03.20.26 Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / Airfare Booking Strategy

Summary

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The Clark Howard Podcast – March 20, 2026

Episode Theme: Clark Answers His Critics on Clark Stinks / Airfare Booking Strategy
Host: Clark Howard | Date: March 20, 2026

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Overview

This episode of The Clark Howard Podcast spotlights two of Clark’s signature segments: his weekly “Clark Stinks” feedback session, where listeners critique or correct his advice, and a deep dive into strategies for booking airfare amid surging prices and global uncertainty. Listeners gain a wealth of actionable tips on personal finance, travel, and consumer savvy, all delivered with Clark’s signature blend of humor, humility, and directness.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Clark Stinks: Listener Feedback & Clark’s Responses

[00:35–16:11]

Grocery Costs and Whole Foods Stereotypes

• Stephanie from Wisconsin challenges Clark’s “Whole Paycheck” jab at Whole Foods, reporting a positive, low-cost experience getting groceries and a fresh pizza on vacation.
  • Clark's Take: Acknowledges the “grocery stores as meal providers” trend, noting they're a viable, cost-effective alternative to restaurants for travelers.
  • Quote: “The grocery store industry has become a viable option for MRE meals ready to eat…potentially better quality ingredients and better prices even from whole paycheck.” (02:46)

College Costs and Scholarships

• Kendall from South Carolina highlights that expensive private colleges may offer substantial scholarships, making the net cost lower than public universities.
  • Clark: Points to a resource listing nearly 1,000 colleges offering tuition-for-free programs.
  • Quote: "Almost a thousand colleges…where you may be able to get tuition for free." (04:26)

Credit Card Lounge Access Changes

• Feroz from Nevada flags new fees for Capital One Venture X card lounge guests.
  • Clark: Clarifies the new $45 per-visit guest fee and annual add-on costs, noting American Express has made similar changes.
  • Quote: “Those lounges aren't worth 50 bucks.” (06:22)

Gym Membership Contract Escape Tactics

• Stinky from Georgia jokes about ‘stinking up the gym’ to get a contract cancelled.
  • Clark: Admits the unorthodox, rarely-discussed tactic exists but always prefers legal, aboveboard approaches.
  • Quote: "It is a strategy I've seen…you make yourself someone who the gym would rather not have there." (07:02)

Internet Competition and Pricing

• Sam from Georgia questions why high-speed internet isn’t more affordable yet.
  • Clark: Cites new wireless-based options (T-Mobile, Mint, Verizon) and suggests negotiating with providers using those as leverage.
  • Quote: “If you find a deal from one of the cheaper Internet service providers…suddenly [major ISPs] have some kind of plan they can offer you.” (09:59)

Listener Boredom with Roth IRA Advice

• Sydney from Michigan says she’s bored by Clark's repeated Roth IRA advice.
  • Clark: Light-heartedly assures her she’ll appreciate it one day.
  • Quote: “When you have your first job and open that Roth IRA, you'll be so happy later that I bored you…” (11:38)

Mortgages After Death

• Scott from Florida corrects Clark on mortgages becoming due upon homeowner's death.
  • Clark: Agrees, clarifying that federal law protects heirs who maintain payments.
  • Quote: “It’s not subject to due on sale clause.” (12:44)

Census Survey Data Accuracy

• Cassidy from Oregon disapproves of Clark’s suggestion to provide fake answers to government surveys.
  • Clark: Admits fault and stresses honest participation or non-response.
  • Quote: “That was probably immaturity on my part.” (13:57)

Credit Card Safety While Traveling

• Carl from Alaska asks about digital vs. physical card cancellation after wallet loss.
  • Clark: Explains his approach: store certain cards digitally and not physically for redundancy; updates on widespread acceptance of contactless payment in Europe.
  • Quote: “I never had to go to an ATM…was able to use tap to pay 100% of the time without any trouble.” (15:17)

2. Airfare Booking Strategy Amid Global Tensions

[19:27–26:35]

Why Airfares Are High in Spring 2026

• Record demand for travel, especially on full-service airlines.
• Jet fuel prices have spiked due to Middle East unrest, boosting ticket costs.
  • Quote: “Jet fuel has had pretty much the highest increases of any…Most recent estimate I saw is that airfares are up 16% from the beginning of hostilities in Iran.” (19:27)

