 193 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,839 Speaker 2: But most everybody has to have the what's it called 194 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 2: the supplemental and usually whin the supplemental. 195 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 3: Some do, some do. Medicare advantage plans tend to have 196 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 3: some coverage. Yeah, when you travel abroad, but it's you. 197 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 3: It could be a low limit. So it really does 198 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 3: depend on where are you going. You know, right, what 199 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 3: are the risks of having to get evacuated back? I mean, 200 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 3: that's the big risk I think in terms of, you know, 201 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 3: catastrophic financially to you. So it's maybe the other thing 202 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 3: is like with these plans, you can buy an annual plan. 203 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 3: So if you know you're going to take three trips 204 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:20,840 Speaker 3: this year or whatever, you might take three trips, you 205 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 3: can just buy a plan that covers you anywhere for 206 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 3: the year. For these medical plans, not necessarily for the 207 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,359 Speaker 3: cancel for any reason stuff, those may be worth considering 208 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 3: again the travel insurance overall, as with any insurance, you're 209 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 3: going to pay more in than you're than on average 210 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:37,400 Speaker 3: you're going to get out. That's just the way they work, 211 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:40,479 Speaker 3: that's the way they make money. With these trip cancelation 212 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 3: plans that the airlines offer, they're ridiculously profitable for the 213 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 3: companies that write those policies. 214 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 2: So the takeaway from US is, according to Kevin our guests, 215 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 2: is he doesn't recommend you really buy insurance just to 216 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:56,760 Speaker 2: protect your airfa or maybe airfare in a hotel. If 217 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 2: you're taking an exotic or unique vacation, you might want 218 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 2: to and you may want to just get do what 219 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 2: you have to do to get medical insurance and evacuation 220 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 2: insurance as well. 221 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, and also the other thing is some of these 222 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,199 Speaker 3: tour operators. I was looking at a trip today, I 223 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 3: probably won't do it. It's like a backpacking trip through 224 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 3: Switzerland or something. And part of the requirements for this 225 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 3: trip was you had to show them before you arrived. 226 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 3: You had to show proof that you bought traveling true. Well, 227 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,679 Speaker 3: the reason is is because now it alleviates that company 228 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:32,839 Speaker 3: from having to deal with people in terms of, well, 229 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 3: I can't make the trip and so now you're not 230 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 3: going to dispute the transaction with your credit card company 231 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 3: or something like that. The travel operators like, well, you 232 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,679 Speaker 3: bought travel insurance, so just deal with them, not with us. 233 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 3: We don't have to even deal with this this emergency 234 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 3: issue that came up with you. We don't have to 235 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 3: accommodate you at all. 236 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 2: All right, good stuff. More to come after this On WBZ, It's. 237 00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 3: Night Side with. 238 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: Boston's News Radio. 239 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 2: Can with travel advice. By the way, we'd love to 240 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 2: hear from you. Do you plan a trip, because it's 241 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 2: fun to talk about planning a trip and have you 242 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 2: been on one recently? We want to hear about it. 243 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:11,480 Speaker 2: Your friends don't really want to hear about it. They'll say, 244 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 2: how was your trip? They don't really want to hear 245 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 2: about it. Watch their eyes glaze over when you start 246 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 2: to get into the details. But we all want to 247 00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 2: hear six one, seven, two, five, ten thirty. And we've 248 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,679 Speaker 2: been talking about the strategies and all, let me see 249 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 2: where should we should we do? Now? Oh? Yes, set 250 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 2: up alerts so you get informed when real airfare deals 251 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 2: show up. 252 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I often get asked, you know, what's 253 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 3: the best way to you know, find the best deals 254 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 3: on airfare on travel, And the answer is always look, 255 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 3: if you can be flexible, be flexible, if you can, 256 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 3: if you can plan, uh, you know, start booking your 257 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 3: airfare nine months out maybe for the best. And the 258 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 3: reason is that, look, okay, if you have kids, and 259 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 3: you know you're gonna want to go somewhere during break, 260 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 3: and you know when the spring break is, well, you're 261 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 3: kind of locked into the week you're traveling, right, But 262 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 3: if you can be flexible, if you can go to 263 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 3: you know, Europe in February or March, it's significantly less 264 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 3: expensive than it is during the summer months around the holidays, 265 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 3: and we're talking about half price. Instead of being eleven 266 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 3: hundred dollars per round trip ticket, it maybe only five 267 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 3: hundred dollars or six hundred dollars per round trip ticket. 268 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 3: So the more flexibility you can have the more the 269 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 3: better your chances will be of getting good deals and 270 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 3: also being flexible in terms of your destination. Like you know, 271 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 3: if you're locked into going to Paris, okay, start planning 272 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 3: your trip to Paris at least if you can't be 273 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 3: flexible on dates, you try to go on the shoulder 274 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 3: season when it's less expensive. But the more flexible overall 275 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 3: that you can be, the better. I mean, I've seen 276 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 3: differences in airfare, you know, hundreds and hundreds of dollars, 277 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 3: just a difference of one day right that, you know, 278 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:56,720 Speaker 3: instead of leaving on a Saturday leaving on a Monday. 279 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 2: It's weird dynamic. 280 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 3: And so the good news is that my favorite booking 281 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 3: site for airfares, Kayak, it has the best filters I 282 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 3: can put in there. I can say, look, I don't 283 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,840 Speaker 3: want basic economy fares. Uh, you know my wife's gonna 284 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 3: want to check a bag, so include that in your thing. 