How many times have you confirmed a booking and assumed you had all the details covered? There are certain things in this business that aren't optional knowledge. They're not extras you figure out along the way. They're the foundation and when they're missing, it's usually your client who feels it first and you who deals with the fallout. Before any booking is finalized, you should be able to answer these five things without hesitating: What happens if the trip gets cancelled on your end and theirs? Supplier policies and your own policies need to be crystal clear, communicated, and documented. Can your client actually enter that country? Passport validity, visas, entry requirements this changes more than people realize and it's on you to verify it. Who is picking them up and where, exactly? Transfer details feel minor until someone lands in a foreign city at midnight with no ride and no contact number. When do you actually get paid? Know your commission structure and payout timeline before the invoice goes out, not after. What happens when something goes wrong at 2am? Your clients need an after-hours contact. So do you. These aren't things clients double-check on their own. They're trusting that you already handled it. Which one of these caught you off guard early in your career? Drop it below ... your answer might save someone else a really bad day.

What if instead of only earning when someone books, we created a Travel Concierge Retainer for frequent travelers? The idea would be a yearly access model where clients pay for ongoing planning support, not just one trip. This could include things like: • destination recommendations throughout the year • trip planning guidance when they’re deciding • priority access to group trips • flight monitoring or timing advice • help comparing options before they book • ongoing travel relationship vs one-off transactions The reason this model could work: Most frequent travelers don’t just take one trip ... they take 2–3 per year and constantly ask questions in between. That’s time advisors already spend, but it’s not always compensated. A concierge-style retainer turns: random questions → structured service one-time bookings → ongoing relationship inconsistent income → predictable baseline revenue reactive planning → proactive travel guidance It also helps position the advisor as a year-round travel partner, not just someone who books trips. Curious if anyone here has tested something like this or considered packaging their ongoing support into an annual concierge-style model?

** This is long but well worth the read I promise you!!** I had a really interesting conversation with @Christine Berencz about targeting teachers as travel clients, and it sent me down a rabbit hole doing more research. The more I looked into it, the more I realized this isn’t just a niche — it’s a predictable, repeatable prospecting strategy for travel agents. If you're looking for ideal clients, stop thinking in demographics and start thinking in time-off patterns. Teachers are powerful because they have: • Predictable summers off • Spring break travel windows • Winter holiday travel windows • Built-in group travel (coworkers) • Advance planning habits • Repeat annual travel behavior But here’s the bigger realization… It’s not just teachers. It’s the entire school ecosystem. That includes: • Teachers • School administrators • Paraprofessionals • School counselors • Teacher aides • Bus drivers • School office staff • School nurses All of them share the same travel windows and often travel together. This creates: - Built-in group travel opportunities - Repeatable annual trips - Easier marketing messaging - Predictable booking cycles And once I started thinking this way, more seasonal-off professions showed up. Other strong prospect groups with predictable travel windows: College & University Staff • Professors • Advisors • Admissions teams • Campus admin ... Often lighter summers + winter breaks School Nurses & Travel Nurses • Contract gaps • Summer availability • Flexible scheduling.... Often ready for longer trips Accountants / CPAs • Busy Jan–April • Free late spring & summer ... Perfect for May–July departures Construction & Trades • Winter slowdowns (many regions) • Flexible project scheduling • Often travel in friend groups Event Industry (Wedding Pros, DJs, Photographers) • Busy spring & fall • Slower summer & winter pockets • Group travel friendly The key shift for us as travel advisors: Instead of marketing to: "Anyone who wants to travel"

@Lary Neron I am the queen of having crazy stuff happen with my clients’ flights 🫠

How's everyone doing with this crazy weather? 🌪️ 🌨️