Booking Tactics and Recommendations

1. Use Travel Points Now

   • Ideal to use hoarded points for upcoming high-cost trips; most programs allow booking with risk-free cancellation/redeposit.
   • Quote: “This is one of those times…those points that you’ve been hoarding should be used to book travel.” (20:56)

2. Multi-Airline Fare Search

   • Use Google Flights or Hopper; avoid “basic” fares for flexibility.
   • Book economy, not basic, so you have options to change or apply credits later.
   • Quote: “Do not book basic fares now…You don’t want to be in a position that you’re stuck.” (22:30)

3. Leverage Days and Airports

   • Cheapest flights typically found on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays after 2pm.
   • Consider smaller or secondary airports for dramatically lower fares.
   • Quote: “Cheapest days to fly are Tuesday and Wednesday…And you’ve got all these airports people don’t know are out there.” (23:41)

Caution: Be Flexible and Resourceful

• Use calendar tools to find best deals; take advantage of obscure airports and discounter deals when available.

3. Travel Uncertainty: Insurance, Cancellations, and Getting Help

[26:11–34:57]

Trip Insurance and War Exclusions

• Standard travel insurance policies do not cover itinerary changes due to war.
• Airlines are usually flexible without fees if your plans change because of rerouted cruises, though extra costs may arise.
  • Quote: “Travel insurance policies do not cover war, period.” (26:48)

Airbnb Strict Cancellation Policies

• Airbnb often sides with hosts on refunds—even with safety concerns.
• Clark urges close review of policies before booking and recommends aiming for hosts who offer flexible or refundable bookings.
  • Quote: “Airbnb hosts often have extremely consumer unfriendly cancellation policies…and Airbnb…just tell you to go get lost and I don’t like it.” (29:09)

Hotel Cleanliness and Customer Service Nightmares

• Example of a blood-stained hotel bed leading to a confrontational staff response.
• Immediate reporting is crucial; overnight waiting undermines claims.
• Use BBB complaints and public reviews for further recourse if customer service fails.
  • Quote: “When you have a problem with a travel supplier, you deal with it right then.” (32:35)

International Cell Service and eSIMs

• Visible Wireless’ Global Pass plan is generally reliable in the UK; if not, buying a UK data SIM is easy and cheap.
• Reminder: Only purchase the UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) through the government’s official site, as many fake sites exist.
  • Quote: “ESIM can be something you don’t need to buy, but…it’s so readily available.” (35:18)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Accepting Criticism:
  • “It’s my pleasure to welcome you…But before I get the weekend going, I'm so glad that I get taken back to school in our weekly segment of Clark Stinks.” (00:35)
• On Digital Payments:
  • “It was weird to never a single time have to pull out my wallet to use cash.” (16:01)
• On High Airfares:
  • “The airlines are like between a rock and a hard place…they can’t cover their costs.” (19:27)
• On Consumer Empowerment:
  • “You’re not a sitting duck as long as you have some other options.” (09:59)
• On Persistent Parental Advice:
  • “When you have your first job and you are the one who opens that Roth IRA, you are going to be so happy later that I bored you…” (11:38)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:35] – Start of “Clark Stinks”
• [02:46] – Whole Foods meal deals & grocery as restaurant alternative
• [04:26] – College costs, endowments, and list of free-tuition schools
• [05:12] – Credit card lounge guest fees update
• [07:02] – Gym contract “smelly” exit strategy discussion
• [09:29] – Internet competition & negotiating lower rates
• [11:38] – Clark’s Roth IRA advice and listener fatigue
• [12:09] – Mortgages and inheritance law correction
• [13:57] – Data integrity in government surveys
• [14:39] – Travel cards: physical vs. digital safety
• [15:17] – Contactless/cashless travel in Europe update
• [19:27] – Airfare booking strategy amid global turmoil
• [26:11] – Trip insurance and war-related reroutes
• [29:09] – Airbnb cancellation policies and consumer recourse
• [32:35] – Hotel cleanliness issue: how to get recourse
• [35:18] – International cell plans in the UK and avoiding scam ETA sites

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Tone & Style

Clark’s language is approachable and direct, often self-deprecating in "Clark Stinks," always reinforcing his core mission: “Save more, spend less, and don’t ever, ever let somebody rip you off.” The episode is energetic yet grounded, with Clark open to corrections and keenly focused on practical advice listeners can use right now.