285 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,719 Speaker 3: I don't want to connect through certain airports. 286 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:18,480 Speaker 2: It just overall which airports do you not want to 287 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 2: connect through? Heathrow? 288 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 3: No, I'm fine with you. Throw The main thing is 289 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 3: that if I'm going to connect through well, pretty much 290 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:26,599 Speaker 3: any airport in Europe, I want to make sure I 291 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:29,160 Speaker 3: have at least two hours to make the next good 292 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 3: work through that well, because you got to go through 293 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 3: basically their customs and security all over again. And the 294 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 3: Heathrow you got to go from half an hour from 295 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 3: your midfield terminal to terminal five, then you have to 296 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,240 Speaker 3: go through security, then you have to go back out 297 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 3: to some midfield terminal. It's going to take you an 298 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 3: hour and a half probably to do that. They've got 299 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 3: a lot better with security. It's a lot faster there now, 300 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 3: but at some other airports, and you can just take 301 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 3: forever and also if there's a delay, well, you know, 302 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 3: it's hard to know whether you're going to be doing 303 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:01,160 Speaker 3: later or not. A track or whatever if you have 304 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 3: a European direction is minimum for me? 305 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 2: Yeah? Sometimes, like I remember Swiss Air fifty five minutes 306 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,839 Speaker 2: the whole trip over, you're worried, am I going to 307 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:12,160 Speaker 2: be able to do it? Cause it's it's like a gauntlet. 308 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 2: You got to be the first off the plane. People 309 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 2: is standing around. Oh, that uses up ten minutes, and 310 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 2: then you do have to go through the passport thing 311 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 2: and rego through probably reo through security, take shoes off again, 312 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 2: and you're just pulling your hair out. Am I gonna 313 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,080 Speaker 2: make it? Then you run out of breath and you 314 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 2: just barely make it. If your plane had been even 315 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 2: five minutes late, you wouldn't have made it. Some two 316 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 2: hours is minimum some of these. It's crazy to say 317 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 2: it's going to be an hour to fifteen minute. 318 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 3: Layover, but every flight gets boarded by a bus. Oh yeah, 319 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 3: that's not so you have to go to the gate, 320 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 3: and then you go to the gate and you're not 321 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 3: even at the plane yet. You get on a bus. 322 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 3: You're on the bus for twenty minutes before you get 323 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,840 Speaker 3: to the plane. So the bus leaves long before the 324 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 3: plane actually takes off, and so I'd say two hours. 325 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 3: So again, the nice think about you know, Kayak especially 326 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 3: is it just has the most filters. The filters work 327 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 3: I think better than you know, Google has a good 328 00:15:07,600 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 3: flight search, but I just think Kayak works better than 329 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 3: the others. You do have to watch out though for 330 00:15:12,760 --> 00:15:17,000 Speaker 3: these kind of and it's another tip we have in 331 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,080 Speaker 3: here is that if you can, it's I think it's 332 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 3: always better to book directly with the airline now with 333 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 3: a third party website, and not with one of these 334 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 3: discounters like there's like e Dreams and all these other things. 335 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 3: And the reason is when you book these kind of 336 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 3: consolidated airfare, these companies that specialize in these cheaper tickets, 337 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 3: you're the lowest person on the totem poll when it 338 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 3: comes to you your fair class. So we once booked 339 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:43,760 Speaker 3: a ticket through one of those companies and it was 340 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 3: on British Air and you know, live in the DC area. 341 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 3: We wanted to leave out of Dulles, which is twenty 342 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 3: five minutes from where we live, and at the last 343 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:53,400 Speaker 3: minute British Air was like, now you're gonna fly out 344 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,400 Speaker 3: of Baltimore instead, and your connection is going to and 345 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 3: your flight's going to be different. Your connection is going 346 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 3: to be a seven hour wait and he throw and 347 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,000 Speaker 3: there's nothing I could do about it because I had 348 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 3: booked like the lowest cost fair class. Yeah, I had 349 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 3: no control over this trip at this point. Never again, right. 350 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 3: And the other thing is again when you book direct, 351 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 3: and this goes for hotels and other things. If you 352 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 3: could save a lot of money, fine, But if you're 353 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 3: not saving that much money, it's better to book direct 354 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 3: with any travel operator because if there's a problem, you 355 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 3: know who to go to to complain or even to 356 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 3: get a refund. There's not this third party website between 357 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 3: you and that operator. You know who owes me money? 358 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 3: How I'm gonna get a refund? If I need to 359 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 3: change things, do I have to contact this travel booking 360 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 3: side or can I just contact the airline and deal 361 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 3: with it. 362 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 2: You mentioned the buses that sometimes you have to get 363 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 2: off the plane and get on a bus. This is 364 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 2: just a little bit of trivia. Travel trivia in Zurich. 365 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 2: In the Zurich airport. When you get on that bus'll 366 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 2: hear You'll hear they have a cow mooing. He goes moo. 367 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 2: It's weird because I guess they's such a cheese place. 