Industry Intel
Imagine trying to sleep on an overnight flight while the person next to you is screaming into their phone on speaker—thanks to new airline Wi-Fi policies, this nightmare might soon become a reality. In this episode of No Tourists Allowed, Mike and James unpack the latest travel industry shifts to help you navigate your upcoming vacations with ease and confidence. Tune in to discover the best new travel literature to inspire your next getaway and learn how global economic changes are directly impacting your travel budget.
The guys dive into a lively debate over British Airways' controversial decision to allow in-flight voice calls, exploring how rapidly evolving technology is clashing with traditional travel etiquette. They also break down the hidden reasons behind skyrocketing airfares, the truth about cruise line fuel surcharges, and what the European Union’s new biometric entry-exit system means for your summer holiday delays. Along the way, James shares his top travel book recommendations for 2025 to fuel your wanderlust, while Mike highlights the absurd inconsistencies of global airport security rules. You'll have to listen to find out how a simple pair of nail clippers somehow became a major threat at the TSA checkpoint.
Don't miss your chance to win a free all-inclusive vacation to Mexico by entering our massive giveaway at notouristsallowed.com. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode!
Episode Resources:
Challenges of In-Flight Etiquette
James Ferrara: Based on behavior that I observe on planes every week, I do not trust people to be reasonable about the use of their phones on board. British Airways says you can use it if you speak softly and you have headphones, but that is not the way people use phones. I’m from New York; that is not how it works.
The minute the plane lands, people are screaming into their phones. Older people have their phones on speaker because they haven't really figured out how to use them, so they're screaming into the device and other people are screaming back.
Could you imagine? You're taking an overnight flight, trying to sleep with your eye mask and bunny slippers on, and somebody is having a loud conversation right next to you.
Welcome to No Tourists Allowed
Mike Putman: I'm Mike Putman.
James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. Welcome to No Tourists Allowed. Well, Mike, we have so much going on in the travel world today.
Mike Putman: Absolutely, yeah.
Travel Through Literature
James Ferrara: One thing I wanted to start off with today—a favorite subject of mine—is books. Reading a book is a kind of travel in my mind and soul. I love reading books; they take me places. It’s been very important in my life.
There are books about travel, books that have to do with travel, or books that are tangential to travel. Every year there's a new crop of them. I like to look at the best travel-related books every year.
Some lists have come out in the last month or two for the best travel books of 2025, and I thought we could talk about them. But let's start by putting ourselves on the spot for a minute. First of all, do you read, Mike?
Mike Putman: Of course I read.
James Ferrara: Secondly, what is your favorite travel-related book? This could be fiction or nonfiction. It could be only tangentially related to travel or simply inspirational. Do you have a favorite?
Mike Putman: I would say there are a few along the same lines. When he was alive, Jimmy Buffett wrote a few fiction books that were not necessarily travel books, but they wove in different destinations and spoke about his travels.
They were just really enjoyable to read, so I've enjoyed those. I’ve also read at least one of Anthony Bourdain's books. I think he has a couple, but that one is near and dear to my heart as well.
James Ferrara: I agree with you completely on Anthony Bourdain. He was very inspirational to American culture in general. His books, his television programs, and his speaking started the modern era of travel focus and interest in off-the-beaten-track destinations for Americans. He was a really important guy. It’s sad that we lost him too early.
Similarly, I have a favorite author: M.F.K. Fisher, one of the legendary travel writers. Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher was a poetic writer who wrote beautiful sentences, but she was also a big thinker about travel.
It is hard to pick a favorite because she has a lot of really good books, but mine is *Map of Another Town*. It is a memoir of certain places in France and her life living as an expatriate American in Provence after World War II. It’s full of wonderful stories and beautiful words. It really stirred my imagination, especially since there's a lot of focus on good food.
She's an important food writer. Those are from a while back, but what's new? I thought we should spend a minute or two on that.
Mike Putman: Before we do that, I have to tell you one quick unplanned story. I was in a small boutique hotel in London. I'm in my library right now, and I just looked over at my books to see if I could find that Jimmy Buffett book.
For those of you who are watching this and not just listening, this book showed up. It says *Andrée Putman Style*. Of course, that's my life! She's smoking a cigarette in the photo, which we don't like, but this is about a famous designer who wrote about style. It has nothing to do with me, but it looks great on my bookshelf.
The other thing I read a lot about—which I never really considered travel because I spend so much time reading it—is golf in Scotland. I love the experience of golfing in Scotland, specifically with a focus on architecture and course design. That is one of my hidden passions.
Recommended Travel Reads for 2025
James Ferrara: That's a travel-related topic, too. There are great golf courses all over the world. As for the big books for 2025, some are memoirs, some are historical, and some are real travel adventures.