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Useful Resources Mentioned

• College Tuition-Free List: Clark.com college guide (per episode context)
• Airfare Search Engines: Google Flights, Hopper
• Wireless Home Internet: T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, Verizon
• UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA): Official UK government site

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Summary:
This episode gives listeners a voice in critiquing Clark’s advice—in some cases correcting myths (college cost, mortgages) or sharing creative consumer tactics (the gym dodge). In the second half, Clark arms travelers with flexible, up-to-date strategies for navigating sky-high airfares amidst geopolitical turbulence, emphasizing flexibility, the smart use of points, and secondary airports. Sprinkled throughout are practical travel warnings, a few consumer horror stories, and Clark’s bedrock principle for financial well-being: stay proactive, informed, and always ready to negotiate for yourself.

Transcript

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[Clark Howard]

It's my pleasure to welcome you to the Clark Howard Show. You know our mission is to serve you with advice and information that empowers you so you make better financial decisions in your life. And I hope that your week has been great so far, that you're ready for a wonderful weekend this weekend. But before I get the weekend going, I'm so glad that I get taken back to school and our weekly segment of Clark Stinks. Now, on a more serious note, I've been getting a lot of questions about the economic effects of the war in Iran. Specifically, what do you do about booking travel over the next many months and particularly for summer? I'm going to give you my best ideas later in Today's podcast and YouTube show. But without further ado, it is time for Clark Stinks.

[Krista]

I should have never encouraged you to speak.

[Clark Howard]

You almost think I'm pretty stupid.

[Krista]

You should be ashamed of yourself. Well, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong.

[Clark Howard]

Maybe you're right, pal. What you got Tracy?

[Krista]

All right, I've got Stephanie in Wisconsin writing in with this one. Clark, you don't stink, but I think you need to reconsider your stance on Whole Foods. My My family of three just returned from a cruise out of Miami. We stayed in Miami two nights before we sailed to experience the city. While there we planned to walk to Whole Foods for some groceries and it was the closest market and saved an Uber cost. I was prepared for sticker shop. After all, you refer to it as whole paycheck. Clark, did you know you can get an entire freshly baked for you delicious cheese pizza there for $12. My husband washed it down with the sparkling water for $0.89. My son and I wanted a soda though and we really broke the bank. We went to Walgreens for two for $6 bottles of coca Cola. All in all, our dinner and drinks cost our family of three less than $20 in downtown Miami. The lesson for me don't count Whole Foods out for prepared foods. While traveling I don't want to cook every meal while on vacation. Thanks to you and your team for your wisdom and guidance.

[Clark Howard]

Stephanie. Okay, you pointed out something that we talked about. One of our show meetings was how the grocery store industry has become a viable option for MRE meals ready to eat in direct competition and indirect competition with restaurants, quick serve and fast food, often with potentially better quality ingredients and better prices than you get from the restaurant industry even from whole paycheck.

[Krista]

Okay. Kendall in South Carolina says Clark was mostly on the mark talking about college cost. Searching for the lowest cost provider may not always actually be the lowest net cost. Some expensive colleges and universities have huge endowments and provide significant scholarships to many, even most of their students. I went to a small, expensive private college while my sisters attended a state university that's considered to be low cost. When I was attending, 94% of the students received scholarship funds from the endowments. The lowest amount was 10 to 15% of the total room and board cost and went up to 100%. The scholarship was the same whether or not the students stayed in the dorms. Students attending private institutions are eligible for certain federal and in some states, state and local funds which are not loans. As a result, my total cost was significantly less than 50% of what just one of my sisters paid. Parents and students should look first for the best institutions to reach your goal and then narrow it down based on cost. If I had limited myself, I would not have even considered my college. Thanks for all you do to educate us and help us spend less and save more.

[Clark Howard]

Thank you very much for that. And as an annex to that, we have a link on clark.com where you can see colleges where you may be able to get tuition for free. And there are almost 1,000 colleges that are on that list. That's right, almost a thousand.

