Travelogue

In a trend that seems more organic than millennial bleisure, the travel industry is catering to women more and more, in ways that work and ways that... don't. Female guides teaching how to rock climb and mountain bike? We're on board with that—hello, REI Adventures and Adventure Women. Women's hotel floors that tout glossy mags, fresh flowers? Age limits on women flight attendants, and none for men? That's a hell no. Women-only airline seats? Tune in to found out what we really think. Plus, listen to hear a preview of the exciting stories we're almost ready to unveil.

What do millennials want? It's the marketers' Holy Grail, as they seek to understand that key demographic of digitally-obsessed, stereotypically self-important 20-somethings who have only the vaguest memories of phone books and dial-up Internet. On this edition of Travelogue, Condé Nast Traveler's weekly podcast, we take a look at the travel industry—the airlines, hotels, and cheeky start-ups—as they try to tap the millennial market. Our question: Is it working?

"Bad Behavior On Planes Is Getting Worse," says the International Air Transport Association (IATA)—not that the skies have ever been bastions of mannerly calm. Tight spaces, vanishing perks, and packed routes mean shortened tempers. Politics don't help: After both Brexit and the 2016 U.S. election there were spikes in incidents of in-air conflict among passengers. Where does the anger come from, and what about cruising at 30,000 feet brings it out of us? Is anyone actually entitled to the arm rest? What happens when fights erupt mid-flight? Who's in charge up there, and what are the consequences for those involved? This week, we get fired up about airbound anger management.

It's been a busy week for budget travel. This week alone, American and United began selling unbundled basic economy tickets, Norwegian announced $65 flights between Europe and the East Coast, and Air France-KLM got approval to create a new lower-cost airline in Europe. But, with many of these low-cost airlines not being low-cost after all, with added fees for checked bags, carry-on bags, seat assignments, food, and more, we sat down to tackle whether or not these fares are a real deal. In the end? "It depends."

Travel agents—they do, in fact, still exist: living, breathing trip planners who can help you find the best hotel for your honeymoon, the right family safari, or just a great place to vacation when time and inspiration are lacking. The best can even get you a room upgrade or a credit for dinner. What's the difference, though, between a travel agent and a travel specialist? The secret's in the "special," of course: someone with in-depth knowledge of a city, region, or style of travel. A cruise guru. A Caribbean savant. An expert in the ever-changing rules of Cuba travel. But how do you find the right one? How do you know what to ask, or expect? This week, we explain what these mysterious beasts really are, when you should call one for help, and how to find someone who won't have you chasing an umbrella across the piazza.

Since January 27, the less-than-sexy minutiae of immigration policy and the alphabet soup of visa classes have been headline makers thanks to President Trump's executive order on immigration, which has come to be called, simply, "the travel ban." It's a subject dear to our hearts, given its profound and far-reaching effect on border crossings—and unless you're willing to spend a lot of time reading court papers, it can be a challenge to understand. So we decided to dive in and do a play-by-play of how we got to this point and what it actually means for travelers—those directly affected by the ruling, and the trickle-down effect to other parts of the travel industry— knowing full well that news could (and, it turned out, did) break *during* the taping of the podcast.

One of the questions we get most often at Condé Nast Traveler is how to get the best deal for the next place you're going. Should you buy on a specific day? From a specific airline? On a specific browser? Sadly, there's no catch-all answer to this very old question (though recent data points to Sunday as one of the best days to buy). Instead, we look at the steps you should take to get the best price on your ticket every single time—including price trackers, points hackers, airport hubs, and codeshare partners. We also look at whether money should really be your primary consideration, and debate the pros and cons of hidden-city ticketing. The rest? Well, you'll just have to listen.

How do you fit a comprehensive primer on traveling to Asia into a 45-minute discussion? You don't. We know. We tried. So consider this part 1. In which, in less time than it takes to get through a TSA line, we take you to Japan to see why Tokyo and Kyoto took the number one and two spots in our 2016 Readers' Choice Awards; to Thailand, where you'll get quality beach time plus the serenity of Chiang Mai's wooded foothills; on an Indonesian island hop (with an impassioned defense of Bali's resilient magic); and on a single-trip sprint through Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok and more—with enough time left over to eat your way through Singapore's hawker centers. We drop a few surprises on the way—for instance, that Japan is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and that you can visit the Great Wall on a six-hour Beijing layover. And that Singapore is home to the cheapest Michelin-star dish on earth. Not covered? The Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Vietnam, Central Asia, or roughly 80 percent of the continent. So, yeah: we'll be back for part 2.