368 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 2: They have cow mooing sound effects on that bus. It's 369 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:07,000 Speaker 2: quite shocking. And you mentioned we just talked a little 370 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:11,359 Speaker 2: bit about the websites where you don't know what you're 371 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 2: getting and it's like hot wiring, is it price? I 372 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 2: kind of enjoy those, and I just wanted to point 373 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 2: this out. If you're really a sleuth, you can pretty 374 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 2: come pretty close to figuring out which it is because 375 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 2: you can look at the picture of the show with 376 00:17:27,600 --> 00:17:30,000 Speaker 2: the place, and then you can go to the actual 377 00:17:30,240 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 2: hotel and maybe you can recognize the same thing out 378 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 2: the window. I know that's a lot of work. 379 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 3: No, the big the key for me is they'll some 380 00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:42,120 Speaker 3: of these websites, they'll say it's a four star hotel 381 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 3: in San Francisco on knob Hill. It wouldn't say nob hill, 382 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:48,520 Speaker 3: would know, would say not Hill, neighborhood. 383 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 2: Neighborhoods, Okay, give it in that neighborhood. 384 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 3: And then it would say and you know, in four 385 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 3: and a half stars out of five in terms of 386 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 3: user reviews, and that's based on threeenty four and eighteen 387 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 3: rating and you just go down. You see. Oh okay, 388 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 3: well the Mark Hopkins International in San Francisco also has 389 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 3: three thousand, four hundred and eighteen ratings, so you know 390 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 3: which one it is. 391 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 2: I really think they want you. 392 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 3: Oh, they don't care anymore. 393 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 2: They used to. 394 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 3: It used to be a big mystery when you book 395 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 3: these this wheel would spin. 396 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 2: It was like. 397 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 3: And price Line. Originally you'd bid and it didn't work, 398 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 3: so you'd have to come back the next day and 399 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 3: bid again. And now it's just now they've given up 400 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 3: on that. It's just it's their way of offering you 401 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:36,439 Speaker 3: a discounted room. And they're getting around these contracts. So 402 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,360 Speaker 3: hotels and these big booking websites, we won't. 403 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 2: Say where it is. If you give it a better deal, 404 00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 2: that's right, give you big. 405 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 3: Now they had. Now they can give you a real 406 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 3: discount because all right, so the hotels and price Line 407 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 3: and Expeding, all these companies, they have contracts that say, essentially, 408 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:54,920 Speaker 3: we're all going to charge the same price for the 409 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 3: same hotel rooms across all these different platforms for the 410 00:18:57,800 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 3: same stay, so they don't have to compete on price. 411 00:18:59,680 --> 00:18:59,880 Speaker 1: Right. 412 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,840 Speaker 3: The only way you can get a discount off that 413 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 3: regular price that they have to charge everyone is to whatever. 414 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 3: You can be a costco member now they can only 415 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 3: now they're only showing those rates to Costo members. You 416 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 3: can do these Priceline mystery deals. A lot of these 417 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 3: websites say log in or create account to see lower prices. 418 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 3: They're doing that because they can now give you a 419 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:23,560 Speaker 3: lower rate than what they have to offer the general public. 420 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 3: It's not going to be considerably lower. It's going to 421 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 3: be like eight percent lower. But with hot wire and 422 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 3: price Line, we found that the you know, sometimes it's 423 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 3: say forty percent off the prevailing rate. By using these 424 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 3: these mystery deals, selecting one of these things. 425 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 2: And another thing they do if you've never been there 426 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 2: is show you we promise it will be one of 427 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 2: these three or four hotels, so that nars it down 428 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 2: and they say, I don't know why they say this, 429 00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,679 Speaker 2: The last person who booked got this hotel. But a 430 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:53,520 Speaker 2: lot of times all of the hotels are beautiful, fun 431 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 2: and you can set a filter. 432 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,080 Speaker 3: You could say, look, I only want to stay at 433 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,160 Speaker 3: a four star plus hotel. I only want to stay 434 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 3: a place that has user rates means that are you know, 435 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 3: eighty percent highly favorable or whatever, I only want to 436 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 3: be in this neighborhood. You can kind of narrow it down. 437 00:20:07,680 --> 00:20:12,399 Speaker 3: The only risk with these hot wire hot rate deals 438 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 3: Priceline Express is what they call them, is that you 439 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,560 Speaker 3: have to prepay. So you say, okay, this is the 440 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:19,240 Speaker 3: one I want. You put in your credit card number, 441 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 3: you hit book, and you're locked in. There's no backing 442 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:24,159 Speaker 3: out at that point. If you're not happy, or you 443 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 3: change your mind, or you've done what I've done before, 444 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 3: which is I booked for the wrong days, then it 445 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 3: becomes a hassle. But I have found that the hotels, 446 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 3: they won't refund your money. But if you if you 447 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 3: need to change your travel plans to move your trip 448 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 3: to different you know, weekend or my case, like book 449 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:46,400 Speaker 3: the wrong weekend entirely, I can usually call the hotel. 450 00:20:46,560 --> 00:20:47,360 Speaker 2: And I mean, this. 451 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,120 Speaker 3: Is the thing about travel providers, is it's their business 452 00:20:50,119 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 3: to accommodate people and good hotels, the highly rated ones 453 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,080 Speaker 3: for example, or more likely than not to say, oh, yeah, 454 00:20:58,080 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 3: you screwed up, We'll go ahead and move your state. 455 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 2: No, I would like to ask you this question should 456 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 2: have a brief answer. When you have an airline that 457 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:11,720 Speaker 2: has partners, say is Delta and Delta and Swiss together. 458 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 2: Maybe it's like Delta air France, maybe Delta. Okay, let's 459 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 2: just say there is. Yeah, what if the flight you 460 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:25,199 Speaker 2: choose as you gone one airline out and the other 461 00:21:25,240 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 2: one back, does that present risks? 