TravelTube.com Podcast Transcript
Host: Mark Murphy
Introduction
Hi, I'm Mark Murphy, and this is TravelTube.com. Yes, I'm back again, and I'm going to cover a few things today.
Last week I talked about resort fees and how they're basically becoming a self-inflicted wound for travelers because people don't like them. I'm going to share a video of a young traveler who was on her honeymoon and her comments about this issue.
I'm also going to touch on some of the nonsense coming out of Canada regarding claims that the U.S. is a dictatorship, Trump's evil, you're losing your rights, they're kidnapping people, etc. A little self-reflection, folks – that's what you need. Now, do I care what Canadians have to say? Not really, because many of you are so uninformed it's ridiculous. Some of you aren't, and some of you get it, but many don't, especially in the travel industry. But that's okay – we can all get along.
Another thing I'm going to discuss is AI in travel. People keep thinking AI is going to take over the world. Yeah, AI is going to be a great tool for travel planning, but there's a warning out there – and it's not coming from me, it's coming from the CEO of an AI company.
Then I'll wrap up with some travel tips and gadgets you won't want to miss.
So you don't miss anything, subscribe at traveltube.com, go to your favorite podcast apps, find us on TikTok (@traveltube.com), Instagram (@traveltube_com), and Facebook. You can tell by our logo when you're on the right site. A lot of people use the name even though I have a trademark, but if they're not in the country, I can't really go after them. Remember, Mark Murphy at traveltube.com is the real deal.
Resort Fees: A Honeymoon Horror Story
Let me pull up a lady who recently posted about her trip back from her honeymoon in Hawaii. She'll tell you what she thinks about resort fees:
Honeymoon Traveler's Experience: "Dude, travel in the U.S. is dead and it's all because of corporate greed. I'm on my honeymoon right now – my last leg – I'm in Honolulu and I just stayed at a resort. I saw a $500 bill being tagged onto my bill at checkout, and it says 'daily resort fee of $52 plus tax per room per day.' The following amenities are included:
- Fresh flower or coconut lei greeting upon arrival for two guests per stay (which we didn't ask for because the flowers were itching my neck)
- Daily morning yoga for two guests
- Bag of freshly baked banana bread muffins
- Refillable logo water bottles
Murphy: Okay, I've had eight surgeries on my right leg. If somebody wants to charge me a resort fee for yoga classes – yeah, I can't do yoga classes. I don't want to do yoga classes.
She goes on to describe her beach experience:
"This is my beach view, but there's a $70 fee to reserve one of those chairs in the sun. Why would I pay $70 as a guest, on top of what I'm already paying, on top of this resort fee that's charging me for things I don't want, for a beach chair? When I could just go farther back and find one of these crappier beach chairs to sit in.
But is that how you're going to treat your guests – give them a crappier beach chair because you have other beach chairs up front that you're going to charge $200 for? And not even on the actual beach, because the actual beach chairs you have to reserve a day in advance for $70 per chair. Otherwise, there's absolutely no space on the beach.
Literally go to anywhere else – go to any other country for your honeymoon, for your vacation. Save your money because in the U.S. you're never going to feel welcome as a guest."
My Take on Resort Fees
Did you hear what she said? "Travel somewhere else, don't come to the U.S." Hotel folks, are you listening? This isn't going away.
You could easily say, "We're going to have all these amenities, and because we have all these amenities, there's a cost built into the rate." But to stick it to them at the end with a $500 bill – yeah, that's beyond aggravating.
People are speaking out about it. This video was posted by an account called Wall Street Apes and she's saying "Traveling the U.S. is dead and it's all because of corporate greed." Hotels are also trying to game the system to show up better in search results. When you sort by low price to high price, their rate comes up, but when you look at all the fees at the end, it's not so good.
This is why I recommend travel agents – they're going to disclose all this stuff so you don't get blindsided.
She continues: "It's weird that every single thing you don't want to pay for, you have to pay for. And then every single thing you actually want, you have to pay for on top of that. It's not included in the fee that you're forced to pay for. It's so messed up when a hotel that will lose nothing from giving something out for free – like these chairs they already have – to their guests who are already paying, instead wants to charge guests for a chair."
Imagine being on your honeymoon and being so aggravated that you post a TikTok about it. This isn't going away, and I hope hotels wake up to this.
A Look at Canada: Some Perspective Needed
Now let's move to Canada. This video will speak for itself because it's another example of some weird stuff going on. I don't care – I'm not Canadian. You want to come to the U.S.? Come to the U.S. We've got so much to see and do.
What kind of cognitive dissonance is going on with folks in Canada? Take a look at this story from Hamilton, Ontario:
News Report: A resident has 10 security cameras mounted outside his Hamilton home. He says they've been a valuable tool for crime fighting: "I've actually participated in evidence sharing for three homicides on these cameras, over 40 break-and-enters, multiple home invasions. I've given over 40 videos to Hamilton Police Services who have come here in person and asked me for them."
But here's the kicker – the police are now requiring residents to take down those cameras for "personal security" reasons. Not because they want residents to get attacked, but because the cameras might pick up something else on the street that could "infringe on somebody's privacy."
Remember, these are the same police who told people to keep their key fobs outside their house so criminals wouldn't invade their homes to steal their cars.
Could you imagine living in the U.S. and police telling you, "Sorry, you can't have that type of personal security"? And you're telling us that the U.S. is tyrannical?
