The Voyage Report

The executive director of the FAA's UAS Integration Office shares with Mark tips every traveler needs to know, about how they can use drones, which free apps will help get near-instant approval for flying unmanned aircraft systems in the U.S., and what future changes could affect where we can fly drones on trips and in everyday life.

In the first ever 'State of TSA' address, administrator David Pekoske lays out the Transportation Security Administration's goals for 2018, innovations rolling out at airports and transit stations across the nation, and explained the challenges in keeping nearly a billion travelers a year safe.

We're on location from the floor of the 2018 New York Times Travel Show talking about how redeeming award miles can be frustrating and overpriced. Ari Charlestein, co-founder and president of Award Magic, a booking service, reveals which airlines are easiest to redeem miles on, whether redeeming flights for domestic or international flights are the best value, and the one thing you should never do when using miles.

New tools are transforming the way visually impaired and blind travelers navigate airports and, soon, transit stations of all types. Larry Skutchan of the American Printing House for the Blind helped design the "revolutionary" Indoor Explorer feature and tells us how it works, his incredible background as a computer programmer, and his hopes for the future of the American with Disabilities Act.

Following our 'Ask the Captain' and 'Ask a Flight Attendant' episodes, we wanted to pose your questions to an active air traffic controller. So in this episode, San Juan Tower controller Kyrandgel Rios explains his job, what it was like to ride out Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma in Puerto Rico while at work, how your typical flight works from an air traffic control perspective, and his top tips for travelers.

Inspired by the untimely death of her son, Sheryl Hill founded Depart Smart, a non-profit organization committed to preparing travelers for journeys abroad. Sheryl gives our Mark Albert a 10-question Travel Safe Quiz, shares specific tips to stay safe while traveling and how to vet the travel company you're considering using, and provides listeners with a promo code for a deep discount off the non-profit group’s travel safety certification course.

We take a look back at 2017: the tips, tricks, and trends for travel and transportation in this year-end review. We re-introduce you to the explorers, adventurers, trend-setters, and top leaders influencing how we travel—by air, sea, rail, and in hotels, and non-traditional lodging. It's our best of 2017 and a look-ahead to 2018. Happy holidays!

Travelers United is America’s largest non-profit travel advocacy organization. We chat with co-founder Charlie Leocha about how to get compensation when travel plans change, how to beat extra fees, the outlook for travel in 2018, and why he says, “we’re still going to fight back.”

Have you ever wanted to travel the world permanently—as a nomad? Our guest, Thomas K. Running, is the publisher of Nomad Gate, a guide to a "location independent" life. He tells us how to travel the world for under $20,000 a year, the best airlines and apps for nomads, and his top tips for travelers of all kinds.

With the holidays approaching, some travelers may be planning a getaway to a Disney theme park. Linda Marquez, a panelist on the Disney Parks Moms Panel for 2017, shares her top money-saving tips, reveals secrets inside Disneyland and Disney World, and gives us a list of Disney freebies for visitors.

We take you to Montenegro and Slovenia, two European gems. Terry Anzur, publisher of the travel website Strangers in the Living Room and a prolific contributor to The Voyage Report, chats about her favorite spots in both countries, reveals where to find Star Wars in Ireland(!) and space geeks in Alabama, and shares priceless tips for travelers of all ages.

We chat with Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst, who looks into his crystal ball for us to predict the future of aviation and lodging. Self-driving jet bridges? Wearables and Earables? How about vastly expanded biometrics? Henry weighs in on all of those and shares the highlights of his trip as a passenger on the last commercial United 747 flight.

Technology is transforming the lodging experience around the world. Mark chats with Adam Hollander, co-founder of Hotel Tech Report, the number one ratings and review site for hotel technology. Adam tells us about how tech is changing the industry, what new technology is coming to hotels worldwide, how Airbnb and non-traditional lodgings are forcing hotel chains to innovate, and his favorite travel tips for travelers.

Pittsburgh International Airport is reinventing itself. We chat with the airport's vice president of media relations about the airport rolling out myPITpass to allow visitors who are not flying to go past security, embarking on a $1.1 billion renovation, starting a class for first-time flyers, and ushering in what it calls an era of "air service renaissance."

We take The Voyage Report podcast on the road to Vietnam. Mark chats with local resident Gee Nguyen about Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, Hoi An, Halong Bay and more destinations, along with getting Gee's tips and tricks for visiting this Asian country, which is experiencing a renaissance of vitality.

Some travelers aren't just looking for a cool Instagram photo; they want to inspire their soul. Mark chats with Jason Everett, a National Guardsman who engages in civic travel: volunteering or helping to improve the lives of others no matter where one goes. Jason tells us about his recent trip to Cuba with suitcases filled with donated skateboards and how listeners can take part in civic travel regardless of their destination.

Former teacher Dianne Sivulka knows how to combine education with adventures! She's the founder of Our Edventures and chats with Mark about making travel fun and educational for kids, how to use her downloadable itineraries and worksheets for your next trip, and her top tips for travelers of any age.

James Van Fleet is the chief meteorologist for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Mark chats with Jim about this extremely active hurricane season, how he forecasts the weather for one of the world's largest cruise lines, how he helps decide which ships to divert or cancel, why he thinks it's so important to respond to cruisers on social media, and he reveals his top tips for travelers.

A new documentary called "Flights from Hell: Caught on Camera" uses lots of viral, shocking videos to illustrate the high-stress nature of our aviation system today. Mark chats with the producer director of the program, Chris McMillan, about extreme behavior in airports and on planes caught on camera, whether there are more incidents occurring this year or just more smartphones to record it, and his top tips for travelers to avoid in-flight meltdowns.

Meet the Airbnb of private campsites. Mark chats with Hipcamp founder Alyssa Ravasio about the "wave" that gave her the inspiration to start the site-sharing platform, the unique lands her site unlocks for campers and explorers, and her top travel tips for travelers.