[Krista]

All right. Feroz, I believe is how you said it in Nevada says Clark said to get a venture capital card which is best for travel. So I got one. My wife and I went to the lounge in Las Vegas. They let me in but now they want $45 for my wife to go in as well. So I just tore up my card. Please check into this and inform your customers of their new policy. I listen to your podcast all the time. Thank you for your wisdom teaching us how to save.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah, thank you for bringing this up. We talked about this late fall that the Capital One Venture X starting, I think it was February 1st, went to a thing where additional cardholders have to pay an add on fee of. I think it's 1:25 a year for them to have lounge access with or without you. But if they come in with you, you have to pay a junk fee, a big junk fee, 45 for them to enter the lounge with you. So the idea of it is it's kind of like the ski passes where they charge a fortune for every day of skiing to try to get you to buy the ski pass. If you're going to enter three or more times a year, it's best to pay the annual add on fee for your loved one to be able to come and go as they please with or without you into the various lounges you can get into with the Capital One card. American Express has done this with their platinum card. It's 195 a year, I think. And I think the additional person for

[Krista]

someone to get in individually is like 50 with that one.

[Clark Howard]

So if it's wow, those lounges aren't worth 50 bucks.

[Krista]

No, seriously. Stinky in Georgia says, I was cleaning my litter boxes while listening to your podcast and the odor was overwhelming. I realized it wasn't the litter boxes, it was you. You were answering question by somebody trying to get out of a three year commitment to a gym membership and said there weren't really options. Come on, dude, what's the title of this podcast? I encourage the family to go in smelling so bad that they get kicked out and their membership is revoked. Nothing on the credit would easily get them out of the payments. They should even wear Clark Stinks T shirts.

[Clark Howard]

Do you know about this?

[Krista]

No. What?

[Clark Howard]

Okay, this is actually a strategy that I have never mentioned, but now it's out on the table that people will purposely go into a gym looking disheveled and dirty and stuff and that the gym doesn't want them there.

[Krista]

I feel like I always look disheveled and dirty at the gym. Isn't that the point? Like you're.

[Clark Howard]

No, I mean, I mean like, okay, filthy dirty. Like you've been rolling in the dirt and smelly and stuff. It is a strategy I've seen. I've never, I've never said it, but that's specifically what Stinky was referring to is that you make yourself someone who the gym would rather not have there so worried that they will not be able to retain or attract other people

[Krista]

who don't want to smell you. Okay. Chris in New York says you don't stink, in my opinion. I notice you're not using your headset anymore in your podcast. I just wanted to let you know that it's a good look for you. And that you're coming through loud and clear. Thanks for being you and for sharing your knowledge with us all. And someone, someone else wrote in and said, let Clark be Clark. Let him wear his headset.

[Clark Howard]

Oh, man. We have had so much discussion behind the scenes about this because I like to move a lot. And if you have a stationary mic like this, if you move around way over here, suddenly you're not hearing me. And I tend to crouch into the mic. So I prefer what's known as the sportscaster kind of headset. But Krista has no.

[Krista]

Don't you dare. I just said to you before we start today, if you want to go back to the headset.

[Clark Howard]

You did, you did, you did.

[Krista]

I just.

[Clark Howard]

You wanted me to try it.

[Krista]

Yeah.

[Clark Howard]

And I'm trying it. And as with anything in life, you adjust. And people like me not wearing the sportscaster headset.

[Krista]

So we'll see. I think the most important thing is that you're comfortable. Nobody really. You know what I mean? In the end, who cares?

[Clark Howard]

So, no, the only thing that matters are our listeners and viewers.

[Krista]

Okay, Sam. Well, they care about you. Okay. I'm not going to keep going out. Sam in Georgia says, hey, Clark, you don't stink that much, just a little. But for a few years ago, you were saying we'd all have super affordable high speed Internet because increased competition was coming. You cited Google Fiber as an example. Yet Google Fiber still hasn't made it to my large suburban area and I'm stuck with AT&T. What happened to the high speed Internet market's affordable prices and what gives?

[Clark Howard]

So actually it's there and you got to look. And as an example, you said at&t. At&t obviously is a very expensive at&t five or very expensive home Internet. You do have the option now though of seeing if T mobile home Internet is available where you are. If you're not a T Mobile cell phone subscriber, look at Mint Mobile, which is actually owned by T Mobile.