This time of year many of us in the Northern Hemisphere find ourselves deep in a dark, dreary winter, yearning for an escape to somewhere we can get a healthy dose of vitamin D. On this episode, we talk about sunny destinations ripe for escapes—some that are classics, like Hawaii and the British Virgin Islands, and others that may give you pause (North Pole? North Pole!). So whether you're looking for a Zika-free destination, beaches for a digital detox, or even a winter cruise out of the path of polar vortexes, we've got you covered.

Here at Traveler, we like nothing more than swapping souvenir stories. Maybe it’s a menu stolen from an unforgettable restaurant, or a one-of-a-kind feathered headpiece from Brazil. Doesn’t matter whether it cost half our rent or just a few cents, all we ask is that it carries us back to a time, a place, or an experience. Sometimes it’s a unique piece of jewelry; other times, it’s something that satisfies the collector in us, like a postcard or a refrigerator magnet. And every now and then, the most cherished memento is something edible—a European candy bar, say, or a tin of exotic tea. We’ll talk about all this and more, including how to safely pack your haul for the journey home, or check whether that overseas delicacy is considered illegal here in the United States.

In this week's edition, we dive even deeper into what travelers can expect in 2017. Think passport changes, new airport security shortcuts, more (and more) fare classes on airplanes, the rise of low-cost, long-haul flights, and—yep—how Trump could affect travel.

It's that time again: to say goodbye (and, in this case, good riddance) to the year behind us, and to gaze forward into the one to come. At Traveler, that means lining up our travel list for 2017. In our last podcast of 2016, we look at airline trends, new hotel openings, and destinations on the rise to help you firm up your travel plans for the new year. Trying to get into the great outdoors? Take a trip north to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday (hint: the country's national parks are free all year). If cities are your jam, we've got classics (hi, Tokyo) and some spots that you—and thousands of other travelers—might not have thought of (we'll see you in Kigali). Have a listen as we dive deep into all things 2017, and tweet us the places that are on your list but didn't make ours.

Travel is often unpredictable—weather pops up from nowhere, flights get delayed, destinations turn out to be ... not what you expected. But making educated predictions about travel is kind of our business here at Conde Nast Traveler. As the year comes to an end, we're looking back at what we believed would happen in the world of travel in 2016, and assessing where we went right—and where we got it wrong. From the changes we knew were coming (hello, Cuba!), to the events that could be counted on to make a splash (the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro), to ones we never could have anticipated (boo, Zika!), here's our accounting of the year that was. And since it's never too early to map out all of your 2017 travels, we have some friendly advice: go to Brussels. It's lovely, and they need it.

These days, brand expansion isn't just a trend—it's the way to make sure a company not only lasts, but creates a legacy for years to come. This week, special guest Edie Rodriguez, CEO of Crystal, which has parlayed its upscale ocean cruises into a first-of-its-kind "air cruise," kicks off a look at some of the most interesting travel brand expansions coming in 2017 and beyond, including the Four Seasons hotel group getting a custom (and extremely luxe, of course) private jet, and home goods companies like West Elm and Restoration Hardware skipping the middleman to put their own shoppable products into branded hotels.

Travelers are developing a taste for tipple-fueled journeys, whether that's a visit to a whisky distillery in the Scottish highlands, a stopover at Melbourne’s best cocktail bar, or a day spent wandering Bordeaux’s brand new Cité du Vin. So this week, we at Travelogue looks at how, why, and when these boozy pilgrimages began—and suggest, of course, a few worthwhile journeys. Why does the exact same bottle of rosé taste so much more delicious on the terrace of a Provençal bistro than it does on your back porch at home? Where are the best cities in the world to drink right now? (Hint: three of the four are right here stateside.) And just how good, really, are celebrity ventures like those from George Clooney and Sammy Hagar? We'll take on all this, plus interview Cameron Mackenzie, head distiller of Australia’s Four Pillars, one of the more intriguing new boutique ginsmiths Down Under.