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.