A perfect one is by someone everyone knows: Rick Steves. He came out with a book last year called *On the Hippie Trail*. I don't really think of Rick Steves as a hippie—he’s a very square guy—but his book got great reviews and is on everyone's list.
Mike Putman: He's quite a prolific writer with all those guidebooks. He lives in or near Seattle, so it wouldn't surprise me if he had that background.
James Ferrara: I think the hippie reference is because it covers a 1978 journey he took from Istanbul to Kathmandu in Nepal. He documented that famous hippie route when he was younger. Apparently, there's a lot of candid stuff in there, and it actually sounds fun for Rick Steves.
Another one was *Black Ghosts* by Tom Parfit. He has written several travel-related books. This is an investigative book into the lives of African migrants in China, which I thought was really interesting. Both of those books have been on almost all the lists I've seen.
Then there is *12 Trips in 12 Months* by Jen Ruiz. This is a journal of a woman taking 12 trips in a year to redefine her life. It reminds me of the Julia Roberts movie *Eat Pray Love*, which did great things for tourism to India 15 years ago. Jen Ruiz packs this with adventure and personal growth.
Mike Putman: If you and I wrote one of those, it would be *36 Trips in 12 Months*.
James Ferrara: It's true. It would be a trip a week. There are some other wild landscape books, like *The Place of Tides* and *Wild Twin*, which are very nature-oriented.
I really like one called *Wayfarer*, which explores Britain's ancient paths. I actually sent this to Tricia Handley-Hughes, our friend and partner in the UK and a longtime travel industry veteran. It features places you can go, like ancient churches in far off-the-beaten-path locations throughout Britain. The photographs were just wild.
I also picked out one on bicycle trips called *Go West* by Steve Silk. This is a personal "slow travel" trip. Just as there is slow food, there is slow travel, which means going slower, staying closer to nature, and being environmentally conscious. This is a bicycle trip through England and Wales. Everything about this sounds good to me, except the bicycle part.
Mike Putman: I've got to say...
James Ferrara: If this was a BMW trip across England and Wales, I would sign up immediately.
Mike Putman: Yeah, maybe an electric bike.
James Ferrara: There is also some adventure and historical stuff, like *The Wayfinder* by Adam Johnson, which takes place in the South Pacific during the Tonga Empire. Or *Trailblazing the Unknown*, a memoir of a lifetime of adventure travel by Leo Le Bon.
If you're like me and books are the inspiration, there's actually one called *The Little Paris Bookshop* by Nina George. They call this place a "literary apothecary" on the Seine, and it is right up my alley.
Iconic Landmarks and the Impact of Social Media
Mike and I ferreted out a famous library in Porto that we talked about on an old episode. It’s been around since the Art Nouveau period and has an incredible facade and interior. But when we got there, it was like Disneyland.
People were in line for timed entries. Mike lasted exactly 20 seconds in this bookshop because the Instagram influencers were in there posing and taking pictures. We just ran, but it was an incredible place.
Mike Putman: Not only do you have to pay a fee to go in, but you have to wait in a long line, neither of which are very attractive. They only had about 30 books in 10 different languages.
James Ferrara: The books were not impressive; it clearly wasn't about the books anymore. It was about the architecture. The big draw was that the interior was supposedly the inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s description of the Hogwarts library and dining hall in her Harry Potter books.
Architecturally, this was the inspiration for them. There is a fantastic, spiral wooden Art Nouveau staircase in the middle of the library. If all the other chaos wasn't happening, it would have been worth a peek, but it's a good example of a tourist trap.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting that there was a travel book about the Little Paris Bookshop. There are books for everyone that can get your travel inspiration going. Sometimes we are armchair travelers.
Preparation for a trip—reading articles, books, or seeing a movie—is as much a part of the journey as the trip itself. It can be just as fun as actually traveling. Sometimes you can even be a little disappointed in the trip after all that research.
That happened to me with Japan. The lead-up to that trip, the history I read, and the research into restaurants was very exciting. When I got to Japan, I was a little disappointed in the reality, but that's for another time.
Rising Fuel Costs and Travel Inflation
Mike Putman: Well, reading a book might be the most affordable way of traveling right now because jet fuel is going through the roof.
James Ferrara: Holy mackerel, yeah.
Mike Putman: With our current situation in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz being nearly shut, we've seen oil prices spike. That converts into diesel prices, which is what jet fuel runs off of. They're almost at triple normal levels right now.
There's a lot of impact happening globally as a result. We're seeing airlines cutting routes; Vietnam Airlines cut 23 domestic flights last week. Some airlines grounded services earlier this week, like Thai Airways and Vietjet.
