Get Packin' for Saturday, April 16

Each week on Get Packin' we feature a "Hot Destination", a location that has seen a marked increase in interest from travelers because of the time of year, a specific event, or because it's been in the news.  We've had obvious locales, like Cuba (in the news) and ironic ones, like Iceland ("HOT" destination, ICEland. Get it?).  Anyway, this week's Hot Destination may be our most surprising of all.  Iran.  Despite the U.S. State Department's warnings about traveling to Iran, apparently Americans aren't listening. According to the director of one North American travel agency, "Iran really does appear poised to become the next Cuba."  And like Cuba, it's the lifting of sanctions that has opened the flood gates of tourists to Iran.  We'll talk more about it Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. on Get Packin' on Freedom 95 (95.9 FM and 950 AM in the Indianapolis area and streaming worldwide at www,freedom95.us).

No, that's NOT Ann
on the cover.

Iran has been on what Ann calls her "Extreme Bucket List" for a while now, hoping to return to a place she once called home.  Ann lived in Tehran, Iran for a year-and-a-half back in the mid 70s as a 19-year-old newlywed, a time she recounts in her memoir, Walking Naked in Tehran.  (Shameless plug alert!)  You can get the book on Amazon or at WalkingNakedInTehran.com.  Now back to our show...

We'll welcome back Scott McCartney (@MiddleSeat) to Get Packin'.  Scott writes the Middle Seat travel column for the Wall Street Journal and he will help us navigate the sometimes confusing world of airplane seat categories.  Just when you thought you had figured out the difference between First Class and Business Class, along comes Premium Economy and Last Class.  Scott will lay it all out for us.

     Click here to see if water really does go down the drain differently
     in the Southern Hemisphere from the Northern Hemisphere.

A French tourist in Rome found out the hard way why you SHOULDN'T try to photograph the Colosseum with a drone.  And two Chinese women were shocked at the kind of hotel room an airline put them up in after their flight was cancelled.  Details on those and other stories this week on Get Packin', Saturday afternoon at 4:00 on Freedom 95.

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Get Packin' for Saturday, April 2nd

Get Packin' is our weekly travel show heard Saturday afternoons at 4:00 on Freedom 95 Radio (95.9FM and 950AM).  If you're outside the Central Indiana area, you can stream it online at www.freedom95.us.  This week we're joined once again by our friend Scott McCartney (@MiddleSeat), Middle Seat columnist for the Wall Street Journal.  We'll chat with him about the rapid growth of discount airlines, like Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines, and what that means for you. And while Scott points out, "They (Spirit) lead the world in consumer complaints," it's not all bad news.

SCOTTeVEST.  No, it's not really see-through.
X-Ray is for demonstration (and TSA) purposes.

This week's Travel Tip is about how to make your luggage tamper-proof.  The key is making your bags too much of a hassle for thieves bother with.  And certainly never pack valuables in your checked luggage.  But then how do you carry all those valuables with you?  We have just the thing: the SCOTTeVEST.  It has 42 pockets to carry everything from your sunglasses and passport to headphones and full-size tablet.  It's like you're wearing your carry-on.

We'll tell you the story of a British woman who tried to swim to her cruise ship after it left the port. She'll recovery from the hypothermia, but maybe not from the broken heart.  All that, along with the latest travel news, Hot Destinations and more.  Tune in Saturday afternoon at 4:00 to Get Packin'.

To hear past episodes of Get Packin', click this link.  Be sure to scroll down the page to "Get Packin' with Ann and John."

And please Like our Facebook Page and Follow each of us on Twitter:
Ann - @TravelinAnn
John - @JohnCinnamon