Corey Roth

@SouthwestAir adds free same-day standby or A-List members but there is a catch.

Southwest has had a history of doing things differently than the rest of the airlines and that is what makes them awesome.  However, one thing I never liked was the fact that flying Standby required a full-fare (Anytime) ticket.  That meant if you took a low-cost fare on vacation and decide you need to come back earlier that day, you had to pay the difference in cost between that low-fare and the…

Disney Cruise Line Series: Back-to-back cruising

If you are fortunate enough to have sufficient vacation time and money, you may have the unique opportunity to book back-to-back cruises on the same ship.  I had the pleasure of doing my first back-to-back in January of 2016 on the Disney Wonder.  I took a repositioning cruise from Galveston to San Juan, Puerto Rico and then followed it up with a Southern Caribbean cruise.  Today we’ll learn…

Has the Disney Wonder lost its Magic? @DisneyCruise

I’ve sailed on the Disney Wonder a couple of times and she is a great ship.  However, with her maiden voyage dating back to August 1999, she is starting to show her age.  This ship sails all over the world so it’s no surprise that some things are looking a little rough.

We see a lot of it in the staterooms which are harder to maintain.  From our stateroom, you can see where things need to be…

Disney Cruise Line Series: Maximize your character sightings on day one on the Disney Wonder @DisneyCruise

The first few hours on a cruise ship are nuts.  You can’t get to your stateroom until 1:30 and you are dreading the safety drill.  On top of that your kids are tired and cranky and still wondering why they haven’t seen Mickey Mouse yet.  Follow these pro tips though and you’ll have a near private experience with the characters as they get ready for the Sail Away party.

Coffee with Baileys at Cove…

Does Southwest Airlines have business class or first class?

For people that are new to Southwest Airlines they often ask if Southwest has an equivalent of business class or first class.  For a seasoned Southwest traveler that may seem like a dumb question, but I get traffic on my web site every day with people asking that exact question.

Does Southwest have business class or first class?  No. 

Remember, once onboard a Southwest plane every one on the…

TSA ends Managed Inclusion Program for Pre-Check – Business Travelers celebrate!

I have long been critical of the TSA Managed Inclusion Program for Pre-Check.  Under this program, passengers who were considered low-risk would get tossed into the Pre-Check line even though they weren’t a part of the Pre-Check program.  This often resulted in inexperienced travelers and seniors being dumped into the Pre-Check line.  This slowed things down.  It was not uncommon at some airports…

Disney Cruise Line implements restrictive onboard alcohol policy. @DisneyCruise

This week Disney Cruise Line (DCL) implemented a new onboard alcohol policy effective September 30th, 2015.  The change is as follows:

Effective for cruises embarking on or after September 30, 2015, Disney Cruise Line Guests 21 years and older may bring a maximum of 2 bottles of unopened wine or champagne (no larger than 750 ml) or 6 beers (no larger than 12 ounces) on board at the beginning of…

Disney Cruise Line Series: How tender boats work on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands @DisneyCruise

I’ve been to a number of Caribbean islands now by boat using Disney Cruise Line.  One of the islands I particularly enjoyed was Grand Cayman.  However, Grand Cayman doesn’t have a pier like other islands because it is surrounded by a corral reef.  As a result, when you take a ship like the Disney Fantasy, they have to drop anchor and bring you in on smaller boats called tenders.  This leads to a…

@Southwest offering $15 off your ride to Dallas Love Field with @Lyft. @DallasLoveField

The parking shortage continues at Dallas Love Field as we enter the summer season and a new garage is years away.  To encourage users to ride to the airport instead of parking, Southwest has partnered with Lyft to bring you a discount to and from the airport.  If you are not familiar with Lyft, it is another online ride service similar to Uber.

You’ll get a promo code automatically via e-mail…

Save $250 on a @Southwest flight + hotel package

If you are looking to book that summer vacation, now is a great time to do it.  You can save up to $250 on an flight and hotel package on Southwest.  You have to book soon though.  This deal expires on 6/4!

Just use promo code 3DAYSALE when booking.

Save $250 on a Southwest Flight and Hotel

Fly you and a companion to Dubai on @Emirates for only $1299

Dubai is by far one of the coolest places I have visited.  If you have ever been thinking about visiting there, now is a great time to book.  Two of you can fly on Emirates for only $1,299.  That’s less than I paid for my first ticket.  That’s less than you’ll usually pay going to Europe.  This offer only applies if you live in one of the cities that Emirates flies to in the United States which…

@Bose QuietComfort 20Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones - a great travel companion

The box of the Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

I recently won a pair of Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones(QC20) at a conference.  Technically, most people would call these earbuds, so whatever you want to call them,  I’ve always known of the Bose name but I could never come to spending the money on their products.  However, since I got my pair…

What is a "Wanna get away" fare on Southwest Airlines? @SouthwestAir

Southwest Airlines keeps their airfare classes extremely simple.  They don’t have Y, M, K, X, and other cryptic classes that only people with 10+ years in the travel industry understand.  They have three fares:

Business Select– Southwest’s top fare which includes priority boarding, more Rapid Rewards Points, priority screening, and a drink.  It’s also fully refundable and you can change your…

@CLEAR_ME opening in Baltimore and Miami - Get three months free!

A card reader at the CLEAR kiosk.

If you live in Baltimore or Miami, now is a great time to sign up for CLEAR.  CLEAR is open in Baltimore now and opens on May 20th in Miami.  If you are not familiar with CLEAR, think of it as your personal escort through the security line.  Even if you have TSA PreCheck this can save you lots of time at busy airports in the mornings.  To sweeten the offer, CLEAR…

CLEAR goes cardless in select airports @CLEAR_ME

When traveling out of San Antonio last week, I had my CLEAR card in my hand as I approached the checkpoint.  To my surprised, the agent informed me that my card was not needed.  “We just do biometric security now”, he said.  I walked up to the kiosk, put my finger down on the scanner and I was good to go.  You can also do an iris scan.  The agent then walked me through the TSA checkpoint as…

Disney Cruise Line Series - Castaway Cay @DisneyCruise

Boats and watercraft greet the cruise ship as it pulls into Castaway Cay

Many cruise lines have their own private island and Disney Cruise Line is no exception with Castaway Cay (“Cay” is pronounced “Key”).  Castaway Cay formerly known as Gorda Cay was acquired through a 99-year land lease from the Bahamas.  While the island is largely undeveloped, the areas open to cruise line guests are quite…

Parking challenges continue at @DallasLoveField. @SouthwestAir

When the Wright Amendment expired last October, I don’t think Southwest or Dallas Love Field realized how much demand there was going to be for flights to these new non-stop destinations.  Traffic is up by nearly 40% for Southwest alone.  With the addition of Virgin America, demand is even higher.  As a result, the parking facilities at Love Field are struggling to keep up.  The current A and B…