[Krista]

M I N T M I N

[Clark Howard]

T for home Internet. And these are wireless solutions instead of wired. Verizon has a wireless version and these tend to price depending on what else you do or don't do. With a company from 35 to about 50amonth that will not be blazing fast like you probably have from at&t. But let me tell you a thing about AT&T. Comcast, Charter, they call it Xfinity. And what is Charter called theirs Spectrum. So with any of these, if you find a deal from one of the cheaper Internet service providers, and you call up the retention specialist suddenly is going to have at the other companies magically some kind of plan they can offer you, typically starting as low as 30 or 35amonth. So you don't leave. So you're not a sitting duck as long as you have some other options, particularly the wireless Internet options.

[Krista]

I did. I was going to switch to Google Fiber and AT&T gave me a great deal. And they've been really good with the customer service with me, so I stuck with it.

[Clark Howard]

So what are you paying a month now?

[Krista]

I've got the highest speed and I pay 68amonth. But then they also gave me like a $200 gift card, so. Which I used. Okay. Sydney in Michigan says, Clark, you stink as bad as spoiled milk. My dad makes me listen to you every day on the way to school. And I'm so tired of hearing about Roth IRAs and retirement funds. It just all blurs together and makes me fall asleep. I yawn every single time it turns on and end up falling asleep.

[Clark Howard]

So, Sidney, you're missing the real advantage I'm giving you in your life. You didn't get enough sleep the night before and I'm getting you some nap time as I bore you no end talking about all these crazy things. But let me tell you, when you have your first job and you are the one who opens that Roth ira, you are going to be so happy later that I bored you so much that you fell asleep.

[Krista]

Scott in Florida says your advice about mortgages being due upon death was putrid. Mortgages aren't due upon death if a family member inherits a home and chooses to live in it and maintain payments. This protection was codified in federal law by by the Garn St Germain Depository Institutions act of 1982. That said, it may still be a good idea to sell if the family member is going to have difficulty making payments, keeping up with repairs and taxes, etc. Do you remember this question?

[Clark Howard]

I faintly do, yeah.

[Krista]

It was a brother. There were two brothers in Colorado trying

[Clark Howard]

to figure out what to do with the family home.

[Krista]

One of the brothers wanted to live

[Clark Howard]

there and that because it was an inheritance, it's not subject to due on sale clause.

[Krista]

Yep.

[Clark Howard]

Thank you for that.

[Krista]

Cassidy in Oregon says, unfortunately, you stink when it comes to your response to a recent question about the American Community Survey, the caller was concerned about providing data. And while I appreciate that you encourage them to participate, the suggestion of providing fake answers, like being married more times than Elizabeth Taylor, to questions they were uncomfortable with was very stinky. Garbage in, garbage out. If the data provided isn't accurate, the results of the survey will not be accurate. No response is better than submitting fake data if someone has concerns about how the data is used or why the question's being asked. Census.gov has a great information about their confidentiality policies, what the published data looks like, and how answers are used for local, state and federal planning. As an employee of a federal statistical agency, I hear concerns about privacy and dislike of government regularly, and I understand it. But the only way lawmakers will have the data they need to make decisions is if the public responds to surveys put up by the Census, BLS and the bea, among other others. Our statistics are already being attacked by politicians in the media. Please don't make it worse by encouraging people to submit fake data.

[Clark Howard]

Thank you. And that was probably immaturity on my part, the response that I gave to that So I think you provide what you're willing to provide and not anymore

[Krista]

Carl in Alaska says your discussion of credit card safety when traveling gave off a bit of an odor. Or maybe it's me. You said to keep your credit cards in your phone's wallet in case you lost your physical wallet, meaning your phone's online wallet, your Apple Pay, or your Google wallet in case you lost your physical wallet. But wouldn't you need to cancel the cards that were in the lost wallet? Is there something I'm missing? Can banks cancel the physical card and leave the electronic version still working? Or is it recommended to have at least one card in your phone's wallet that you physically leave at home, thus giving you an option in case of emergency?

[Clark Howard]

Which is actually what I do. I have cards in my Google wallet that I don't physically carry, so that if my actual wallet is stolen, I still have cards, my phone is stolen, I still have cards. And by the way, I want to give an update. This is a perfect opportunity for me to give an update. I was just in Europe again weeks ago. I was in Portugal, and Portugal is a country that I said an answer to a question from someone just a couple of months ago that you still are going to need cash regularly. And that information now turns out to be old. I never had to go to an atm, I never had to use cash except for tips, that I had Euro coins, you know, two Euro coins I could use for tips. And I was able to use tap to pay 100% of the time without any trouble. So the cashless kind of thing is so advanced that even Portugal, which had been the last country in the eu really, to not be able to use credit regularly or debit cards or whatever. Even in Portugal now I was able to use them everywhere.