Locally in the U.S., United is dropping 5% of all its flights for Q2 and Q3. The average airfare is at $465. To give you a point of reference, this is the highest since 2019 for the same period of time.
There's a lot of pressure on the airline industry. I can't remember the exact percentage of their operating budget that goes toward fuel, but it seems like it's 35 or 40 percent.
The problem is that airlines are selling tickets today for flights happening next week, next month, or even eight months from now. They take money today for a product they are producing months away, yet they don't have control over the cost of the raw goods like fuel. As much as I tend to dislike airlines, I have a little sympathy here. As a business person, you have to price based on what fuel costs now.
James Ferrara: Right, especially if you didn't have hedged reserves. I'm going to do some research on that because it’s not an uncommon practice.
Sometimes you'll hear about a frost in California, and you'll watch the supermarket raise the price that day on lettuce that has been sitting there for two weeks. I want to make sure airlines are playing fairly with customers.
Some of these fuel levies are significant. I researched this for another interview, and domestic airfares have increased 10% to 50% over the same period last year. We are at a historical high right now.
Mike Putman: It’s significant. I was looking at some European flights, and they're adding $600 or $700 in fuel surcharges to the ticket price. That is another story we should bring an expert in to discuss.
Even before this current conflict started, most airlines were still applying a fuel surcharge to tickets to Europe. Even though their fuel price over the last 12 months had been stable, they kept the charge.
By not calling it "airfare," they have certain tax incentives. Additionally, they don't have to pay travel agents commission on the fuel surcharge portion. It’s a little underhanded, and we need some regulation to stop that.
Fuel Surcharges in the Cruise Industry
James Ferrara: I want to be clear that this isn't just air travel. Fuel will raise costs for hotels and cars, but the big one I’ve been watching is cruise lines.
Cruise lines reserve the right in their passenger contracts to add a fuel surcharge to already booked and paid-for cruises. Usually, the trigger is when oil reaches something above $80 a barrel. We're at more than twice that now.
However, cruise lines generally use something called heavy oil, which is a cheaper, less refined type of oil. You don't even see the price of that unless you specifically look it up.
Despite being well above the trigger point, the major cruise lines have chosen not to enact those fuel surcharges yet. I know for a fact they have huge hedged fuel supplies. They've pre-purchased that fuel and they know adding a surcharge will decrease demand.
They're holding out, hoping this situation is short-lived and their reserves will ride them through. Right now, none of the major lines have enacted those charges, which can be significant—sometimes $10 to $20 a day per person.
Mike Putman: I wonder if you broke it out, what amount of fuel would be required pro-rata per person on a cruise line? I have no idea.
James Ferrara: That's an interesting question. We used to have a carbon footprint calculator that showed the footprint per person for a cruise versus a flight or hotel stay, but I've never looked at the specific fuel consumption. We can find that out.
Mike Putman: Yeah, that would be interesting to see.
James Ferrara: We'll talk about that in a future chat. What else is going on?
The Evolution of In-Flight Phone Policies
Mike Putman: Sticking on the airline theme—how many times have you been on a flight and forgotten to turn on airplane mode, but you’re connected to the Wi-Fi and an incoming call comes in?
Everyone winces and starts staring at you while you're fumbling to hit the mute button. For most carriers, it is against the rules to receive voice calls. You can chat or text, but they don't want you making calls.
I originally thought it was an FAA rule or security guidance, but British Airways just announced a policy where they are no longer banning in-flight voice calls. They are using Elon Musk's Starlink Wi-Fi, which I have used on cruise ships and airplanes. It is significantly better than other providers.
James Ferrara: United's regional jet service provides it for free, and I've used it a couple of times. It's terrific.
Mike Putman: You can stream a movie so fast.
James Ferrara: Believe it or not, I am thankfully happy that British Airways is the only airline that has announced this so far.
Mike Putman: You sound like you're happy it's only them?
James Ferrara: I am, because based on behavior I observe on planes every week, I do not trust people to be reasonable about phone use on board. British Airways says you can use it if you speak softly and use headphones, but that is not how people use phones.
The minute the plane lands, people are screaming into their phones. Older people have them on speakerphone because they haven't figured out how to use them properly.
Could you imagine taking an overnight flight and trying to sleep with your eye mask on, and someone right next to you is having a full conversation?
Mike Putman: That's a fair point. It is a problem. It's not just phone calls; it’s people watching Instagram videos or movies with the volume jacked up. The days of chivalry and good manners on airplanes have kind of gone away.
James Ferrara: We've been in a high-velocity technology revolution for a long time, and it takes time for etiquette rules and regulations to catch up. Recently, I've noticed flight attendants telling people they must use headphones and cannot use speakerphone.
