The Informed Traveler

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What do you find is the most annoying travel behavior? Air passengers taking off their shoes? Unruly children? People listening to their devices without headphones?  There's a lot, in fact there's a new survey out from Saily.com that lists the top travel annoyances, so on this week's show Travel Expert Onanta Forbes will join me to break it all down. Plus, last week I visited Lougheed House, a beautifully restored National and Provincial Historic Site located in the heart of Calgary. I also chatted with Fiona McTaggard with Lougheed House to share how visitors can explore the historic house, the gardens, and take part in special events and exhibits. 

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We've got a bit of a follow from last week's show. if you recall we were talking about the increase in Fall travel with Travel Expert Onanta Forbes and we mentioned reposition cruises so on this week's show we'll expand on that and discuss the pros and cons of doing a reposition cruise. Plus, we also talked about the opening of Calgary's new airport lounge so Patrick Sojka from Rewards Canada will join us to dig further into airport lounge access and credit card loyalty benefits.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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