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NowBoarding, your daily travel news in 7 minutes or less. This is your host, Ed Pizza, bringing you the latest travel deals and travel news you need to know Monday through Friday.  Tune in daily so you don’t miss any of the best deals!Look for links to all of today’s stories in the show notes on whatever podcast platform you’re listening.  And, please share the show with a friend!Happy to be back from a Disney World long weekend with the family. And, ready to jump back into the news.The big news yesterday was that Boeing has halted production on the Boeing 737 MAX.  Aside from the fact that it’s big news from an aviation standpoint, it also impacts everyone’s travels in 2020.  Boeing is making that move because they believe it’s still going to be a while before the plane is approved to fly again, and they can start delivering the backlog of planes they already have.The airlines had plans for the 737 MAX to be a major part of their growth strategy in 2020.  Not only is the grounding of the 737 restricting the number of new planes the airlines can use to expand their route networks, but with air travel demand likely to continue to grow the grounding could lead to higher prices and less award space for travelers.  At this point the airlines have removed the 737 MAX from their schedule through the spring break travel season.  If the MAX flies sooner it could mean some great last-minute deals around spring break.  But, as of today we don’t appear anywhere near that announcement.As a quick aside, I’m wondering if people will be nervous to fly on a 737 MAX when it returns to the air.  Let me know your thoughts via Twitter or Facebook @pizzainmotion.  Is this really a concern, or are you ready to hop onboard when the MAX returns to the air?If you’re looking to save money on your next IHG or Kimpton stay, Deals We Like details how to use their Friends and Family Rates to save money on your next reservation.  If you’re not chasing elite status with IHG and don’t mind not earning points, you could save a decent chunk of cash on your next reservation.  I’m either getting old or I just don’t ever recall this being an option.  Since I don’t chase IHG status but do have the occasional IHG stay, this is most certainly something that could save me money in the future.Universal Studios is getting into the food & wine festival business, not to be outdone by Disney.  Disney World has made an unbelievable amount of money off of the various food festivals at EPCOT.  Universal is doing it in a very different way, and it’s bound to impact a number of family vacations. You see, they’ll close the parks early for a couple of nights in prime Spring Break season to accommodate these add-on events.  Universal already does this quite a bit for holiday parties.  It’s not at all abnormal to see the parks close at 7pm in the prime holiday season.
That really takes away from the value a family can get from already really expensive park tickets.  For families, it’s a word to the wise to check the park hours before you plan your next visit to Harry Potter’s world.  And, for folks who like a good glass of wine with a side of theme park, a mere $179 will get you access.  Of course, there’s a $300 VIP option as well.We’re getting into ski season and there are a number of opportunities to ski for free if you’re flying to get to the slopes.  The offers vary in terms of time, length and value.  They can be found at popular mountains in Colorado, California, Idaho, Canada and more.  Last on our list is the opportunity to earn 10 miles per dollar on all Lyft rides to and from an airport.  Through the beginning of January, Delta and Lyft are partnering to offer a lot of SkyMiles on airport rides.  And, you can still earn 2 miles per dollar on all other Lyft rides.  I’m more of an Uber than a Lyft guy. But, 10 miles per dollar definitely gets my attention.  I hope this isn’t a one-time promotion.  If you’re not a road warrior, you need to be taking advantage of opportunities like this to earn lots of bonus miles on transactions you were already planning.  If you’ve got an airport ride this month, Lyft and Delta are the way to go.  Check the show notes for this article to learn how to link your Delta and Lyft accounts.That’s a full wrap on today’s travel news. If you’ve got a piece of travel news that you think I should feature on NowBoarding, you can e-mail me at ed@pizzainmotion.com, or find me on social media, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. And, you can find me blogging daily at pizzainmotion.com.Lastly, I need your help, for just a minute. Reviews and ratings are a huge part of what helps us reach a larger audience. So take a minute and help us out, leaving us a review and a rating wherever you get your podcasts. And, please tell a friend. That’s your travel news in 7 minutes or less. I hope you’ll join us again on a future flight!