Again, self-reflection folks – it really helps.
AI in Travel: Promise and Peril
AI can be a great tool to sketch out travel plans – whether it's a road trip or international trip. It can plan schedules and tell you all sorts of things. Keep in mind, all it's doing is pulling from content that's out there, making things more efficient.
If you couple that with a knowledgeable travel agent, then you've got someone who can use that tool and fact-check it. Travel agents have industry tools that incorporate AI, making them even more robust than what the average consumer gets.
But there's a cautionary tale here. I found a video from an AI CEO who said: "I'm an AI CEO and even I think it can be dangerous in this case for health advice." This gentleman heads an AI-powered search engine called Pearl, and he reveals all the ways AI can go wrong in providing medical advice.
Let me ask you: if AI can go wrong providing medical advice, can it go wrong providing travel advice? Absolutely.
Have you heard the term "AI hallucinating"? Have you heard about AI chatbots leading someone to commit suicide? That's happening, folks. People are marrying their AI girlfriends and leaving their wives – bizarre, but it's going on today.
In one case, a gentleman tried to treat himself and almost died based on information from an AI tool.
AI Travel Planning Pitfalls
What could go wrong if you use AI tools thinking you've got it all figured out? Well, if you're one of my friends, you can book a flight that arrives at the airport at the same time the ship leaves the port. That didn't work – cost them about $15,000. Family of seven traveling for a Disney cruise missed the ship because they couldn't get the right flights.
You might be told certain areas are good, but based on what? A good travel agent is going to tell you what to avoid. An AI tool? Maybe not.
Can you use it? Absolutely. Use it to get information, just like you'd do a search, but fact-check the recommendations. If something contradicts the AI recommendation, speak to your agent again or contact the supplier directly.
If you book a tour or vacation package, those people in that destination know where to go and where not to go. I don't care where you're traveling – there are places you don't want to go and places that are okay. AI won't be able to handle that nuance in travel planning.
My prediction: you'll find smart travel agents using AI as a great tool, and you'll find the dumb ones who don't. Just like in every industry – there are good contractors and bad ones, good health advice and bad advice.
You can ask travel agents: "How many times have you been to Jamaica? When was the last time you went? What should I avoid? What's safe? When did you last send a customer to this resort? What was their feedback? Can I contact them?"
People who rely strictly on technology are going to get burned by it.
Travel Tips and Gadgets
Let me wrap up with some travel tips and gadgets:
Essential Items
Portable Battery Charger Always carry one, whether traveling domestically or internationally. Check size and airline compliance – it must be in your carry-on, not checked luggage.
Side note: If you're going to places like Mexico with multiple laptops, they may try to charge you hundreds of dollars. I've been stopped for having a laptop and iPad because they think you're there to sell stuff.
Book Your First Night in Advance Even if you want to wing it and figure things out when you arrive, book at least your first night. I tried the backpacking approach in Paris after college – we ended up staying 45 minutes outside the city the first night.
Credit Card Perks Many credit cards allow early check-in. Book the room, then call to request early check-in.
Travel Insurance
Depending on your trip type and cancellation policies, travel insurance can be crucial. If I'm booking a hotel in LA for three nights and can cancel until 6 PM on arrival day, I don't need travel insurance. But for big, expensive trips with strict cancellation policies, strongly consider it.
You need to buy it with enough lead time, and you want expert advice on the best product.
International Travel
STEP Program If you're going overseas, register for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. Takes about 20 minutes to sign up. You'll get alerts about weather, safety, and security, plus connection to the embassy in your destination country.
Digital Copies Keep photocopies of your passport, driver's license, travel documents, and travel insurance on your phone and in the cloud.
Comfort Items
Sound Machine One of my must-haves. Get a rechargeable cube – they're small, cheap ($15-20 on Amazon), and work great. You can use it on planes too.
Noise-Canceling Earbuds For overseas night flights, get in-ear buds, not over-ear headphones. As a side sleeper, the in-ear ones are a godsend when combined with a sound machine.
Practical Items
Mineral Sunscreen Powder For us pale folks (I'm about 50-60% Irish heritage with the bad skin), this powder-based sunscreen is TSA-friendly and perfect for carry-on only trips.
Steamer Shout out to Shaun Whitley, "the steamer guy." Steamers work better than any hotel iron and they're faster. I have steamers in all my houses and travel with different sizes depending on my luggage.
First Aid Kit Small kit from Amazon with antibiotic ointment, adhesive tape, and band-aids.
Laundry Bag Essential for separating dirty clothes from clean ones. Get different sizes for different trip lengths.
Tide To-Go Stick Can save you from paying $12 hotel laundry fees for a small stain.
Airport Tips
MyTSA App Shows security line wait times and peak/off-peak hours at airports.
Early Morning Flights Always better to grab the first flight out. Weather issues affect later flights more, creating domino effects that can last several days. Even as a multi-million miler, I've been told "we can't get you out for 48 hours."
Have a Plan B – sometimes that means driving to your destination, especially if you're taking a cruise.
Coming Next Week
I've got a cool interview with one of my neighbors, John Walters, who booked a trip to Ireland with a travel agent. This is a guy who's never really traveled much, but he turned to a travel professional. We'll find out how he found the agent, why he booked with them, what the experience was like, and his overall take on using a travel professional.
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Talk to you then!