462 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 3: I don't worry about that. What I worry about is 463 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 3: change in airlines midstream, right. Uh. You know, I know 464 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 3: a lot of people they find out I found it 465 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 3: was cheaper to fly from Maui to la on the 466 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 3: last airlines and then to switch to Delta, so. 467 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 2: Buy another ticket. 468 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, but then now they gotta you know, come out 469 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 3: of security, get their luggage if they have checked bags, 470 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 3: switch terminals, go back through security just takes a long time. 471 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 3: And also if there's a delay on one end of 472 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,000 Speaker 3: their trip, well, you know the second and the second 473 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 3: half of the triple, Delta doesn't have to commodate you. 474 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,880 Speaker 3: You're you're not late because of Delta, you're late because 475 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 3: of some other airline. 476 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. 477 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, So these people who do that, I always think 478 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 3: that's little nuts. Personally, I do think it's worth paying 479 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,920 Speaker 3: attention to, especially with these mixed fares as you describe them. Yeah, 480 00:22:14,960 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 3: is there some kind of terminal change and my connection is. 481 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,400 Speaker 2: Extra complications and if something goes wrong you call airline 482 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 2: one that you book through, Yeah, and they go, oh no, 483 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 2: now you're going to talk to airline too, even though 484 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:28,879 Speaker 2: their partners you didn't book it. 485 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:30,679 Speaker 3: It's a little more competent. Yeah, I have you know, 486 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 3: I have booked often booked flights through American airlines website 487 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:39,959 Speaker 3: that have me on British air and I haven't had 488 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 3: trouble at all, and they seem to be pretty synced up. 489 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 3: I think Air France, Kaleum Delta, they're very much synced 490 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 3: up because they're basically flying you across Europe and the 491 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 3: same tubes. 492 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 2: Right, there's another thing. You may be booking thinking and 493 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 2: going the whole way on airline one, say Delta, but 494 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 2: you didn't notice that. You can check, but the second 495 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:01,680 Speaker 2: leg of your fly might be on some entirely different 496 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,840 Speaker 2: airplane airline you thought was Delta. It's say it'll say 497 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:12,479 Speaker 2: Delta flight one, two, three, four, operated by air small 498 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 2: Greek airline. Yeah, it's good to know ahead of the time. 499 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 3: That's good to know, and it doesn't worry me so 500 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:19,399 Speaker 3: much as long as again, you don't you know, you 501 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 3: have to like midstream change terminals and do something. 502 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,359 Speaker 2: You know, it's disconcerting. You're looking for that maybe a 503 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,960 Speaker 2: little your brand, and you say, WHOA, I don't know 504 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 2: if I trust this airline, this weird airline stuck way 505 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 2: out in some sad little corner of the airport you 506 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 2: have to take the bus to. They're not a very 507 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 2: they're not very high on a totem pole here. 508 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 3: My favorite is when I look for Airfair and I say, oh, 509 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 3: this looks like a good price, and in the the 510 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:52,360 Speaker 3: itiner area is flying from DC to LaGuardia and then 511 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:54,960 Speaker 3: from there having to make my way to jfk oh 512 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 3: All to Europe, and I'm like, no, nobody's doing this. 513 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,680 Speaker 3: And then you have this shuttle so it's supposed to 514 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 3: be so I'm you know, okay, but you still gotta 515 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 3: go across Long Island. Basically you gotta go. 516 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,639 Speaker 2: It's a giant hassle when you're really tired and lugging 517 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 2: stuff around and maybe you have gets you can't. That 518 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 2: is a huge thing. 519 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 3: Got to collect your It's just too much. 520 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 2: There's another thing to watch out for. When you're booking tickets. 521 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 2: You may forget to check the layover A lot of 522 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 2: times I'll say, oh wow, look at that airfare. Make 523 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 2: sure you read about the connection time before you. 524 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,000 Speaker 3: Click twenty hours at Casa Blanca. 525 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 2: For twenty four or thirty two hours, then maybe you 526 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,640 Speaker 2: have time to go into the town. But you gotta 527 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 2: check all those little details. It is a lot of work, 528 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 2: isn't it. I'm surprised I even bother. 529 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 3: I mean, some people they do it on purpose. They 530 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 3: want to spend twenty hours in Casablanca, they want to 531 00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 3: have a meal there, and I don't know. But for me, 532 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 3: I know, I want to get to where I'm going. 533 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 3: I don't that that whole long layover thing. It's just 534 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 3: not for me, you know. 535 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:56,679 Speaker 2: Okay. We have some more actionable, solid information and travel 536 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 2: tips coming up on WBZ. 537 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 1: Right after this, It's Night Side with Dan Ray on 538 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:04,880 Speaker 1: Boston's news radio. 539 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 2: More excellent travel tips with Kevin Bresla from checkbook dot org. 540 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:12,119 Speaker 2: This is important. I'm surprised we let it go. This 541 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 2: long sell service your phone. I used to be I 542 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 2: use it. As you may know, I used to be 543 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:23,560 Speaker 2: very frugal and cheap and buy everything cheap. And now 544 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 2: I'm not cheap. I'll play more, I'll pay more. And 545 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 2: I don't really have any more money. It's I don't 546 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 2: have the patience I used to. Maybe I'm just older. 547 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 2: I want a little more comfort, I want a little 548 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 2: more convenience. And before I would I didn't get any 549 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 2: cell service. I what did I do? I just would 550 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 2: use messenger but that way, but that way you can't. 551 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:52,800 Speaker 2: I couldn't get directions, I couldn't use apps to find places. 