Stop buying stuff for Christmas gifts – The best gift you can give for Christmas is the dream of travel

We can still save the day for guys that have procrastinated buying their wife (or significant other) a Christmas gift. If you want to really see someone’s eyes light up on Christmas morning give them a travel gift certificate. It is the easiest gift to buy and the one that your friends and family will most cherish. Let’s face it, who needs one more ugly tie or one more bottle of cheap perfume to store in the closet? The most valued gifts today are not possessions but experiences. Call our office today (402-435-8888) and ask one of our friendly travel advisors to issue a travel gift certificate in any denomination you like. Yours will be the most popular gift this Christmas.

End-of-Year Warning – Protect your airline and hotel elite status before the end of the year – One of the most valuable things a frequent traveler can do is to make sure you retain your current airline and hotel elite status for the new year. A simple call to your preferred airline or hotel and they will tell you if you are on track to maintain your status and all the bennies that go with it like complimentary upgrades, etc.  If you are short be sure to check to see if you have earned all your credits. If you still are just a few miles or stays short many people look at doing a quick mileage run (airline) or mattress run (hotel) to earn enough points to put you over the top.

Final Warning! Please, please, please don’t wrap your Christmas presents if you are flying with them – Many people who are flying to Grandma’s house with Christmas presents as carry-ons are going to be very upset when they watch the security staff has to unwrap those presents to check what is inside. My advice, if you are taking presents be sure you wrap them when you arrive to prevent the painful experience of watching your beautifully wrapped presents being opened and that 15 minutes of making the wrappings look perfect is dismantled at the security checkpoint.

IRS should release the mileage reimbursement rate this week – Each year the Internal Revenue Service releases its recommendation for mileage reimbursement for company employees. Even just three months ago, some experts were predicting the IRS would raise its business mileage rate to 68.5 cents per mile, but with the decline in gas prices and inflation steadily lowering, I predict it will remain between 62.5 and 68.5 cents per mile. The reimbursement cost is currently 62.5 cents per mile, up from 58.5 cents at the beginning of 2022. Many companies use this IRS number to reimburse employees who use personal vehicles for business. The IRS says “The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile, including depreciation, insurance, repairs, tires, maintenance, gas, and oil.” Last year was the first year in a long time that I can remember the IRS adjusting the number in the middle of the year. CLICK HERE to read more.

Orlando airport faces low fuel supply that may cause cancellations – It is hard to believe that in the year 2022 supply chain problems could cause flight cancellations at the Orlando International Airport. Just before the weekend, the FAA warned pilots that Orlando Airport was running low on fuel.  This should not be a major problem for most airlines as they simply add additional fuel before they head to Orlando. However, it does show that the supply chain is still giving us all problems.