They didn't used to say that. Now there is a rule and they enforce it, but it took a while. Once this phone thing starts, I think we're just trying to hold back the flood. Pretty soon everyone will want to make calls on the plane, so we better come up with the etiquette now.
I still have people in elevators having loud conversations on speakerphone. I have to listen to their grocery list while I'm trapped there. It's coming.
New Biometric Systems for European Travel
Mike Putman: One other thing coming up soon is the European Union launching their entry-exit system. This will require biometric data for all non-EU visitors and eliminates passport stamps.
Eliminating the stamps is good because passports get filled up, but they’ve tested this in a few airports and it is causing delays. What a time to roll this out, right before big summer travel demand takes off. Look out for this and be prepared for potential delays if you're traveling to the EU.
James Ferrara: There will be delays in the beginning as people figure out how to work it, but ultimately I think it will smooth things over. It’s like the new facial recognition we discussed last time regarding Clear.
Even during the TSA meltdown the last couple of weeks, I was able to walk through electronic gates using Clear Plus. It’s just facial recognition; you don't even need an ambassador to walk you through.
While other people were waiting 45 minutes to an hour in Newark, it took me exactly two minutes to get through security. Europe has actually been ahead of us in smoothing the friction of travel. Electronic gates have been working in London for years.
Judging by that experience, I think this is all progress. We're eventually going to just walk through everything with facial recognition.
Mike Putman: Yeah, but when you get to the UK, they'll still stop you for a thumb-sized bottle of lotion in your bag and search everything you've got. They haven't gotten through that yet, though there is supposed to be some relief at Heathrow this year. They are still so strict about liquids.
Navigating Inconsistent Global Security Rules
James Ferrara: In the U.S., we've developed scanners where it doesn't matter if you have small amounts of liquid; everything goes through. I don't know why they hang on to those rules in the UK.
The bigger issue is that everyone has different rules. Even as experienced travelers, it’s confusing. One place says take out the computer, another says iPads can stay in, then another says iPads must come out.
Shoes come off, shoes stay on. Liquids must be in a clear bag or they don't care at all. Who can figure all this out?
Mike Putman: Even within the U.S., there are different rules depending on the airport. It's not clear, and then the staff gets an attitude with you.
I had a pocket knife in my bag for eight months without realizing it. I travel to two or three countries a month and I got stopped for liquid Chapstick, but no one saw the knife. Finally, a guy in Orlando caught it a few weeks ago.
The inconsistency is the problem. This is a perfect job for the United Nations. If you want to do something positive, come up with a global set of regulations that everyone adheres to.
James Ferrara: I have many stories like that. Just last week, I got my bag pulled for closer inspection. The agent pulled out my nail clipper—just a standard one with a lever.
She was examining it and turning it over, and I said, "It’s a nail clipper. What am I going to do, say 'Give me control of the plane or I’m going to clip your toenails?'" It would take a long time to chew through anything with that.
Resort Giveaways and Tourism in Mexico
Mike Putman: Amazing. Well, listen, we have a giveaway to talk about before we wrap up.
James Ferrara: Goodness, I almost forgot about that.
Mike Putman: It’s a biggie. This season, we are giving away an all-inclusive vacation for two people to a resort in Mexico.
If you want a chance to win, go to notouristsallowed.com. There are several ways to increase your chances, but the first step is registering online. Subscribing to our newsletter gets you an additional entry.
We would love to see you on the beaches of Mexico with a complimentary drink and food while you enjoy the poolside. It’s a great way to celebrate 2026.
James Ferrara: Fun restaurants, pools, spas, and entertainment—all the things that come with an all-inclusive resort. It's also a good reminder for Americans.
Our geography is not the best; somewhere along the way, we dropped it as a required subject. I find that Americans can be a little hazy on where things are.
We tend to think of Mexico as one single place. Because there was trouble recently in one or two spots, people get concerned about the whole country. You could be at a resort thousands of miles away from where that trouble was. It’s like saying there is trouble in Chicago, so I don’t want to go to New York.
Mexico is a very big place, and some areas are suffering because Americans are afraid to go, even though we are the lion’s share of their tourism. Everyone should have their eyes back on Mexico. It’s a great place with amazing resorts and beaches.
Mike Putman: And they are a good partner of the U.S. as well. Thanks everyone for listening. Please tell your friends and family to listen to *No Tourists Allowed* wherever they get their podcasts.
We have a lot of exciting guests coming up in the next few weeks, so please subscribe so we stay in your feed. We really appreciate your support.
James Ferrara: Absolutely. Thank you to those who have come up to us while we're traveling to say you enjoy the podcast. I really appreciate that feedback.
If you see us somewhere, let us know you're a listener, or go to our YouTube channel and leave a comment. Tell us about your favorite travels or give us your ideas. We love hearing from you. Thank you, everybody.
