Indoor rock climbing began as practice for outdoor rock climbing. But it is now a pastime unto itself. It allows climbers to challenge themselves in new and unique ways. Learn about the appeal of indoor rock climbing from the pros.
The art of the upsell
Did you hear United Airlines is going all-in on a new, premium, expensive business class? Private check-in, a fancy lounge with sit-down dining, nice pajamas and a mattress pad, extra food on the plane, and (my favorite) press a button and someone will whiz over with champagne. Cha‑ching.
What about when you’re buying a regular ticket? Those are pricey, too — especially with the “extras” that used to be standard. Airlines have all kinds of sneaky upselling tricks. Let’s be smart and save money together.
Upsells you’ll most certainly run into
- Priority boarding: Pay extra to be early on the plane. If you have a disability or health condition that means you need more time, you can get that for free. Just ask.
- Travel insurance or flight protection: It’s 4% to 10% of the ticket price. Check if your credit card offers this instead. Most of mine do. If you’re not sure, call the number on the back and ask.
- Wi-Fi: Bet on spending anywhere from $3 to $30. If Wi‑Fi is a must for you, check the cost ahead of time. JetBlue offers it free for all passengers (nice). Frontier offers no movies, TV or Wi‑Fi, period.
- Flexible tickets: You’ll pay more if you want to be able to change flights later, but keep in mind you’ll still probably pay a change fee of at least $50.
- Boarding pass printing: This is big for budget airlines. Spirit wants $2 at the kiosk. Frontier charges $25 if you need an agent to help you. Ouch.
So, what can you do about it? Here are practical tips for the booking and travel process.
Screen saver: Don’t rush through the purchasing confirmation screens. Slow down, read thoroughly and make sure you know what you’re getting.
🤑 Pro tip: You’ll generally find the lowest prices if you book on a Sunday and travel on a Wednesday.
“Premium economy” is an oxymoron: Airlines push you to expensive seats by slicing cabin classes into more categories. Depending on the airline, it just means boarding a little sooner.
On some airlines, like American, you’ll get bigger seats (that fully recline, in some cases), better food and beverage options, priority boarding, and lots of room for you and your stuff. OK, that’s probably worth it.
Seat assignments: Before you shell out, check SeatGuru.com. Enter your airline and flight number to see a map of the best seats with the most legroom.
💺 Pro tip: If you ask at the gate, the person at the desk may be able to switch your seat assignment, especially if you’re traveling with a partner or kids. Here, it really pays to be nice.
Do the math: Most U.S. airlines increased their checked baggage prices this year by $5 to $10, and it’s worse for your second checked bag. The exception? Southwest, which still includes two checked bags in its ticket prices.
Weather apps pro meteorologists use
Do you want to keep track of the weather with apps the pros use?
Below are the best weather apps you’ll find on the market. These accurate and easy-to-use industry favorites make planning for tomorrow incredibly easy. Camping trips, vacations and even just your outfit for work the next day may all benefit from a bit of foresight.
Silence is golden (unless you have a toddler): Did you know you can instantly silence incoming calls on your smartphone by pressing the side button (volume up or volume down) once? Yup! It’s a tech secret the pros know — and now you do, too. You’re welcome!
Score eBay deals with this tip
Looking to snag the best prices? Here’s a secret tip the pros swear by — it’s your key to scoring unbelievable bargains.
Net neutrality’s back: The FCC voted to restore net neutrality, saying ISPs can’t speed up, slow down or block access to specific sites or services. The FCC also wants to stop ISPs from selling customers’ personal info or using this info to train AI models. Now, the pros and cons of net neutrality are a 20-minute lecture starting with: Do we really want to open the door to government interference and regulation of private enterprise? Drop me a note here if you want to talk about net neutrality or another burning tech topic.
$167 per hour
For freelance data analysts. Freelancing platform Upwork says data analytics is far and away its most in-demand skill set in 2024. The numbers speak for themselves. The next frontier for data pros? You guessed it: Using AI to crunch numbers faster.
Amazon has a new policy to stop third-party sellers from ripping you off
Amazon is the world’s biggest retailer, and with that title comes several pros and cons. On one hand, Amazon’s service is fast, cheap and full of choices. On the other hand, the platform has attracted a number of scammers with counterfeit products and fake reviews.
Apple has a full slate of new gadgets this fall
For the last few years, fall has always been Apple’s biggest season. Of course, this is the time when the new iPhones are announced and the excitement during this time of year is understandable. But will the last quarter of the year be any different? Here are all the new and exciting gadgets we are expecting from Apple this fall.
👊 Close the Windows: There are pros to having your Microsoft and Windows 11 accounts tied together, but if you want to stop Microsoft from sharing your data with advertisers, disconnect from the cloud. Move to a local account with these steps: Open Settings, then Account > Your Info > Sign In. Log into a local account, then confirm your changes.
Did you know you can instantly silence incoming calls on your smartphone by simply pressing the side button — typically, volume up or volume down — once? Yup, it’s a tech secret the pros know.
🏎️ May the best algo win: The first-ever autonomous car race kicks off in Abu Dhabi this weekend. No F1 pros, just eight engineering teams duking it out for $2.25 million in prize money. They’re even racing the exact same car — the Dallara Super Formula SF23. Car racing is about the driver’s abilities, not just a car. Dumb.
Why even the pros are dumping their fitness trackers
Do you measure the steps you take every day? Here’s why that could be a thing of the past.
How pros buy crypto and make money
Do you want to get into buying cryptocurrency? Listen to this one-minute episode to find out how you can make like the Wall Street pros and use dollar-cost averaging to your advantage.
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Chromebook pros and cons
Chromebook sales are through the roof, a 75% increase in the number shipped over the past year. Here’s what you should know before you buy.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tips for living in isolation from a NASA astronaut
When it comes to being isolated, astronauts are the real pros. In this episode, Kim talks to retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who holds the American record for the longest time spent in space. He’s shares the tactics he used to stayed sane in isolation for a year on the International Space Station and tips for leading a team through crisis.
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