[Krista]

Fantastic.

[Clark Howard]

It was weird to never a single time have to pull out my wallet to use cash. Amazing. Coming up ahead.

[Krista]

Speaking of travel, speaking of travel, what

[Clark Howard]

do you do right now? Airfares have gone up like a rocket over the last many weeks. What's your play? What's your strategy for late spring and into summer? I'm going to give you my best guesses, and these are guesses because there's a moving target. What you should be doing straight ahead.

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[Charles Schwab Announcer]

could have done better. Like cutting your own hair. Yikes. Or forgetting sunscreen so now you look like a tomato.

[Krista]

Ouch.

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[Clark Howard]

have been really high lately because travel bookings have been record high levels for pretty much across the full fare airline landscape. The people having more difficulty have been the discount airlines, the deep discount airlines. The brutal experience of flying frontier airfares already were on a higher trajectory. And then the issues in the Middle east. The problems getting oil out of the Middle east has led to real fear on the part of the airlines because fuel depending on the airline best of circumstances is about 25% of their costs. And of the fuel increases that have occurred since the war in Iran began, jet fuel has had pretty much the highest increases of any. So the airlines are like between a rock and a hard place because they got to worry if they raise fares too much, they kill off demand, but if they don't raise fares they can't cover their costs. So the airlines choose always as a first step in a run up in the wholesale price of jet fuel to retail out higher ticket prices to consumers, which is just what's happening right now. Most recent estimate I saw is that airfares are up 16% from the beginning of hostilities in Iran. That is right at the time of year in March when people so heavily book summertime travel. So if summertime travel had been booked earlier, which is normally not what I would recommend, you would have missed these increases. But they're here now. So I have some specific strategies for you about how to go about buying. Number one, if you are someone with one of those airline credit cards or a general purpose travel card and you've got a lot of points sitting there, this is one of those times. Those points that you've been hoarding should be used to book travel. Most programs you are able to book travel and then do a redeposit later and get full credit back no Cost using points. So you can hedge your bet at basically no real risk by using accumulated point totals to book a trip and then later if you don't do it, redeposit. Now I just did this. I have cards that I can transfer points to so many different airlines. And I was booking a trip to New York and on American I was able to book a coach ticket for 9,000 points, which is not a lot. The actual airfare was several hundred dollars, was only 9,000 points. So I did that. And again, if that trip doesn't materialize, it's planned. But if you know plans change, it's a free redeposit. And that's a key point is that airlines, you look at how many points they require for different trips and it's just all over the board. So you never want to be married to one particular airline in its program. Number two, if you're not somebody who's hoarding points, you don't have points, that kind of thing. And you got to buy a ticket. I'm going to recommend a couple of strategies. One, do a multi airline fare search for wherever it is you're going to and use something like Google flights or Hopper or something like that and see what's available on different airlines. And on Google flights it's really easy now to exclude basic. Do not book basic fares now because if things improve, fuel prices go down, airfares normalize. You don't want to be in a position with a basic ticket that you're stuck. And you want a multi airline search because just because the fare to a particular destination on a particular day could be so much higher on one airline, it may be lower on another. And so you want to take advantage of the opportunity that's available on who is actually offering the best deal for when you're going. All right, so you book a regular economy ticket, the sound refundable, right? But it becomes like a gift certificate. If later, cheaper fare comes along, maybe it's not on that airline, it's on somebody else. So as long as you can use that money in a year, you've got that money to use at a later date on that airline. Or let's say the cheaper fare is on the airline you originally booked, you have a partial credit that you're then able to use later. Also, when you're looking at days of the week, cheapest days to fly are Tuesday and Wednesday in most cases and Saturdays after 2pm Those are the softest demand days in travel. Is an example that American Airlines thing that I was Telling you, I booked for 9,000 points. It was 9,000 points on a Tuesday. On the Monday, the cheapest flight was 27,000 points. So the advantage of using the calendar as my friend is overwhelming. And then you've got all these airports that people don't know are out there. Like one of the fastest growing airports in the country. Concord, North Carolina, you're saying. Where's that? It is the second unknown airport for the Charlotte metro area. And three different discounters fly to Concorde at fares that are usually a third to a fourth. What airfares are in and out of Charlotte. And this kind of pattern happens all over America with deep discounters like Breeze or Allegiant or Avalo or whoever flying out of these small, generally unknown airports in a wide metro area. It fares a fraction of the cost of what they are to the known airport. Just another tool that might get you a better deal at a time that deals are harder to find.