552 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 2: So finally I decided on a cell plan, and I 553 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 2: wanted you to talk to us about well the ins 554 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 2: and outs of that. 555 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:03,959 Speaker 3: All right, So the good news is when you go abroad, 556 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 3: if you have you know, with if you're with T Mobile, Verizon, 557 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 3: AT and T and even some of these resellers, right, 558 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 3: your phone will work when you get abroad. Although if 559 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 3: you're like with a smaller company like Consumer Cellular or 560 00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 3: Boost or Mint or whatever, you need to find out 561 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 3: in advance what you need to do to get your 562 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:21,879 Speaker 3: phone to work abroad, or even if you can. But 563 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,959 Speaker 3: with the three main carriers, your phone's gonna work when 564 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 3: you land abroad. That's the good news. 565 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 2: You purchasel, No, it'll work, Oh, it'll work. What what's 566 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 2: in the play is how much. 567 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,120 Speaker 3: You want, how much you could pay for the privilege, 568 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 3: right because these companies they have partnerships with the cell 569 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 3: companies in Europe. But you you may pay extra, and 570 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,240 Speaker 3: with some of these plans you may pay a lot 571 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 3: extra if you don't have a research in advance. So 572 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 3: so the best deal for international travel in terms of 573 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 3: US cell phone carriers is probably T Mobile because T Mobile, 574 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 3: if you're going to Europe most countries in Europe, you 575 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 3: don't pay anymore U to have Gervis in Europe, so 576 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 3: long as you have a conventional plan. If you have 577 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 3: these prepaid plans, it's a whole different topic, okay, But 578 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,120 Speaker 3: if you have a regular plan with TEA Mobile, your 579 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 3: phone is going to work in Europe and you don't 580 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 3: have to pay more. That's a nice thing. With AT 581 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 3: and T, your phone will automatically switch over to its 582 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 3: international calling stuff. And it's ten bucks a day for 583 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 3: the first line, and I think five bucks a day 584 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 3: for the second line. And you can buy a monthly 585 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:25,560 Speaker 3: plan if you're going to be there for a long 586 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,840 Speaker 3: time to make it makes more financial sense. But just 587 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 3: you know, for for me in my family and the 588 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:33,880 Speaker 3: family of four, you know, these costs start to add 589 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 3: up right ten dollars a day per line. Right with Verizon, 590 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 3: it's now twelve dollars a day per line. So a 591 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 3: family of four is gonna pay forty eight dollars a 592 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,600 Speaker 3: day for the privilege of having a non bricked phone. 593 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:52,879 Speaker 3: When abroad, Verizon finally started waving that extra and you 594 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 3: also had to enroll on that plan. You had to 595 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:58,720 Speaker 3: know to enroll on Verizons per day plan before you go, 596 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 3: otherwise they're going to charge you per like megabyte of 597 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 3: data and stuff in the cost. 598 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 2: If you send a video, you're going to get kids. 599 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:07,320 Speaker 3: I've talked to people who had thousands of dollars, you know, 600 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:09,520 Speaker 3: came back home and a few days later got their 601 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 3: cell phone bill and it was four thousand dollars because 602 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:12,359 Speaker 3: they didn't notice. 603 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:14,240 Speaker 2: Is there any way out of that? Are they stuck? 604 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 3: Not really pretty much stuck. So you have to know 605 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 3: any advanced with Verizon. Exfinity is another one. They have 606 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 3: a cell service for their their data home internet customers. 607 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,680 Speaker 3: They're basically reselling Verizon stuff. They're charging ten dollars a 608 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,480 Speaker 3: day per line. So for me, when I had Exfinity 609 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 3: for a while, Exfinity Mobile, we go abroad and I'd 610 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,679 Speaker 3: tell my kids, you'd put your phone airplane mode for 611 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 3: this whole trip, because I'm not paying twenty dollars a 612 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:39,240 Speaker 3: day for their lines. 613 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,480 Speaker 2: And if they sent a video to their friend. 614 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 3: Well they have to do it over Wi Fi, right, 615 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 3: and so you know before if they obeyed you, they 616 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:52,160 Speaker 3: were they were annoyed. The good news is Verizon started 617 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 3: waving that twelve dollars a day fee or whatever, but 618 00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 3: only if you're with its top top tier plan. And 619 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:02,320 Speaker 3: so you know, you're you're paying hundreds of dollars a 620 00:29:02,360 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 3: month for the privilege of having Verizon top to your plan. 621 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 3: You may be saving something when you're fad, but I'm 622 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 3: not sure to worth that. I think the short answer 623 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 3: is the best deal is T Mobile. Another good deal 624 00:29:13,720 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 3: is you can buy a SIM. You can actually before 625 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,480 Speaker 3: your trip or once you get there, you can switch 626 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 3: your phone over entirely to that foreign carriers network and 627 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 3: it's a lot cheaper. It's like, you know, a couple 628 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 3: of dollars a day and. 629 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 2: You and you have a different phone number. 630 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 3: Right now, you have a different phone number, You're you're 631 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 3: you're old. If most new phones have dual SIM capacity, 632 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 3: So somebody from the US is trying to call or 633 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 3: text you, you'll get it. But yeah, it with with 634 00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 3: older phones that don't have that. If switch back and forth, 635 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 3: people will not be able to touch with a little 636 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 3: bit of a pain is if you're going to be 637 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 3: abroad for three months, you definitely should get one of 638 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 3: these others because you just don't have to pay. 639 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 2: Some okay, and it is super imperative that you have data, 640 00:29:55,520 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 2: and you have really unlimited data because there's so much 641 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 2: stuff that you have to do online, uh where not 642 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 2: just get directions, but if you plan on going you 643 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 2: say I'd like to go on a side trip to 644 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 2: a town maybe an hour out of town, you have 645 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 2: to have the phone to book the. 646 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:17,520 Speaker 3: Tickets right because they know what train to get on. 647 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,160 Speaker 2: And know what train right, what train to get on, 648 00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 2: because if you don't, you have to go to the 649 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:25,400 Speaker 2: station and there may not be tickets there and and 650 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 2: so you need to You've got to book stuff in advance. 