The Informed Traveler

Send us Fan Mail With Summer coming to an end, Fall travel is showing increasing numbers so on this week's show travel expert Onanta Forbes will join me to discuss the shift towards travelling during over the Fall season. Plus, Calgary International Airport opened a new airport lounge this past week so we'll talk about what it offers guests and airport lounges in general. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever tried a bid upgrade? It's where passengers can offer to pay extra for a chance to move from their current class (like economy) to a higher class. Airlines and cruise lines use it all the time so on this week's show travel expert Onanta Forbes will join me to walk us through the process. Then we'll head to Puerto Vallarta to learn about the Villa Premiere Boutique Hotel. Located in the heart of Puerto Vallarta, just a few blocks from the iconic “El Malecón” boardwalk focusing its service on romance, taste & relaxation. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Have you seen the Netflix series The Bombing of Pan Am 103? It's about the tragedy of Lockerbie, Scotland that happened in Dec. of 1988. On this week's show Travel Expert Onanta Forbes joins me to discuss the tragedy and fallout that Pan Am 103 had on the travel industry as a whole. Plus, we took a short trip to Radium, BC last week and went whitewater rafting with the folks from The Kootenay River Runners. I talked with one of their guides afterwards to get some insight into what they are all about so we'll play that conversation for you. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Travel Expert Onanta Forbes was on the last leg of her cruise around Northern Europe last week so we'll get the highlights on this week's show. Plus, travel writer and luxury hotel reviewer Debra Smith will join us to give her take on her stay at the Fairmont Tokyo. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Travel Expert Onanta Forbes continued her cruise around the British Isles and Northern Europe last week so we'll catch up with her to see what she's been up to. Plus, have you ever thought of doing or have done an Escape Room experience while on vacation? It's a growing trend where hotels are offering that right on site so we'll talk to Laura Hawkins, President of Gamemasters Escape Solutions, the people behind that trend. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Travel Expert Onanta Forbes is travelling again so we'll catch up with her cruising around Ireland where she managed to take in the solar eclipse that happened this week. Plus, last week I got the chance to visit the area of Diamond Valley, only about a 40 minute drive south of Calgary. It's also home to Eau Claire Distillery, known for it's fabulous whiskey, gin and vodka and is Canada's most awarded craft distillery. It was a fun night out so we'll talk to the CEO of Eau Claire Distillery to learn more about the story behind their success. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Renewing your passport has become a bit simpler as you can now renew it online, so on this week's show Travel Expert Onanta Forbes joins me to go through the process. Then we'll talk with the author of a new book titled Sales to Success: How a Cruise Ship Salesman Turned Jewelry, Stories, and Human Connection into a Life of Adventure. He's Rick Domanski and he's sailed the world's oceans as a cruise ship sales professional, luxury retail promoter, and shopping expert. He was also my supervisor when I did the same job many years ago while working on the cruise ships. So we're going to talk about the cruise ship life, what we learned and how he put it all together in his new book. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever volunteered to give up your seat on an overbooked flight? It can be tempting sometimes depending on your circumstances. On this week's show Travel Expert Onanta Forbes joins me to discuss overbooking, not just with the airlines but with hotels and cruise lines. Why it happens and what to do to avoid losing your seat, room or cabin. Plus, we'll chat with our friend Dee Dee Poteete from Visit San Antonio to see what's new in a city full of historic sites and their famous Riverwalk. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Even though winter seems a long way off, now is the time to start planning for that winter getaway, so on this week's show Travel Expert Onanta Forbes joins me to offer some tips on what to plan for and some ideas on where to go. Plus we'll head to Edinburgh, Scotland and talk with one of the tour guides of the historic Edinburgh Castle. A place full of stories and majestic views overlooking the city of Edinburgh. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail We talk a lot about Travel Rewards on this show so this week Travel Expert Onanta Forbes joins me to discuss how to double dip to help you to earn those rewards faster. And then we'll head to Quebec and visit the Gaspe region and in particular Perce Rock, one of Canada's most iconic natural landmarks overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Travel Expert Onanta Forbes was supposed to be leaving for a river cruise in Europe next week but the cruise was cancelled at the last minute, so now what? On this week's show we'll discuss what happens with a last minute river cruise cancellation. Then we'll head to Franklin, Tennessee, a historic town located only minutes south of Nashville, known for its beautifully preserved Main Street, Civil War history, vibrant music scene, boutique shopping, and outstanding Southern dining. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Our friends in the US have been busy celebrating America 250 this year and the website Roamright.com has come out with a guide on planning a trip to the US around America 250 so on this week's show travel expert Onanta Forbes will join me to discuss what you should know. Then we'll head across the Pacific and visit Vomo Island in Fiji. It's a beautiful private island which is home the best luxury resort for families in Fiji and the 5th best beach in the world. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The Canada Strong Pass is back this summer and with Canada Day coming up I thought it might be a good idea to showcase what we have here in our own backyard so on this week's show travel expert Onanta Forbes joins me to share some of the sights and activities in and around Calgary and Alberta. Then we'll talk about car rental insurance coverage from your credit card, what it covers and what you should be aware of. Rewards Canada founder Patrick Sojka will join us to give some insight. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail There's all kinds of travel scams waiting to take advantage of you, one of them that seems to be on the rise is fake booking sites. On this week's show, travel expert Onanta Forbes will join me to discuss what to look for and how to avoid them. Plus, the folks from Skyscanner have come out with The Smarter Summer Report so you can find the best places to go this summer. So we'll have a look at some of their handpicked alternative destinations. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Cuba has been in the travel news a lot lately as a number of airlines, tour operators and hotels have ceased operations, so on this week's show travel expert Onanta Forbes will join me to discuss what's going on in Cuba. Then we'll chat with the VP of DCI, Development Counsellors International as they've recently released their fourth edition of the Capturing the Canadian Consumer study. So we'll dive into the numbers to see where Canadians are going and why. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Have you heard about the issue of bag tag switching at Canadian airports? It doesn't happen often but you certainly don't want to be the one caught up in it. Travel expert Onanta Forbes will join me to discuss what it involves and what you can do to make sure you're not. Then we'll head to Vancouver Island and visit Campbell River, home to the Naturally Pacific Resort. We'll chat with the GM to get the highlights of visiting Campbell River this summer. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Summer travel is on the minds of many these days and with it many concerns and questions so on this week's show Travel Expert Onanta Forbes will join me to discuss what those concerns might be. And the Cruise Guru, David Yeskel who is often a guest on our show, will stop by to give us his review of the MSC World America. It's one of MSC Cruises newest ships so we'll get the lowdown from David. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail This week's show is all about sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida where we attended IPW 2026 last week — one of the travel industry’s premier international marketplaces, hosted by Brand USA and the US Travel Association. One of the conversations we had was with Visit Lauderdale sharing all the fun things Ft Lauderdale has to offer. I also had a sit down with Brand USA, talking about traveling to the US, visitation numbers and the plan going forward. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this week's show we'll catch with Travel Expert Onanta Forbes as she winds up her stay in the Philippines. Plus we'll find out if she's encountered any travel disruptions with the jet fuel shortage that's effecting many places. Then later in the show we'll hear from the Grenada Tourism Authority on why Grenada is a great choice for your next Caribbean vacation. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail On this week's show we'll get some tips and insight on travelling to the Philippines. Travel Expert Onanta Forbes is there, so we'll join her live from the Philippines. Then we'll head to Costa Rica, a popular vacation spot for many people. Known for it's rainforests, sunny beaches, mountains, volcanoes, waterfalls and rivers. If you've been you know what I'm talking about so we'll chat with the co-founder of Anywhere.com who is an expert on traveling to Costa Rica. Support the show