[Krista]

Krista okay, Kenneth in Florida sent this one in. My question about current military operations in the Middle east is this. I have a cruise in late July, starting in Rome and ending in Istanbul. My main worry is my flight home from Istanbul. If the cruise gets rerouted from its final destination, which is where my flight home is from, what would happen then? I'm wondering how all that works. Would trip insurance cover something like that due to military operations? And what kind of insurance should I get if I can even find coverage? Please help with some advice. I'd really appreciate it. And I love your smell, even when you stink.

[Clark Howard]

That's kind, Kenneth. Okay, so travel insurance policies do not cover war, period. There's no help for you with a normal trip insurance policy if the cruise line says, you know what, it's too hot to handle going to Istanbul. We're going to end the cruise in Athens, Greece, let's say, or something like that. That's the kind of thing that could happen. And so there you are with a ticket out of Istanbul. So the good news with airline tickets is that if your return changes, airlines are usually pretty accommodating and often with no change fee. If the fare is higher out of wherever the cruise reroutes to, you might suffer some expense with that, but you also have something else. Depending on the credit card you choose to buy your airline ticket with, you may have some dislocation assistance with flights included with it. It won't be a lot. Most often it'll be something like 500 bucks, something like that. But that may be able to help you with it. But it is a risk ongoing with just about any cruise. My wife and I were booked on a cruise a few years ago that was going that the return was out of Cairo and because of stuff in the Middle east, the cruise ship didn't go first. It eliminated the stops in the Nile and then it was completely rerouted to just be basically a GN and Mediterranean cruise. So we rebooked for a different cruise, different date and fortunately I was booked on airline tickets using points and I just redeposited the points. So that was the least harmful situation I could have had.

[Krista]

Glynis in Texas says Clark. We had a trip planned to Cancun last week but decided to move the trip due to the violence in Mexico. We decided the day after the shelter in place order was issued by the US government but then was lifted before my friend who had the reservation actually canceled in the system. Airbnb corporate is deferring to the host's cancellation policy and the host is not willing to refund us for the stay. We didn't feel like it was the safe move. Do we have any options to get our money back? Please help.

[Clark Howard]

Glennis, I am so sorry and this is a constant argument Krista and I have about Airbnb because Airbnb hosts often have extremely consumer unfriendly cancellation policies and it's part of using the Airbnb platform. And you've got to know when you look at a host listing, you've got to pay close attention to to what that cancellation policy is. I saw one recently for Hawaii that became non refundable four months out from arrival.

[Apple Card Announcer]

Four months?

[Krista]

I mean, how crazy.

[Clark Howard]

Ridiculous. Obviously I didn't book it. So unless the individual property owner is willing to do an accommodation with you, maybe a credit towards a future stay at their place, I hate to tell you I don't have an answer for you. And it's one of the things I don't like about Airbnb is how often Airbnb is like, well that's just too bad. You know, the policy was there and they just tell you to go get lost and I don't like it.

[Krista]

Market Florida says my wife and I had a recent stay at a hotel in Key Largo, Florida. We had a late check in and headed out to dinner. When I returned to the room I noticed blood on the side of the comforter on the be. I took pictures and the timestamp shows that it was around 9pm I was tired and wanted to get into bed. When I pulled back the comforter and the sheet, I Noticed additional blood stains. Fortunately, our room had two queen beds. I was not going to sleep in a bed with blood stains on it, so my wife and I shared the other queen bed. In the morning we inspected the contaminated bed further and when I pulled back the sheets, I discovered the bed skirt was also heavily stained in multiple areas. What happened in that room?

[Clark Howard]

No kidding.