651 00:30:29,080 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 2: And if you want to make a reservation at a restaurant, 652 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 2: perhaps it's really imperative. 653 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:37,520 Speaker 3: I mean there's there's Wi Fi abroad is way better 654 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 3: in Europe and in Asia is usually way better than here. 655 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 2: But if you're in a building, it's you got to 656 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 2: find out their password, and if you're if you're on 657 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 2: the street, you got to go in some restaurant and 658 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 2: ask that password. You got enough on your mind. 659 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 3: And the other thing is that, uh, you know, outside 660 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 3: the US, like the standard communication tool isn't texts and 661 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:00,680 Speaker 3: phone calls, it's it's What's app. What's which is an 662 00:31:00,680 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 3: app that you know basically Facebook bought up a while back, 663 00:31:04,520 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 3: but that's their standard way of communicating. They generally don't text. 664 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 3: They use WhatsApp to send these texts. And it's Internet based, 665 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:14,440 Speaker 3: and so if you don't have an Internet connection or 666 00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 3: sell connection, then you're not gonna get messages. You need 667 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:20,040 Speaker 3: to meet up with the host for your apartment or whatever. 668 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 3: You're just not gonna be able to communicate with people 669 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 3: in Europe. You know, you're not gonna be able to 670 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 3: tell a restaurant yes I can from a reservation kind 671 00:31:27,840 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 3: of stuff like that. 672 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 2: All right, we have only one more segment left here 673 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 2: with Kevin Wrestler, and then well I'll be out of here. 674 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 2: Dan Ray will be in tomorrow night on Nightside. 675 00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's 676 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: news radio. 677 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 2: Only a few more minutes left with Kevin Bresler. Check 678 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 2: book dot org. You might want to check that out. 679 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 2: Check book dot org some real solid travel tips. It 680 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:58,120 Speaker 2: almost there's so many things that can go wrong, it's 681 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 2: almost would make folks go, never mind, I'm staying home. 682 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,800 Speaker 3: Yeah. I've gotten back from some trips and said, that's it. 683 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:06,240 Speaker 3: I'm not going anymore. 684 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 2: We say it all the time, that's it. I'm done. 685 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:10,640 Speaker 3: I'm not worth the hassle. 686 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 2: I'm done. I'm gonna. I always say I'm just gonna 687 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 2: go up to New Hampshire or maybe maybe Quebec, and 688 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:22,960 Speaker 2: then it never happens. Yeah, okay, Uh, we haven't mentioned 689 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: the reminder to check out the plugs that you have 690 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 2: to use in your country. That. 691 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:31,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean a lot of I know a lot 692 00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:33,960 Speaker 3: of people they just enjoy kind of you know, flying 693 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,040 Speaker 3: by the seat of their pants, right, But I think 694 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,040 Speaker 3: there's some things that are just worth checking in advance. 695 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 3: You know, what you know are if you're in really 696 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:44,480 Speaker 3: anywhere outside the Europe, outside North America, the plugs you use, 697 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 3: what you plug in when you go abroad. There's different plugs. 698 00:32:47,680 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 3: You buy adapters. It's really easy to do, but just 699 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 3: you know, there's different types. Know which one to get. 700 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 3: You know, we mentioned WhatsApp, you know, just kind of 701 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 3: find out, you know, how to people mostly communicate in 702 00:32:57,200 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 3: the country. 703 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,560 Speaker 2: Make sure to check out find out what app is 704 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 2: used to get transportation. Yeah. 705 00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, And that's the weird thing. 706 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 2: Is we're in a lot of places not the case. 707 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,000 Speaker 3: Uber sometimes lifts, sometimes it doesn't. Some countries, like just 708 00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 3: got back from Barcelona and there there aren't there is 709 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 3: an uber or lyft, but there are ten cabs every 710 00:33:17,280 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 3: block it seems like waiting to pick you up. And 711 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 3: it's good to know and advance. Hey, you know that 712 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,320 Speaker 3: they're only going to charge me eleven euros or something 713 00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:26,040 Speaker 3: to get me mostly across town. It's pretty cheap to 714 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 3: get a cab. In Barcelona and some other cities it's 715 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 3: a lot more expensive to get a cab. And in 716 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 3: some cities the cab doesn't have to give you any 717 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 3: information on fares. They drop you off and can demand 718 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:35,920 Speaker 3: fifty bucks. 719 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 2: Well that's not a genuine cab. 720 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 3: It's not. But just in sometimes be careful. 721 00:33:41,240 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 2: About getting a genuine gap. 722 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,000 Speaker 3: I think it's just it's good to know in advance 723 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 3: what the norms are how the cabs operate. Is it 724 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 3: a meter, Is there an app for it? Is there 725 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:58,680 Speaker 3: an express train into the sea one some If it 726 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 3: doesn't have a meter, don't get in it. Yeah, it's 727 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 3: just so much easier now to research these things than 728 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:06,400 Speaker 3: it used to be because of the Internet, obviously, but 729 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 3: I just think, you know, before you go, just take 730 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 3: those basic steps. The other thing I do is I check, 731 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 3: so I'm just not confused when I get on the ground. 