TravelStories Episode 20: Travel Horror Stories

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Halloween Episode – Travel Horror Stories Episode 20: Show Notes

While it may not be horror like Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers, today’s episode will definitely send chills down the spines of travelers as we share our experiences of when travel went horribly wrong. It’s easy to fall victim to scams in foreign countries as your unfamiliarity with the region makes you stick out as a prime target. So, we begin our conversation by assessing some scams to be wary of during your travels, including transportation disasters that could’ve been avoided with the right knowledge. Then, we discuss how theft is more common at airports than we may think, how to travel with money in a safe way,, and all the debacles we’ve experienced with layovers and missed flights. Finally, we’re given a quick lesson in devaluation and why you should always book first and ask questions later, before ending with a shoutout to the SkyMiles frenzy of September 2023.

Key Points From This Episode:

• [01:01] Travel scams to be wary of.
• [03:36] How Thomas was duped by a taxi driver in Shanghai.
• [05:49] Avoiding disaster in Doha.
• [07:00] How to evade being scammed by transportation services.
• [10:35] Daylight robbery in Europe.
• [15:35] What to look out for regarding theft in foreign airports, and some travel money tips.
• [20:30] Problems we’ve encountered just before takeoff, and the trouble of MCTs.
• [27:51] The TAM Lounge in Rio de Janeiro, and the layover debacle that followed.
• [32:20] Why you should always be flexible and provide booking agents with multiple options.
• [33:15] More layover horror stories.
• [42:38] How Tom missed his first-ever transatlantic flight.
• [45:18] A lesson in devaluation.
• [48:18] An honorable mention of the SkyMiles craziness from earlier this year.

Quotes:

“These are some of the things where hopefully people can learn from some of our mistakes. It’s not all perfect; you don’t get to be an experienced travel person [without] encountering some travails.” — @TktweetsKim [0:47]

“I think the problem with us in particular is that airport’s are our second home. For some of us, this is the area where we thrive and we enjoy it. So sometimes, you have to calibrate a little – you can still enjoy the place, just have your eyes and ears open.” — @TktweetsKim [20:13]

“Be flexible; learn from your mistakes; learn from all these bad experiences and hopefully you don’t repeat them.” — @TktweetsKim [45:10]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Delta

Alaska Airlines

LATAM Airlines

Air Canada

Air France

Episode 27 - Alaska breaks Trevor's heart

Emirates

SkyMiles

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Thomas Kim on X

Trevor Mountcastle on X