[Krista]

I went to the front desk and requested an immediate room change. However, I was told they needed approval first. The front desk staff asked me to wait in the lobby so I could speak with a manager and I was also asked to email photos of the blood stained bedding, which I did. After waiting, I was approached not by the general manager, but by the housekeeping manager. She asked to see the photos and immediately stated this is fresh blood, this is not old blood. This just happened.

[Clark Howard]

I didn't know she worked in a.

[Krista]

She's a forensic.

[Clark Howard]

Yeah.

[Krista]

I asked her what she meant by that and she replied that that the photo showed blood that had just occurred. I asked if she was accusing me of lying or falsifying the situation and when I asked her again if she was accusing me of being dishonest, she said, you take it however you want and read into what I'm saying. At no point did she express concern for the sanitation or safety issue. Instead, she focused on questioning my integrity and then said I should probably check out of the hotel. To which she replied, yes, I agree and walked away. I twice asked what her full name was, but did not. She didn't turn around. All the chain would offer me was a refund of my points. I've reached out to the customer care of the corporation and they stated the case is closed and they won't offer any additional compensation. Given this matter involves blood contamination and accusation of falsified evidence, I would expect this would be treated as a serious health, safety and corporate integrity concern. I've specifically requested contact from someone in the corporate office's executive office. Yet I've received no personal outreach or phone contact from anyone at the corporate level. What should I do next? And what do you think that this company should compensate me with?

[Clark Howard]

Okay, first I got to go back a step. One thing for the future. As tired as you were at nine that night, I would have gone straight back down to the lobby right then. That's the most important thing. When you have a problem with a travel supplier, you deal with it right then. And by staying in the room overnight and then going to deal with it the next day, you saw how dismissive they were of you and uncaring and the hotel chain itself. I mean, the CEO of this hotel chain says what he wants on his tombstone is how many more rooms he's added to the chain. And I'm paraphrasing rather than worrying about customer service or anything like this. This is a big problem in the hotel business because the hotels make their money from room nights that they get royalties from. They don't own the hotels. It's just they're flagged. That's what it's called when their name's on it. So what do you do now? Because you obviously had enough points that you were some level of status in their program and they still blew you off. I mean, if you did anything else, you got to be very specific what you want. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Because big companies like these hotel chains actually do worry about their reputation with fellow business people. And a bbb.org complaint may get you more response than you've gotten so far. But be very specific what you want.

[Krista]

Now, I would also post a review on Google and on TripAdvisor which what happened?

[Clark Howard]

Which TripAdvisor may or may not post it, but Google will almost certainly post that review that may get an additional response from the owner of the hotel. Remember, the owner of the location is probably some form of private equity owner or something like that and they're a little removed from things. But when you file a complaint like that, that could keep other people from wanting to book. That may get you a response that you've not gotten so far. I like that suggestion.

[Krista]

All right, we'll squeeze in one quick one. Sean. In Connecticut we use Visible Cellular for our cell carrier and we have the Visible plus plan. They offer what they call a Global pass for international travel. Most of our trip is already covered by this plan because we get one day of coverage per month of service, up to 12 days. Is there a way to check the reliability of the service in the UK or would you suggest an ESIM for that?

[Clark Howard]

I have not heard a single complaint from someone using the visible Global Pass. So odds are everything's going to be just great. But if not, you can buy a data only SIM in London, so dirt cheap to cover the two weeks you're going to be in Great Britain for like maybe £15, something like that. You'll have plenty of data to use. So the ESIM can be something you don't need to buy. But know that it's so readily available on the various shopping streets, the high streets in any British city, and particularly there's so many people from across Europe who work, even after Brexit, who works in Great Britain. That there are sellers of these data, only sims available is very competitive all over the place. So I hope you have an absolutely great, great trip. And speaking of the uk, you're going to have to have the UK ETA that allows the Electronic Travel Authority, you got to buy it in advance. But know that almost every site you look for for it is fake. You want to make sure you're at the UK government site and that's the only place you buy your ETA for travel in Great Britain. Well, have an absolutely fantastic weekend. It's been great having you here today. Know that all weekend long, we're at your [e-mail] and clarkdeals.com answering your questions and giving you information. You're like, I didn't know that. Let me tell you, you'll learn a lot. It's going to fatten your wallet and help you avoid getting ripped off. Because that's what we're about. You learning ways to save more, spend less, and don't ever, ever, not ever let somebody rip you off.