732 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:16,440 Speaker 3: You know, what's the tipping norms in that country? They 733 00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:20,360 Speaker 3: very tremendously from country to country in Europe and across 734 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 3: the world. In some some countries, you know, tipping is 735 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,920 Speaker 3: just kind of unheard of, and so you know you 736 00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,000 Speaker 3: don't need to worry about it. In other countries like Spain, 737 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 3: it's not expected, but it's appreciated. If you tip five 738 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 3: ten percent of your restaurant bill. Cabs don't really expect 739 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:37,120 Speaker 3: it at all. I mean, it's just kind of different. 740 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 3: Everything sure is quick story. 741 00:34:40,239 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 2: And if folks know you're an American, they're going to expect 742 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 2: a tip because they know, yeah, you're used to tipping. 743 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,239 Speaker 2: And in Istanbul, my brother and I ate to this 744 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:53,959 Speaker 2: place and we I guess didn't leave what the guy 745 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:58,799 Speaker 2: thought Americans were used to leaving or should leave, and 746 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 2: he yelled at us, actually physically yelled loudly in the 747 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:06,880 Speaker 2: restaurant backsheesh, backsheesh, which I guess means it has to 748 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 2: it's about money. Yeah, And he, you know, yelled and 749 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 2: embarrassed us, and then we thought, what's going on? Are 750 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:15,719 Speaker 2: people going to come after us? Backshish? 751 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,440 Speaker 3: I just in general, I find the tipping thing is 752 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:21,040 Speaker 3: to me is it's always a little uncomfortable you no 753 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 3: matter where you are, right right, But if you know 754 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:25,200 Speaker 3: and advance what the norms are and what they expect, 755 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 3: it just makes it a little bit smoother for me. 756 00:35:27,280 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 2: Isn't it difficult for you to not tip like a 757 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:32,839 Speaker 2: little bit, especially say you're in France and they don't 758 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:35,919 Speaker 2: expect it, but they've been so nice to you, Ben. 759 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 3: Translate everything for the rest of the family or whatever, right, 760 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,200 Speaker 3: and the kid doesn't want what's on the minute, she 761 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:45,440 Speaker 3: wants pasta just with a little bit of butter, and 762 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:47,920 Speaker 3: trying to explain that, and they're so welcoming tonight, and 763 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:50,400 Speaker 3: then and then it's they don't expect any tip it 764 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,840 Speaker 3: all because they because they get paid at a living wags. 765 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 3: Like a waiter's job in Paris, for example, is a 766 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,480 Speaker 3: good job to have because you know, they have pretty 767 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 3: short hours and then they get paid wage. 768 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:01,000 Speaker 1: Yeah. 769 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,320 Speaker 2: I like to tip, not as not twenty percent, because that's. 770 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 3: Like ooh this, that's like, yeah, you're it's like. 771 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:08,920 Speaker 2: You're a sucker American. But you give them something more 772 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 2: than they're used to, but not as much as we pay. 773 00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:13,719 Speaker 3: Somewhere in the countries that is normal, like it is 774 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,319 Speaker 3: like tipping norms are more and as you said, in 775 00:36:16,360 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 3: some countries, like in the touristy areas which I kind 776 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,600 Speaker 3: of try to avoid restaurants tours series, you know, so 777 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:25,360 Speaker 3: in I think a good example is in like Prague 778 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 3: when I was there, and in Barcelona, tipping really isn't 779 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,839 Speaker 3: expected at all. Most people don't tip, or they tip 780 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,000 Speaker 3: me only like five or ten percent. But if you're 781 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 3: in like the more touristy restaurant, no, there's actually a 782 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 3: place on the uh you know, they bring you the 783 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 3: thing to your table to pay, right, they don't. They 784 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:42,399 Speaker 3: don't take your credit card and come back with it. 785 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 3: They have a little wireless thing. A lot of US 786 00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 3: restaurants are doing this now, and in those restaurants, it's 787 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 3: actually there's a place where you can add gratuity because 788 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:51,760 Speaker 3: more Americans are there, and therefore you know, they're happy 789 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 3: to get the money, right, And so now it's uncomfortable again, 790 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:56,279 Speaker 3: right like, well, normally people don't tip, but I guess 791 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 3: I'm gonna tip here because you're presenting with the option. Again, 792 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,240 Speaker 3: it's just better to know in advance what the norms 793 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 3: are and what the the customs are, and so you're 794 00:37:04,160 --> 00:37:05,919 Speaker 3: you know, it's just a little bit easier. I find 795 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:07,759 Speaker 3: a little more comfortable to know in advance what but 796 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:08,359 Speaker 3: expects them. 797 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:11,439 Speaker 2: Here's a good one. Watch lots of YouTube videos about 798 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 2: where you're gonna go. I don't know if you do. 799 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 2: I do that a lot. For Spain, there's this guy 800 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:20,160 Speaker 2: named James Blick who's just fantastic. And then for France 801 00:37:20,200 --> 00:37:23,200 Speaker 2: there's live Frenchies, this husband and wife who just they 802 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:27,000 Speaker 2: go to French restaurants and they talk about the place. 803 00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 2: And that way, I found restaurants that I wanted to 804 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:32,520 Speaker 2: go to and I don't. I don't feel bad if 805 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,399 Speaker 2: I don't get there, but at least if you walking 806 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,040 Speaker 2: by and say, hey, we saw that one on the 807 00:37:37,040 --> 00:37:40,200 Speaker 2: headline and you have some idea of what it's like 808 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:41,360 Speaker 2: and it's kind of fun. 809 00:37:41,280 --> 00:37:42,840 Speaker 3: Or you know what to expect. If you're renting a 810 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 3: car and you go through a toll plaza, Okay, god, 811 00:37:44,840 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 3: what do I which? Which one am I looking for? 812 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:49,960 Speaker 3: You know which sign above which thing? And how am 813 00:37:49,960 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 3: I going to pay? It's just better to know in advance, 814 00:37:51,880 --> 00:37:53,320 Speaker 3: which is and that's why I said to do a 815 00:37:53,320 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 3: little bit of research and advance, because driving in Europe 816 00:37:56,719 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 3: can be very different than here in some countries. If 817 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,480 Speaker 3: you're going from Germany, which really doesn't have many toll 818 00:38:02,560 --> 00:38:06,560 Speaker 3: roads at all, into you know, Slovakia or whatever, like 819 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:08,920 Speaker 3: the toll roads. Oh no, you need to buy this 820 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 3: pass for your car. Basically, you need to register your 821 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:14,960 Speaker 3: license plate to pay for the tolls in advance. It's 822 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:17,759 Speaker 3: like plate passes here in the US, but you may 823 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:19,640 Speaker 3: not know about that. You get all the way over 824 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,240 Speaker 3: there and you have to register this thing and it again, 825 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:24,080 Speaker 3: if you don't have a good cell service, kind of 826 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,160 Speaker 3: go into panic mode. It's just better to know and 827 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 3: advance what you need to do so that once you 828 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:30,680 Speaker 3: get there, you're just not trying on the fly figure 829 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:33,440 Speaker 3: stuff out to me that's just it's just more comfortable 830 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:34,799 Speaker 3: for me to know and advance what I need to 831 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:35,960 Speaker 3: be doing before I get there. 832 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:38,680 Speaker 2: What do you have to offer on whether to drive 833 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:41,280 Speaker 2: or take a train at your say. 834 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 3: You're in Europe, I strongly prefer trains, but when I'm 835 00:38:45,480 --> 00:38:48,239 Speaker 3: traveling with my family, it just becomes a little It's 836 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 3: usually easier just let's just run a car because there's 837 00:38:50,640 --> 00:38:54,080 Speaker 3: four of us, we have a lot of luggage and right. 838 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 2: And you'd have to pay four train. 839 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 3: Tickets for train tickets. And then also I always. 840 00:38:58,320 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 2: Feel and your kids would complain. 841 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:02,040 Speaker 3: I think they'd like to they'd like the trains. I 842 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,320 Speaker 3: just feel now more responsible, Like in Europe sometimes you 843 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:06,600 Speaker 3: only have like two minutes to change trains if there's 844 00:39:06,640 --> 00:39:07,200 Speaker 3: a transfer. 845 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I just you know. 846 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:11,239 Speaker 3: If it's just me and I miss it or what, 847 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:14,360 Speaker 3: I'm fine. But now I'm there, I'm like the travel dad, 848 00:39:14,440 --> 00:39:17,440 Speaker 3: and I'm like responsible for everyone, and there's a lot 849 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:18,239 Speaker 3: more pressure there. 850 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:21,000 Speaker 2: What about tips on when you rent a car and. 851 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:24,280 Speaker 3: Well, I would say, first of all, be patient because 852 00:39:24,360 --> 00:39:26,279 Speaker 3: for some reason, renting a car in Europe often can 853 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:29,799 Speaker 3: take an hour for them to get to you in 854 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 3: line and to pull the car around or tell you 855 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,240 Speaker 3: where it is. And also in Europe they are far 856 00:39:35,280 --> 00:39:39,600 Speaker 3: more particular about every little nick and scratch on that 857 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:43,200 Speaker 3: car than most US car companies are. So definitely before 858 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:46,200 Speaker 3: you leave with your car, you take a video of 859 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:48,240 Speaker 3: the whole car and note every little piece of damage 860 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:51,680 Speaker 3: on there. The good news is they are less pushy 861 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:56,720 Speaker 3: about insurance there because by law on the EU, for example, 862 00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:58,880 Speaker 3: the car insurance company, they have to carry a lot 863 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:02,000 Speaker 3: of liability covering. And also if you're booking with a 864 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:03,640 Speaker 3: travel where they have a credit card, you get some 865 00:40:03,680 --> 00:40:06,719 Speaker 3: protections there, so you're usually better covered in Europe by 866 00:40:06,760 --> 00:40:08,520 Speaker 3: default than you were in the US. 867 00:40:08,920 --> 00:40:12,280 Speaker 2: I have one tip learned the hard way about train travel. 868 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:17,800 Speaker 2: There's so many trains, even in smaller stations, that you 869 00:40:18,719 --> 00:40:20,879 Speaker 2: may know where you're going to go at what time. 870 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 2: So you go out to platform three and you generally 871 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:31,200 Speaker 2: you see it's close to the time your train's coming. 872 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:33,880 Speaker 2: Say it's one o'clock and you see a train pulling 873 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:37,480 Speaker 2: it twelve fifty five, we would tend to think, oh, 874 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:40,040 Speaker 2: it's got to be my train. Do not assume that 875 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:44,360 Speaker 2: trains have numbers. Check the number on the ticket, because 876 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 2: that train could be would leave and then your train 877 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:52,200 Speaker 2: could be coming one minute behind that. So I made 878 00:40:52,239 --> 00:41:00,120 Speaker 2: a mistake in some tiny place in Normandy and on 879 00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:02,359 Speaker 2: the wrong train we got We thought, this is our train. 880 00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 2: Oh my god, it's you know, this has to be it. 881 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:07,840 Speaker 2: We got on and it was the wrong train. Happily 882 00:41:08,239 --> 00:41:11,520 Speaker 2: we were able to get off, and there was a 883 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:13,560 Speaker 2: connection that was had the same connection, so we were 884 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:15,200 Speaker 2: able to It was all right, but it was a 885 00:41:15,200 --> 00:41:18,000 Speaker 2: close call and it would have been just a kind 886 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:21,520 Speaker 2: of an expensive pain. Well, let's do it for tonight. 887 00:41:21,560 --> 00:41:23,200 Speaker 2: Thanks for being with us. You flew all the way 888 00:41:23,239 --> 00:41:25,880 Speaker 2: from DC to be with us, and it's really helpful. 889 00:41:25,960 --> 00:41:29,600 Speaker 2: Checkbook dot org does have a lot of information on services, 890 00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:32,360 Speaker 2: including all this travel stuff, and this is a good article. 891 00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:36,759 Speaker 2: If there's something that we touched on that you want 892 00:41:36,760 --> 00:41:39,120 Speaker 2: to know more about, you want the whole article. It's 893 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:43,319 Speaker 2: called sixty Strategies for finding the best travel deals and 894 00:41:43,480 --> 00:41:50,120 Speaker 2: avoiding trouble and that's checkbook dot org and uh I 895 00:41:50,200 --> 00:41:53,160 Speaker 2: kind of recommend it. Kevin. We really appreciate you coming 896 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 2: by here in person. It's always so great to have 897 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:58,200 Speaker 2: someone in the studio and you know you have a happy, 898 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:00,080 Speaker 2: happy trip to wherever you're going next, where. 899 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:02,880 Speaker 3: You go next, I'm not sure. I mean, we just 900 00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 3: got back from Spain and you take a breather, all right. 901 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 2: So thanks to Troy, thanks to Rob Brooks for working 902 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:12,080 Speaker 2: the wheel back there and Master Control, and to all 903 00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:14,600 Speaker 2: of you. Thank you for your support and being with 904 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:17,120 Speaker 2: us on night side for the past few days. I 905 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:19,240 Speaker 2: appreciate it. Dan Ray will be in tomorrow.